I just unloaded some new pots and have some mixed reations. This was a light soda load seeing as I had a bunch of shinos and an order of 12 celadon bowls, that happens to be my SECOND crack at this order. The front shelf (closest to the door) looked so sweet I could cry. Nice warm shinos, good carbon trapping and the celadon bowls came out a wonderful coool tone just like my patient customer wanted. However…after unloading the front, I gor to the back shelves, and had noticeably less reduction. By the time I got to the other half of the 12 celadon bowls order, we were back to warm creams, not cool blues. Not exactly what you would call a matching set! In fact one bowl was half blue half cream. It just goes to show what a difference reduction makes in a glaze!
So what happened? Not quite sure, but I have a few theories, don’t we all? There are some gaps in the back wall that I can fill before my next load. Also, on the previous load I had placed an extra brick in the back corner where I tend to get a lot of soda build up on pots. I put the brick there to try and disturb the draft and distribute the soda better. Maybe this brick blocks the fuel from getting in the back and leaving for oxygen for the glazes? Who knows… who know… all I can do is make small adjustments for the future, make new apologies for delays to a customer, and see if refiring can help those bowls out.
16 celadon bowls
only half are the cool blues I need.
Notice the top right one? Half reduced, half not so much…
Remember thos butter dishes from my previous post?
They came out pretty sweet! 2 shinos and one oribe.
Nice carbon trapping on this little creamer…
