It's a major no no to open the kiln when it's running. But I can't help sneaking a peek at the pots while they are firing. This photo was at just over 1500 deg F. The pots are just starting to glow from the heat. A bisque load like this will fire for about 13 hours to Cone 04 (around 1900 deg F). After that it will take about 24 hours to cool back down to room temperature. At that point the kiln can be unloaded. The pieces will be glazed and fired again. The second firing (glaze firing) is the real patience test for me. The entire time the kiln is running, I'm wondering how each piece will turn out. I've gotten smarter though, I start the firing so it's too hot to peek at when I go to bed at night, I have to get to work in the morning so I can't peek and by the time I get home from work, it's ready to unload. Unloading the glaze firing is a lot like Christmas for a kid. Ya can't wait to see what inside the big shiny box.
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