Katsutarou Kikuchi Official Website -Japanese Potter-

Firing






Day 1-May 19th, 2015: light rain
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 summary
9:00 9
Cut mixed wood into large pieces of firewood.
10:18 6 It seemed that there was more moisture in the kiln's body than last year.
(Especially around the back part of the kiln; Sutema)
The front half of the kiln had humidity. Only the back half of it was dry. The flue had moisture, too.
11:08 5
11:50 5  
12:21 4  
13:03 4  
13:47 4  
14:18 5  
14:47 5  
15:21 5  
15:58 5  
16:27 5  
16:52 5  
17:10 5  
17:48 6  
18:21 5  
18:55 4  
19:17 3  
19:42 4  
19:50 3  
20:40 5 The inside of the first spy hole was lit up.
21:10 5  
21:35 3  
21:50 3 Steam formed on the top of the kiln.
22:20 3  
22:40 3  
23:16 3  
24:00 extinguished the fire Closed the damper. Opened an air vent in the back of the chimney.




Day 2-May 20, 2015: fine to light rain
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 summary
8:16 7 Started the fire. The front shelves were covered with soot and turned black.
Opened the damper. Closed the chimney's air vent.
8:55 4  
9:35 4  
10:05 3  
10:40 3  
11:10 4
11:38 5 The inside of the first spy hole was lit up. The top of the kiln was still cold.
12:05 3  
12:33 4  
13:00 4  
13:20 4  
13:48 5 Burned firewood near the stoking hole without firewood sticking out.
14:15 5  
14:40 4 The top of the kiln got warm and it started to steam.
15:10 5  
15:42 5  
16:09 4  
16:40 5  
17:10 5  
17:42 4
The back part of the kiln started to steam.
18:43 4  
19:15 4  
19:44 5  
20:15 6  
20:28 4  
21:02 3  
21:27 5  
22:02 4  
22:35 4 The top of the kiln got warm to the 6th row and the side of the Sutema—the abandoned chamber between the main chamber and the chimney—was at body temperature.
23:05 4  
23:28 4  
23:53 4  
24:00 6  
    Stopped the fire. Closed the damper. Opened the chimney's air vent.
  142  




Day 3-May 21, 2015: cloudy to fine
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 summary
8:07 9 Opened the damper. Closed the chimney's air vent. Cut the mixed wood.
8:56 5
Closed the joint of the front gate with mortar.
The green wood set on the floor of the 2nd row wasn't burned yet.
9:31 5  
9:55 3  
10:18 5 Cut and bound the pine branches for when adding water to the kiln in the later half of the firing.
10:48 4 Mr. Karaushi worked on this for a whole day, but he couldn't finish it…to be continued to tomorrow.
11:25 5  
11:55 5 The top of the front part of the kiln was still colder than body temperature.
12:22 3 The top of the fire box started to get dry and turn white.
12:50 4  
13:09 3  
13:52 6  
14:22 4  
14:53 5  
15:21 5  
15:52 5  
16:20 5 One section of the front top of the firebox was dry.
16:52 5  
17:20 5  
17:53 6  
18:22 6  
18:50 4  
19:17 6  
19:47 5  
20:35 7  
21:13 5  
21:52 6  
22:22 5  
22:55 5  
23:22 6  
23:43 3  
24:00   Stopped the fire. Closed the damper. Opened the chimney's air vent.
Firing was operating smoothly.
  155  




Day 4-May 22, 2015
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 summary
8:23 8 Opened the damper. Closed the chimney's air vent. Cut the mixed wood.
The top the the kiln was dry to the 1st row.
8:58 4 Plan: clear the soot to the 3rd row, and move the flame to the side stoking hole.
9:52 4  
10:20 4  
10:39 5  
11:02 4  
11:22 5  
11:47 5 Checked the inside of the kiln from the front top stoking hole, and the side wall. The top of the kiln and the pieces of pottery were black with soot.
12:15 9
Piled up 10 pieces of firewood inside of the stoking hole and started the fire.
12:38 11 Took a brick out from the center grate under the front gate. Made space for the side grates.
12:50   Took the ash from the center grate out.
13:13 14 Removed a brick from the chimney's air hole.
13:42 12  
14:02 10  
14:36 11  
15:07 10 Steam came out around the 6th and the 5th spy holes. The green wood on the 2nd row fioor burned out and turned to ash.
The inside of the 2nd spy hole turned bright.
15:35 9  
16:07 10 The soot was burned out up to the 2nd spy hole. Steam was coming out of the 5th row spy hole as well as the side of the back of the kiln.
The top of the kiln was completely dry to the end of the kiln and turned white.
16:45 10  
17:20 11 The green wood on the 2nd row floor was completely burned.
The soot was burned out to the 1st row sidewall, but the back of a vase was still black.
17:59 10  
18:24 11  
19:04 11 The shadow of the vase on the side of the front floor was reflected on the sidewall.
The soot of the bricks of the 2nd row shelf burned out. The depths of floor of the 2nd row was still dark.
19:50 11  
20:25 10 Could see the foot of the shelf in the depths of the floor of the 2nd row.
Soot was mostly burned out in the 2nd row.
20:57 11 Could recognize the light through a soot clearance from the side stoking hole. (Noticed this at 20:50)
21:37 10  
22:16 10  
22:50 12  
23:28 12 The top of the kiln was all dried out except for the gap between the 7th row and the sutema.
The flame was as high as the side stoking hole.
The soot that was on the floor of the side stoking hole, the front part of the 5th row, and the area that I could see was burned out. The straw was burned to ash.
24:00   Stopped the fire. Closed the damper. Opened the chimney's air vent.
  264  




Day 5-May 23, 2015
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 summary
8:12 7 Started a fire. Opened the damper. Removed one brick of the chimney's air vent.
The top, except for the area between the main chamber and the sutema, was all dried out.
8:20 3 Everything was dried out completely.
8:50 4 Moved firewood to the inside of the main chamber.
9:10 4  
9:56 10
Completely burned the firewood in the main chamber. Piled the firewood at the front lower stoking hole.
Took a brick out from the center grate and made space for the side grate.
10:37 11  
11:20 12  
11:55 11 Took a brick out from each of the side grates.
12:35 13  
13:03 12  
13:40 12  
14:18 12  
14:53 12  
15:31 11  
16:06 11  
16:36 12  
17:04 12
The inside top of the 5th row was still dark.
17:26 11  
17:52 11  
18:16 11  
18:37 11 Leveled the burning firewood at the center grate to circulate the air.
18:59 12 The 5th row spy hole turned orange.
19:22 11 The 6th row spy hole started to turn orange.
19:43 11  
20:02 11  
20:22 12  
20:42 11 All of the 5th and the 6th rows were getting bright.
21:02 11  
21:22 12  
21:58   Stopped the fire. Closed the damper. Opened the chimney's air vent.
Decided to start the fire at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow.
  304  




Day 6-May 24, 2015
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 # of
pine
leaves		 summary
5:53 9  
Started the fire. Started to continuously tend the fire and keeping it strong from today. Opened the damper.
Removed a brick from the chimney's air vent.
The top was completely dried out, but the sidewall was still wet.
6:35 6   Took a brick out from the center grate.
7:08 9   (7:25)　Took ash out from (the center of) the 3rd of the 5 grates.
7:40 11  
Stoked 1~2 pieces of firewood next to both sidewalls of the stoking hole.
Took a brick out from both sides of the grate.
8:10 11    
8:40 11    
9:10 11    
9:34 11    
10:00 12    
10:25 12    
10:49 11    
11:14 12  
11:35 11   The 6th row was still dark.
11:54 11    
12:14 11   Made space on the both sides of the grate.
12:39 12    
13:04 12    
13:28 13   The 6th row was still dark.
13:52 13    
14:11 12    
14:32 12   The 5th row turned bright.
15:12 11    
15:29 12    
15:45 12   The 6th row turned bright as well.
16:01 11   The whole kiln condition returned to the same as at 21:58 last night.
The 6th row was brighter than last night.
16:20 11 3
Started to stoke the soaked pine leaves. Removed two bricks from the three center grates,


and removed one brick from the outer two grates.
16:38 12 3  
16:58 11 3  
17:18 11 3  
17:38 10 3  
17:58 11 3  
18:18 12 3  
18:39 11 3  
19:00 11 3  
19:22 10 3  
19:41 10 3  
20:01 10 3  
20:21 10 3  
20:40   3  
21:01 10 3  
21:22 12 3  
21:42 12 3  
22:02 12 3  
22:22 13 3  
22:43 13 3  
23:03 11 3  
23:23 12 3 Changed firewood to deciduous pine.
23:42 10 3  
  534 69  




Day 7-May 25, 2015
Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 # of
fir leaves
# of
bunches		 Time # of
pieces
of
firewood		 # of
fir leaves
# of
pieces		 summary
front
stoke		            
0:01 9 3        
0:23 11 3        
0:43 12 3        
1:02 10 3        
1:23 12 3        
1:43 11 3        
2:03 13 3        
2:22 12 3        
2:43 10 3        
3:03 13 3        
3:20 12 3       The flame rose to the chimney gate, but I was still able to touch the chimney.
3:35 25 3       Changed firewood to a smaller size. Stoked 25 pieces.
3:50 28 3        
4:07 25 3        
4:23 24 3        
4:38 25 3       Leveled burning firewood at the center grate.
4:53 25 3        
5:07 25 3        
5:22 25 3        
5:38 24 3        
5:53 25 3        
6:07 25 3        
6:20 26 3       The water pot on the 1st row floor started to shine.
6:31 25 3        
upper
stoke		           Changed stoking hole from the lower to the upper.
           
Firewood was mostly medium-cut deciduous pine except for 3 pieces of large-cut deciduous pine.
           
The large-cut pieces should be stacked closest to the stoking hole.
6:49 55+3 3        
7:07 56+3 3        
7:23 55+3 3        
7:38 50+3 3        
7:53 55+3 3      
The middle shelf of the front row: 09 bent 1/3.
8:08 55+3 3        
8:23 55+3 3        
8:37 55+3 3        
8:52 55+3 3        
9:06 55+3 3        
9:21 55+3 3       The middle shelf of the front row: 09 was completely bent.
            10 slightly moved. The top shelf: 08 moved.
9:35 55+3 3        
9:48 55+3 3       The top shelf: 08 was bent 1/3. 09 moved.
10:03 55+3 3       The top shelf: 08 was completely bent. 09 was half bent. 10 slightly moved.
            The middle shelf: 10 was completely bent. 11 slightly moved.
10:18 70+3 3       Stoked firewood to the very back of the kiln.
            The top shelf: 10 was completely bent. 11 slightly moved.
10:33 70+3 3       The middle shelf of the front row: 11 was half bent.
10:45 70+3 3        
10:57 69+3 3        
11:09 70+3 3        
11:22 70+3 3        
11:34 70+3 3       The top shelf of the 2nd row: 08 bent 1/3.
11:47 70+3 3        
11:59 70+3 3       The top shelf of the front row: 10 was completely bent. 11 bent 40%.
12:12 70+3 3        
12:27 70+3 3       The top shelf of the front row: 11 was bent 90%.
12:40 70+3 3       Opened the chimney air vent completely.
12:55 70+3 3       The top shelf of the 2nd row: 08, 09, 10, were all completely bent.
13:08 70+3 3        
13:21 70+3 3        
13:36 70+3 3        
13:48 70+3 3        
14:01 70+3 3        
14:13 70+3 3        
front
stoke		     side
stoke		   pine
leaves
14:24 40+2        
      14:29 20/20 3 The 4th row: 08, 09 were completely bent. 10 was half bent.
14:34 40+2          
      14:39 20/20 3 The 6th row: 07 slightly moved.
14:44 40+2          
      14:49 20/20 3  
14:54 40+2          
      14:59 20/20 3  
15:05 40+2          
      15:10 20/20 3  
15:15 40+2         The 6th row: 07 was 7/8 bent. 08 slightly moved.
      15:20 20/20 3  
15:25 40+2          
      15:30 20/20 3  
15:35 40+2          
      15:40 20/20 3  
15:45 40+2        
The 6th row: 08 was half bent.
      15:50 20/20 3  
15:55 40+2          
      16:00 20/20 3  
16:05 40+2          
      16:10 20/20 3  
16:15 40+2          
      16:20 20/20 3  
16:25 40+2          
      16:30 20/20 3  
16:35 40+2          
      16:40 20/20 3  
           
The 6th row: 08 was completely bent. 09 slightly moved.
           
16:45 Took color samples out. Extinguished the fire.
           
Sealed the kiln. Closed the damper. Opened the chimney's air vent.
           
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