The Red Dirt Ceramics Collective (RDCC) fired the UT train kiln last month, and I had the pleasure of tagging along.

A Little Background on the Kiln

I flew back from PA to participate in the build. This is where I met Ted Neal, one of the foremost kiln builders in the U.S. I learned a ton from this build and later had the chance to work with Ted on two other kilns—one train kiln at Edinboro, where I was attending graduate school, and a soda kiln at Kent State University in Ohio.

If Ted ever happens to stumble upon this post—thank you!!

The Firing

This time around, we reduction cooled the kiln, and everything went smoothly. We fired primarily with freshly split black locust, along with some cutoffs from a local cabinet shop.

The firing lasted two days, followed by a down firing. We reached cone 12 near the firebox and cone 10 in the back of the kiln.

The Results

The unload looked fantastic, and the pots turned out beautifully. These pieces will be available soon, so be sure to check out my gallery. If something speaks to you, grab it before it's gone.

Final Thoughts

As always, thanks for checking in. And I hope that if you have my work—or are picking up something new—that you use it. Pots are meant for daily companionship. Pull them out, dust them off, and fill them up.

Cheers,

Mikey