Kiln Opening and Kiln BUILDING!

My setup at Joseph's

 It has certainly been an exciting last couple of days!It has been filled with preparation for the kiln opening and kiln building!

The kiln opening at Joseph Sand Pottery this past weekend went really well. Thank you all to those who came out for a visit! Don't forget that this coming weekend the kiln opening will be taking place on Saturday, May 12 from 9-5:00 and Sunday, May 13 from 12-5:00. I will not be there, unfortunately, but fortunately it is for a very happy reason- my brother is getting married! I may show up Sunday afternoon, but we will have to see. If you cannot make it to the opening at all, I have put a few pieces from the kiln firing on my Etsy site!

A stack of flowerpots caved over in the back of the kiln

Two shelves broke at the top of the stacks in the kiln resulting in some sculptures like this

Joseph showcased a few of the kiln accidents at the opening. They are fascinating to look at, but utterly frightening when you're the potter! 

Raking and leveling the sand for the kiln base

Joseph and I started building my kiln on Monday! There were a few hiccups to getting things going and it took a little longer to get everything prepped, but by golly, we had a base and the first course by the end of the afternoon! The kiln will be a modified Olsen Fastfire kiln. Modified in the sense that the firing boxes are enlarged for salt firing and using hard brick throughout the kiln.

Joseph measuring the base block/brick

 
My Facebook post from yesterday read:

Observations on first day of kiln building:
1. When you go to pick up the sand and have a man with you, just smile and laugh casually when the guy who loads the sand says to the man with you something along the lines of, "now you be sure to help her with that, hahaha" (I resisted glaring)
2. If you got an estimated number of brick for one part of the kiln, add at least another 50-100 to that number.
3. Sand and clay mixed together resembles a Wendy's frosty.
4. When you think you've moved enough 40 pound block/brick, there's still another 20 or so to be moved...
5. Kilns are expensive. It's not just the materials that go into it, but the blades and other machinery required to build it that adds up!

First course of brick down