A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing!

Well I thought today I would have a try of doing a bisque in my new little raku kiln.
Beautiful day, not too windy , no rain, perfect. 

I had lots of nice little gems that I have been busy making but not enough to do them in the big kiln and I am aware that Spring is around the corner so any raku work needs to be done pronto.

Stephan Jakob had shown us how to do a bisque in the raku kiln workshop only a few weeks ago.

I should have been able to do it..... So why not have a go?

I packed the kiln

Forget the fact that I had just peeked at what he was doing with the bisque in the workshop....
Well  I was so busy thinking about the glaze firing I was doing at the same time....

I read the bisque instructions Stephan had given us but the trouble with written instructions is that they may not fit with what is happening in reallity.


I know I know....why didn't I watch more carefully???
Well maybe it is old age causing my multitasking skills to become a little less on the ball.
mmmmmm?

But it's all about building up the knowledge through experience .....isn't it?

You see I should have probably spent an hour and a half warming the kiln today as it is not a hot day and there is a cool wind about but the instructions said half an hour so I stuck to it.

When I put the kindling in to crank it up, almost straight away, pop....

PoP.......... pOp........ POP....... pop...PPPppppOpppPPPP ........oooooooPoP....... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It sounded like a popcorn machine! EEEEEK

Yes I lost every one!

Guess I will just use them in the bottom of my plant pots :(

Tomorrow I'll try a raku glaze fire ... surely it has to be better than todays effort.