The Silent Superheros

This month is "back to school" in the studio, so we know our kilns are going to get busy with students coming back for classes. Which means our silent superhero's will be busy.

Wait, who's that?

Our Kiln Technicians!

Our studio simply could not run without them, and they take on the toughest job in the studio. 

Yes, the hardest job. Most people don't know what is involved, and being the most important one in the studio, we thought we'd shine a light on our studio's rockstars.

Our kiln techs are highly skilled and trained individuals (also skilled potters) who are in charge of more than you think. Entrusted with the autonomy to fire our kilns weekly, it's a physically demanding and potentially dangerous job if not put in the right hands. It requires someone with strong critical thinking, spatial understanding, precision, dexterity and strength.

Loading

Every week, they access which kiln(s) to load based on volume of work before loading. They have the unique permission and responsibility to access what should and shouldn't be fired based on moisture levels, glaze application, and location in the queue.

Kiln techs have to establish a loading plan before they begin, to avoid rearranging delicate pots and maximizing space in the kiln. It's like playing an imaginative game of Tetris in your head.

They fearlessly take on the noble task of handling every single piece of our pottery to make sure it endures a safe firing!

A bisque and a glaze load are not treated equally, and each have their own challenges. Bisqueware is extremely fragile and can break easily if handled the wrong way. Each piece has to be considered where it'll go, if it can be stacked safely, and how to make room for the large and awkward pieces. This requires a ton of mental effort, spatial planning and dexterity!

When it comes to glaze kilns, the stakes are even higher to avoid pieces touching and fusing together. On top of that, they also have to be on alert for anything abnormal that might cause problems in the kiln, such as checking for heavy glaze applications, unsteady pots, or lidded vessels accidently fusing.

Programming

Once loaded, they program the computers to run the appropriate schedule for that week's work. Although our studio has a set program, our kiln techs have to know when and how to make adjustments when needed, especially when it comes to preheating, delay starting, and the speed of firing.

• 

• 

They are also in charge of proper record-keeping. They build and include cone packs to be fired in the kiln to check temperature, and input detailed firing records and observations in our Kiln Log.

...Did you think the job's done yet? We're only half-way there, baby!

Unloading

Once the kilns have completed firing, they come back 3 days later to unload each kiln from top to bottom. All the shelves and posts are put away, and finished work is place on designated shelves for our members to pick up.

• 

• 

Did you know? An average kiln requires repetitively lifting and lowering multiple 15lb shelves into a 3ft kiln? Then filled with 60-100 delicate pieces per kiln.

Maintenance

While unloading, shelves, posts, and cookies are flagged if they have any glaze fused to them. These will need cleaning, and the only way is to remove it with a diamond bit grinder - Another physically demanding job. (They all happily do with a smile!) If a glaze spill isn't tended to right away, it compromises the lifespan of the shelf and could potentially stick to someone else's pot.

Once cleaned, it get's coated with kiln wash to repel any future glaze spills. Now the job is done... until next week's load!

• 

• 

• 

When we say they're rockstars, we aren't kidding! As a matter of fact 2/3 of our tech's are bikers. So maybe being a rockstar is a prerequisite, afterall!

Next time you see one of our techs in on a Wednesday night or Saturday morning, please give them a high five! They do a tough and scary job fearlessly, dedicatedly and caringly. We feel so lucky that we snagged the best kiln techs ever!

Thank you Nadine, Maggie and Kara for all you do!