Merrie Boerner on wed 21 apr 99
Hi Friends,
Once again, Lowell Baker led our group through a fantastic firing !
Potters from Mississippi and Alabama arrived on the scene of Lowell's two
chamber flat-top wood-firing kiln, on the campus of the University of
Alabama. At noon on Friday we unloaded our vehicles. Card tables,
pre-glazed bisque, food and home brewed libations quickly filled the space
around the kiln. Within a few minutes, the group of 15 was working like a
fine tuned machine.....preparing shelves, choosing bisque to be loaded,
wadding, stacking, and bricking up the doors. The flame was lit at 3:15,
and 3 hour schedules were assigned. Then there was time to get
re-aquatinted with old friends, meet the new ones ("wood virgins"), and
pull out the lawn chairs.
By the time I woke up for my 4 A.M. shift on Saturday morning, the flame
was blazing in the first fire box ! The two girls who had been working
their butts off for 3 hours under a drill sergeant of a man.........LOL....
(just had to say that, Stephen ; )....were so happy to see the new shift
arrive ! My group took a more laid-back approach to stoking, and got good
results in raising the temp. By 7 A.M., the rest of the group began to
drift in with coffee and pastry cravings. Throughout the morning the
excitement increased as the wind whipped the flame about. We removed a
brick now and then to OOOOOOOO and AAAHHHH over sparks of ash that lit on
the pots, sparkled for a moment, and melted into the glaze. Mid-morning we
began to stoke the second fire box, and Lowell pulled out his mean green
sawdust machine ! (HHMMMM....maybe it was blue, but with those far out
glasses I had on, EVERYTHING was green) To quote the girls from South
Carolina who fired with us in November, "This machine is BAD ASS !" (the
ultimate compliment)
Lowell has designed this marvelous contraption. There is a barrel with a
paddle inside to scoot the sawdust around. A timer is attached to a machine
between the barrel and a long pipe. The pipe goes into the fire box and,
with the adjustments of Lowell's magic touch.... this gadget shoots sawdust
in at just the right rate to feed the flame and gradually bring up the
temperature WHILE CREATING GREAT ASH. ( How'd you like that, Lowell ? LOL
in four short sentences, I have probably mutilated 30 years of
experimentation and hard work.....my apologies, just call it a "woman's
perspective" ) ANYWAY......It is cool ! I took pictures of most of the
group basking in the beautiful day......."This kiln practically fires
itself !" We did take turns filling the barrel with sawdust and
occasionally stoking with wood. Counting out loud with the pyrometer was
also a favorite pass time. We watched the temperature gradually rise, and
the crowd roared as we checked cones and at long last saw the flame coming
out of the chimney (one of my favorite parts). I believe we reached cone 10
at around 5 P.M......I was tired, hungry, and busy playing "MS Hospitality"
with the curious folks walking by our inferno. We called it a day, and
thanks to the Southern hospitality of two of the participants, we TOOK
SHOWERS ! WHEW !
Sunday morning we arrived with fruit and coffee....the kiln was already
cool enough to take a peak......the wood firing virgins only THOUGHT the
firing was the climax......They soon experienced the thrill of removing
each pot and enjoying it (no matter who made it) to the fullest. There were
some absolutely beautiful specimens ! We walked around the grounds for
about an hour....just admiring.....discussing glaze and ASH......then it
was time to pack up and say our good-byes.
I just received an e-mail from Sarah ( one of the new wood firing addicts,
who graciously offered up her shower to 7 filthy guests) She is now a
pyromaniac craving pottery bonding ....she apologized for a most
appropriate pun......we all are suffering from " Post pot-em depression
"......until NEXT time !
WOOD , Merrie
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