Kiln Log

Cone Pack

<11	<10	<9	<8
>5	>3	>01	>06

Hours into Firing	Notes
Prep	Candle over night with propane. All main firebox air holes closed except for space for propane nozzle. Active damper 1/2 open, passive dampers open.
Start	05:30AM Warm night, low 40's. Clear with no wind. No pyro installed upon arrival at kiln = no temp reading. Started fire one of main firebox air intakes using ceremonial chop sticks.
1/2	Firebox eating 2x4 pieces of construction lumber. Installed pyro in first chamber top front (1FT) peep and read 400 degrees (F)..
1	Pyro at 550. Nice flame path, just kissing first chamber bag wall.
1-1/2	Pyro at 800. At this point mud the doors. Fluffing main firebox ashes frequently, this sends ash sparks visible all the way to second chamber firebox stoke hole.
2-1/2	Pyro at 1025. Color in 1FT peep. Slow down stoking slightly.
3-3/4	Pyro at 1100. Dull red 1FB. Ahead of 1st firing, decided to slow down some more so as not to over drive and get serious temperature imbalance last first firing.
4-1/2	Pyro at 1125. Start stoke side ports of main firebox.
5	Pyro at 1250.
5-1/2	Pyro at 1275. 1FB peep is dull red.
6	Main firebox front air intakes reduced/closed so that only the two center ports are 1/2 open each. Right front of kiln has been drawing more air than left/back. First chamber is packed tighter in the back than in the front.
7-1/2	Pyro at 1675. Begin to stoke first chamber side stoke. Alternate first chamber and main firebox.
8	Pyro at 1800. 1FB= 06 soft.
8-1/2	Pyro removed. 1FT=01 @ 3 o'clock. 1FB= 06 down. Decide to stoke back side of first chamber only till 06 is down in back.
8-3/4	Close passive dampers all the way. Open active damper 1-2". Stoke pattern 2 into first chamber and 1 into main firebox.
9	Appears we are into same issue as first firing (uneven heating). Decide to recent changes settle in.
9-1/2	1FT= 3 down, 1FB= 01 down. Close active dampers back into original 1/2 open position.
10	1FT= 5 down, 1FB=3 down, 1BB= 3 down. Start second chamber stoking. Alternate between stoke first and second chambers. Weather is now breezy and warm
10-3/4	1FT= 8 softening, 2FT= 06 down, 2FB=06 softening, 2BT= 06 down, 2BB= no movement.
12-1/2	1FT= 9 @ 3 o'clock, 1BB= 8 @ 3 o'clock. First chamber about one cone difference top to bottom.
13-1/2	Second chamber hotter on back wall (like first). Adjusted active dampers so that the one towards back wall goes in (1-2") and one near front/door side comes out (1-2").
14-1/2	2BT=3 soft, 2FT=3 soft, 2BT=5 down, 2FT= 8 softening.
15	Start to spray a mixture of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and water. We used about three pounds of baking soda mixed into a large pressurized garden sprayer to produce the sodium vapor.
16-1/2	1FT=10 soft, 1FB=9 down, 1BT=9 down. 2BT=9 soft, 2BB=cold!, 2FT=10 soft
17	1BB=10 soft, 1FT= 10 soft, 1FB= 10 soft, 2FT= 10 soft, 2FB= 9 soft, 2BB= 8 stand, 2BT= 9 soft.
17-1/2	1BB= 11 soft, 1FT= 10 @ 1 o'clock, 1FB= 10 soft, 2BB=8 stand, 2BT=9 @ 2o'clock, 2FB= 9 stand, 2FT= 9 soft.
18	Mud first chamber stoke holes. 2FT= 10 soft, 2FB= 9 down, 2BT= 9 softening, 2BB= 8 stand. We have major cool spot in lower/back part of second chamber. Not much movement in last few hours, so we decide to go another 1/2 hour to midnight.
18-1/2	Finish because we have used up all the wood! Mud up all openings and call it quits ...
[ BACK ]