Update on the firing

Well, I don't think I will be having any clay time today - I am still so anxious about the firing, I just don't know what to do with myself. I thought this was supposed to be good for me??

The kiln has been soaking at 90c for about 4 hours now, and there is still moisture coming out of the kiln, so I have programed it to soak for another hour.

In the mean time, I have been a good little potter and detailed everything in my "log book". Ok, it's just a note pad, but it's just as well because I made such a mess of my graph earlier that I had to rip several pages out! (er... I made a mess several times over!) I should have paid more attention in school. (or maybe it's just been too long!) Let that be a lesson to you kids! You never know when you are going to need these "pointless" skills that you learn at school!



(Ok, so I spelt schedule wrong, but today I am having trouble spelling my own name!!)

I found I needed to write out the schedule on paper first to help me to key it in to the programer, because I was in such a state! So I didn't just write it out for future reference. And the graph is to help me "visualise" it.

I have to say a big thank you to everyone who has given me advice and support. And Keith's post on log books couldn't have come at a better time!! Thank you all!

Edit's with updates likely!

Edit: Hmm... it's getting really smelly out there now! At first I thought it was maybe the smell of the carbon and sulphur burning off, but it smells a little like an actual burning smell now. Is this normal? We've checked and we can't see any evidence of scorching anywhere, and actually the surrounding floor and walls aren't hot at all. It's only up to about 320c so I have quite a while to go yet! I just can't believe how smelly it is! I should have left the conservatory door open, but it's dark and I was worried that every cat in the neighbourhood would see it as an invitation to move in!! I have opened the door slightly now though. The door between the conseratory and our house has been kept closed though, except when I go out there to check on things of course, but then we have the draftiest double glazed door in Britain so it's no wonder the smell is seeping through! It won't kill me, will it?? :)

Oh, and I remembered what the really important thing was that I had forgotten... stilts for the glaze firing!