On loading kilns after a night shift and planning for the worst.

All the pots seemed to be fired out in time. After a full night shift, it was time to load the updraft gas kiln and start the little kiln for the raku pots. While the kiln was warming, a quick breakfast was eaten. Two cups of coffee this time. Strong and dark to keep me awake. There was some anxiety cutting things so close. Who opens the kiln and immediately packs the pots for the show after looking things over real quick for quality issues? That would be me.

After the small kiln came to temperature, I placed the raku pots in and let them heat up to over 1,950 degrees. While they were warming, I ran the heating schedule on the large gas kiln. As the day progressed, I was able to fire out all of the raku pots. Four of six survived without cracks. Adding those to the raku pots I already had gave me a total of seven for the event. The large kiln went down around 3 p.m. I had been awake for about thirty-six hours at that point. I took a five-hour nap, then woke at 8 p.m. and cleaned the raku pots and sprayed on the finish. Then it was time to work on the wood-fired shave brushes.

Then it was time to set the knots into the wood-fired shave brush handles and attach them with two-part epoxy adhesive; then it was time to pick which pots I wanted to take to the show in case I had a total loss in the large kiln. From experience, I plan for the worst and hope for the best. In the shop, all the pots that were to be taken to the little two-day show were pulled and cleaned, and set on the floor together so an overall theme could be worked out in some way. When you need pots but have few in inventory, even pots that you personally may not enjoy start to look better. It was then back to bed at 9 p.m., then back up at 4:00 a.m. to pack.

At 4:00 a.m. the large kiln was still about 400 degrees. At this point, it would be fine to open the top damper and let it cool more quickly as other pots were packed. Reflectivity was felt when the top shelf of pots looked somewhat nice when the flashlight was shown on them. By 6:00 a.m. many of the pots from the large kiln were able to be unloaded, checked for quality, then packed into crates and loaded in the car. For this show, it was like a vacation, as they already had a nice 360-degree display stand that sat in a great location right by the door. By 9:00 a.m. I had all the work set up and was relaxing, having a coffee, and waiting for the first people who cared to see the pots. Somehow everything came together. I am not sure how, but there I was All set up for the Art of the Abingtons tour, at location #2 at The No. 27 Cafe with the pots August 15th & 16th 2026.

If I were living yesterday a second time: I would have started firing a day earlier and given myself more room between the kiln and the show. Thirty-six hours awake got the job done, but it is not a plan I want to make a habit of.

Things I am grateful for: Strong dark coffee that kept me upright long enough to finish the job. Four raku pots that survived out of six, which was enough. A five-hour nap that felt like a full night’s sleep after that stretch.

If I get to live to be 86, I might only have: 12,597 days left.

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