AmyJM

Hi all! I just finished converting an old electric kiln to gas. The firing will be totally manual, no kiln sitter involved. Having never fired a gas kiln, I know my learning curve will be steep! But I need a few pointers to get started. I want to start out with a glaze firing, ^5, mainly because I don’t have any greenware to bisque right now. I have a few “sacrificial pieces” that I am willing to use to start the learning process. I have a pyrometer and witness cones ready to go. So, my main question has to do with ramping at this point. How fast do I want the kiln to increase in temperature on the way up to ^5? The pieces I have are made from Laguna 52 Buff, and glazed with Spectrum underglaze and/or Spectrum ^5 glaze. Idk if that makes a difference, or not. I am a wheel thrower, and I typically throw thin. Don’t know if that matters, or not, either! I realize that glaze firing in particular can vary based on the desired effect, but I’m looking for a basic framework to start from. Based on my small test fire (only brought the kiln up to about 900-1000*, empty, to decide if I need one burner or two) my biggest fear is that the temperature will rise too quickly, and the heat stress will cause issues-up to and including cracking/exploding. Thanks! Amy