Unloading The Kiln

I get super excited every time I unload a kiln. I always say it's like Christmas when you were a kid. Everything goes into the kiln covered in glaze that is all one color. My glaze these days is green so every button, bead and bowl is green when it goes into the kiln. I fire to almost 2000 degrees F so it's hot and I have to wait for it to cool down.

Over the years I have built up some heat resistant fingers. You know at restaurants when they tell you to watch the plate because it's hot? I just grab it without problems and it always gives the waitress a scare.

After I can open it all the way, it's about 150 degrees. Everything is suspended on high temperature wires. Glaze is basically ground up glass so when it reaches it's firing temperature it melts. If things were sitting on the kiln shelves, they would be stuck there forever. That is why everything is hung on wires.

I pull everything out and lay them on a metal tray. They are still pretty warm at this point.

Bowls and pottery have clean bottoms so they sit directly on the shelf.

Here are little bird nests sitting and waiting to be brought in to the studio.

 Pottery is waiting patiently as well.

After cooling a little bit more, the beads and buttons are taken off the wires. Next, I sort them, put the buttons on cards and photograph them for my shop.

Enjoy your day!

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Color Choices

Hi there! 
 I've been working on some new designs and I need some certain colors. Glazes are tricky things and if you don't have the exact color you need well then you have to mix it. Sounds easy enough, but here's where the problem lies. Glazes look different in the bottle than when they come out of the kiln. I spent yesterday finding finished glaze samples of the two colors I wanted to mix together. Then I would think how much green do I want to add to the blue? I would add it and then have to go with my gut on whether it was going to come out of the kiln like I was hoping for. Geez, I used a lot of brain cells yesterday. Now the kiln has been fired and I am waiting for it to cool. Of course I put the samples on the bottom of the kiln so it won't be until late this afternoon before they come out. I will have to spend the day waiting and wondering....

While I am waiting and wondering, I will also spend it photographing new beads!I have been trying to get to this for ever, but I didn't want to do it until I had everything I wanted. Sometime in the next few days I will get the Etsy shop loaded up with some new work. I am going to add some standards back into the shop as well as brand spanking new work, that, by the way, I am super in love with!

Stay tuned, I will let you blog followers know first about the new work.
Have a great day,
Jennifer

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Kilns 101

Hi everyone!
I have been a lot of questions lately about kilns. I guess that's because I have a book coming out in 18 days!!!! I can't believe it. I think people are getting excited about trying their hand at ceramic bead making. Above is a photo of one of my kilns loaded for a glaze firing. All of the beads have to be suspended on a high temperature wire or the glaze will stick to whatever it is touching. Yes, I know what you are thinking, it does take forever to load a glaze kiln.

I thought I would talk a bit about kilns, and the types, so if you are in the market for one this might help. Kilns are basically really hot ovens. They are insulated really well to hold in heat and to keep you safe. Kilns for glass, ceramic, and metal clay are all built the same way. Sometimes you will find a glass kiln that has elements in the lid for more even heat distribution but all in all it's the same kind of kiln. The only difference is how hot the kiln will get. Ceramic clay is fired hotter than glass or metal clay. So if you already have a kiln you just need to look at it's highest temperature rating to see if it will work. Ceramic clay is fired at many different temperatures. There are many factors including which type of clay and glazes you are using. Low fire clays and glazes, which are still super strong, are fired at 1828 degrees F. To fire ceramic clay you will need to at least fire to this temperature. Some clays fire even hotter, like 2300 degrees F.

If you haven't bought a kiln yet, and you are wondering if you should buy a digital or a manual kiln here's the difference. Kilns that shut off with a cone, these are traditional ceramic kilns will usually just work with ceramics. I have a few of these kilns and you can fire metal clay and glass. I have done it. It just takes a lot of time to watch the kiln and really know whats going on inside. If you have a digital controller you can set what rate you want the kiln inside to climb to and walk away. The digital kiln will also hold a certain temperature. This is really important in glass and metal. You really won't need this option if your are firing ceramics.

The last thing you need to think about is size. Small kiln will run through regular outlet. If you buy a bigger kiln you will need to have a designated outlet for it. You will most likely have to have more power running to o that outlet also.

As for brands. I own four kilns all different brands. I can't say I like one more than the other. I do love my digital controllers more than the cone sitter kilns but that's because they just make things so much easier.

So these are the three things to look at when kiln shopping...
1. temperature
2. digital vs manual
3. electricity

Good luck!
Jennifer