417G. The G is for giant.

The 417G Vulcan kiln has a new home now, in our garage!  I borrowed my brother-in-law's truck last weekend and Pam & I went up to Bolivar to retrieve the last, and largest, section of it... the base.  We had a nice visit and a great afternoon meal with Debbie and Ken, and then loaded it up and headed south.  I think it came with a year's supply of gravity.  Heavy... very heavy.  This past week I built a dolly for it to sit on, with a heavy-duty frame and multiple casters, so I can store it against the wall, under the storage loft.  When I want to use it, I can move it out away from the loft where there are no obstructions overhead, and nothing that can get overheated around it.  That's the plan anyway.  As soon as I get the garage straightened up and get a spot set up for it, I will call an electrician and hopefully get it all wired up and ready to go.  I'm not going to rush things.  When I lift the lid to the kiln, this is what it looks like inside.   ;)

I think I need to go downstairs now and make more pots.  A lot more pots... Cheers!

Little corker...

Hmmm... it's probably going to take quite a few of these to fill a 16 cubic foot kiln.  I guess I better get busy!  ;)   This is what happens at 11:00 at night when you have a little extra clay left over, and you feel like maybe making one more thing before heading off to bed.    

WhooooHoooooo!

We got our kiln!  When Pam went up to Bolivar at the beginning of the week to start her prep work and meetings at school, she found out that a good friend and fellow teacher had the kiln in her garage.  Her husband had also bid on it (and won) with the intent of selling it later.  And he did... today!  Pam brought home the lid for this monster after school and it is, in a word, large (ha).  The ruler in the picture is 36" long.  Not a problem, though... hopefully.  It looks like it can be broken down into sections, so that is how we are planning on getting it to the house over the course of the next few days; piece by piece.  Wow.  My summer has just taken a very interesting turn, full of possibilities!  As I said in a previous post... it's going to be like a 15 year old learning to drive in an 18 wheeler.  Oh boy.... 

Flora

As you can see, I am really enjoying making these jugs.  This one is from last week.  I decorated it a couple of nights ago.  It doesn't look like it right now, but when it is fired it will (hopefully) be dark blue.  I used a navy blue underglaze over mid-fire buff stoneware, with a scratched (sgraffito) floral design.  You can't see it in these two pictures, but there's also a bunny in there.  All of these jugs will be clear glazed inside and out, also.  I'm excited (and a bit anxious) to see how they all come out.  I will probably end up building at least one more of the jugs before this batch is off to the kiln for bisque firing, but right now I'm thinking it's time to make some mugs.  Fun... jugs and mugs.  ha

Dirty Deeds... Done Dirt Cheap!