To set the scene, I was invited again this year to help fire a wood fired kiln. It takes days to do, involves dozens of people and my shift is from midnight to 2 am. The Shigaraki kiln is the size of a uHaul truck and there are 5 ports on each side. You need to insert these long pieces of wood roughly the size of a 2″x2″ give or take. And you carefully throw them into the kiln so you don’t knock any pots over. But also try to make sure they get evenly distributed.
So last night I was helping and they told me to put a piece of wood in every 10 seconds. Three pieces in each port. Done in a specific pattern: ports 5,4,2 then 5,3,1. So, I put one in and start counting. Then I put the next one in and so on, 18 pieces of wood into the kiln 10 seconds apart – 3 minutes. Now, the kiln is hot as hell. It radiates enough heat you could easily sit there in a t-shirt despite the night being 8 or 9 degrees. But you don’t because the kiln will burn you. It is difficult to look into and you want to shield your face.
The temperature of the kiln isn’t rising. It’s just holding steady at 1185°C and we need it to get to 1200°C. I move to the other side of the kiln. And they repeat to me the instructions in Japanese and English. So after my turn the next person, Ikeda-san, does a round and still the temperature doesn’t change. And I am counting between his throws to make sure I am counting to 10 the same way he is.
Now kilns are living things. They breathe, they eat, they roar. There is a reason why potters fear their kilns. They are f’ing dangerous and you can sense it standing near one that’s running. Interestingly you cannot force it to do anything it doesn’t want to. For example you can’t just toss more and more wood in and expect the temperature to rise. You have to get the fuel/oxygen balance just right.
When you add fuel the kiln roars, flames shoot out the top. The fire is searching for oxygen. After 10 to 15 seconds or so, the flames coming out of the chimney are clear, and you stoke again. And if you get the rhythm right, you should be able to control the temperature.
This repeats for over an hour. Everyone is getting frustrated and frankly I was feeling a little bit like a failure. Each time I’m told too fast or too slow, count to ten. It reminded me of that sculpture teacher who used to just say , WRONG! The temperature moves a few degrees one way or the other but keeps coming back. Each time they tell me to count to 10. I didn’t say it, but I was like, “I know how to count to ten!”
So it comes around to my shift again and Hashimoto-san, the owner of the kiln decides he’s going to try, so I step back. I’m like, “go for it.” I got the distinct impression he felt I was doing it wrong.
I am pleased to say, he couldn’t do it either.
I found out later that hitting 1200 degrees is such a challenge that it has it’s own special name.