The Top Hat Kiln at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts logs its 1000th firing.

The kiln was built by Hank Murrow
19 years ago. To mark the occasion

staff, instructors and renters of the

The Top Hat Kiln at the Shadbolt Center is opened after its 1000th firing.

kiln were invited to glaze a few pieces
for the firing. Hank Murrow had
made some _ pots
Symposium in March so two of his

during the

pieces were glazed and loaded in as
well.

As it turned out, the 1000th firing
was one of the more eventful of the
kiln's history. During the overnight
pre heat, while the janitor was vacu-
uming the floor, without noticing he
accidentally bumped the burner

valve up. When we arrived in the
morning the kiln was past the stage
to start reduction. Panic set in as we

Photos courtesy Linda Doherty

thought of the planned opening cel-
ebration with cake, speeches and all
the invited guests watching in horror
as we raised the lid to reveal unre-
duced copper red and bland glazes.
Darlene Nairne took charge and
brought the kiln back to cone 010
and started reduction. We not sure
exactly what happened after that
because it wasn't until the oxi-probe
was reading the temperature to turn
the kiln off ( cone 10) that we looked
at the cones ( which is the normal

procedure for this kiln) and the 8
had not started to move. We didn't
realize that the battery in the oxi-
probe was low and had not been
reading correctly. With a new battery
and. an eye on the cones the firing
finished a couple of hours later. Not
knowing what really happened that
day we tried to stay optimistic dur-
ing the cooling. Despite all that and
perhaps because the firing went
longer than usual the studios glazes
looked better than usual and we only
lost the copper reds in one corner

The opening was a success with John
Potts, Dennis Nokony and Ian
Forsyth from the Shadbolt attend-
ing. We were especially pleased that
Gail Carney managed to get away
from her busy schedule at ECCAD
to attend the opening as she was
responsible for convincing the
Shadbolt Centre to hire Hank
Murrow to build the kiln.

The kiln is now used. mostly by the
Burnaby Potters Guild, for class
overflow and rentals.

For information on renting the Top
Hat Kiln call 604.205.3042.

Linda Doherty

Gail Carney with some pots from the
1000th firing of the Top Hat Kiln at the
Shadbolt Center

September 2004

Potters Guild of British Columbia Newsletter

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