Glaze Results! And More Soon...

 Well, I'm still a bit hesitant to glaze a full load, even though I liked some of the glaze combos.  Overall though, the glazes were thin.  That is floating blue on the far right---- and while the picture isn't the best, it's dark blue and brownish.  In the middle i sburke's strong celadon with some  and on the left, burke's celadon.  I'm encouraged by all this.  And because I hope to have a dozen or so ready to sell to colleagues at a conference I attend this week, I took some water out of the glaze buckets and well, the glaze is thicker.  It just takes awhile to figure this thickness stuff out.  Any glaze thickness testing tips.  I have a hydrometer; it didn't work, because I only had 2 gallons or so of glaze mixed....  (5000 grams, I think).

 The rest of this post is a potpourri of photos...  this above shows part of the process I use when I wrote on the pottery-  that's black underglaze applied after the bisque firing.  Then I wipe it off with a sponge, a bit messy.

 Here's the full kiln load.  Put the pieces on broken kiln shelves that I bought at highwater clay during my last visit.  Guess it would help to put kiln wash on the test shelves too!   :)  I will try to remember to show close up pictures of a few of the pieces.

 Meanwhile, here are some gourds from my parent's garden drying out a bit...

 I even picked them!  Me, the city girl loved this.  I don't mind getting dirty; it's just different...

While I wish I could say the lavender is thriving (it is almost dead), here is some pottery awaiting glaze.
Tired.  Excited about unloading the next dozen of pots tomorrow morning.  Thanks for reading!

Glazing- Another Firing Around the Corner

 Kiln firing tomorrow on these pieces.  Put them on broken kiln shelves that I bought just in case they run.  Some of the glazes are a bit thin, so I double dipped them and took copious notes.  Really, really doubt they'll run.

 used these pincher things for the first time.  Once I figure out what glaze combos to use, this will take alot less time! :)

 Put different variations of 3 glazes on these.  Eager to see what they'll look like.  Saturday pm they'll be ready!  Am refiring one piece, which is something I rarely do.

 It is always inspiring to take glaze notes amidst artwork from a handsome almost 2 year old boy.  :)  My sweet nephew Garrett!  Need to post a picture of him.

Melissa--- these are the setter legs for the plate setters.  Got a set of three from highwater clays.  They're two different colors, but they're the same.  See my comments in the last post for more.  They'll be great to use with deep plates, which I'll fire in my next firing.
Tired!  Off to sleep.  More soon... Thanks for reading...

Closer!

 Getting closer and closer to having a full studio and a kiln load of finished, glazed pots.  Sieved 5000 grams of a third glaze late this afternoon.  Sieved it four times.  Much easier to do with the bigger quantities.

 Put another layer of kiln wash on the shelves.  Here they are drying on any flat surface there is.

 Also put a layer of kiln wash on these stackers or whatever they're called- to stack plates and shallow bowls more efficiently...

 Made this last night.  Cut up an apple; sprinkled some brown sugar, cinnamon, small handful of oats and a bit of earth balance spread over it and put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350.  In a ceramic bowl of course.  Absolutely delicious!  Think it's even better because the apples are from my parent's orchard.  :)

It's also the Eve of the Feast of St. Francis.  I etched the words of a prayer attributed to him, which will be soon dipped in glaze and fired.  My first full firing will be Sunday afternoon.  First though is a test firing of the three glazes I just mixed- all in bigger quantities.  That's on Friday.  Now to find a few small bowls to dip in the glaze...  Getting there!

Another question- please help!

Okay, today I began to sieve the 5000 gram dry mixes I made.  When I added the water I decided to only add 2 gallons.  Less is more.  I told myself I could add more water easily rather than take it away.  Then I sieved each mixture four times.
Question: I only added 2 gallons of water.  Read that about 2.5 gallons was the norm.  It seems that with 2 gallons of water, the glazes have a good 'skim milk' kind of consistency.  Am I measuring this wrong?
I will test the glazes- from the bucket- put them on a few small pieces and fire them to see about the thickness and color...

Gosh, this math and chemistry is wearing me out a bit!  I tell myself that when I get the first few buckets of glaze mixed, then I'll be set for a little while, at least.  :)  Sieving the glazes is my least favorite part... but is much easier with bigger quantities.
Thanks for reading and for your help with this!