 Fire
Magic Symposium 2001
Firing
Fred Olsen's Fire Magic kiln |
| |
|
|
 |
A
42hour firing - the first 24 hours to get to temperature
and the rest holding it 1320c for ultimate ash build up
on the work. |
|
|
1. A healthy
woodpile -Acat, the Hungarian oak.
|
2. Starting
the fire in one firebox at 6pm.
|
3. During
the evening time for a little relaxing and talking.
|
|
4.
Gentle firing for the first 12 hours. The kiln is wet
and the work is damp.
|
5.
Discussions well into the night.
|
|
6.
The night shift. Slowly firing throughout the night,
no more than 300 degrees until 6am.
|
7.
Six in the morning, 308 centigrade, and the next shift
takes over. Fred Olsen will be controlling the firing
until the kiln reaches temperature.
|
|
8.
Heavy rain during the night and makeshift canopies have
been erected. The kiln gently steams at 6am.
|
9.
Fred is leading the stoking. Throughout the day various
teams work alongside him at the two fireboxes.
|
|
|
10. Dull
red in the fireboxes.
|
11. Young
Moon splits the wood.
|
12. Olsen
contemplates the kiln.
|
|
13.
Checking the cones.
|
14.
Students take notes and keep the kiln log.
|
|
|
15. Into
the afternoon and the rain is still falling.
|
16. Bernd
and Kim working on one of the fireboxes.
|
17. Still
stoking. Now with pine to get the heat.
|
|
18.
1100 degrees and still rising.
|
19.
The afternoon's firing team.
|
|
|
20. Bernd
on firebox number one.
|
21. Olsen
on firebox 2.
|
22. Gyorgy
Fusz stoking firebox 2.
|
|
23.
Galina Georgieva stoking firebox number 1.
|
24.
Olsen and Bernd check the cones in firebox 1.
|
|
25.
The cones are down. 1320 degrees and it's 10pm.
|
26.
Now that temperature has been reached, Olsen begins
to alter the flame paths through the kiln. All four
dampers are open.
|
|
|
27. Three
dampers open on the triple chimney and the single chimney
is closed. The flames reach 3 metres into the sky.
|
28. Olsen
directs the play.
|
29. Two
dampers open on the triple chimney. The metal flue pipes begin
to glow with the heat.
|
|
30.
Temperature reached - now to keep it at 1300 for the
next 18 hours.
|
31.
Midnight and the team talk into the early hours.
|
|
|
32. The
next morning and the flames are still blazing.
|
33. Olsen
"blasting" the kiln by heavy stoking - the last
one of the firing.
|
34. The
last smoke rises into the sky.
|
|
35. The
Fire Magic team.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
