I keep track of my glaze tests, my pots that are glazed with whatever...by sketching each with just it's basic shape and what glaze was applied where, and how. Notes then say whether it worked or not.
I used to re-glaze things that had problems that could be fixed with a re-glaze.
But yesterday someone else's bowl blew up all over the kiln, including over most of my wares...thus they are all scattered with glazed-on shards. Of course her bowl was a total loss as well. Unfortunately a lot of things that I was really counting on were ruined. So I remade them, and am rushing to get them finished.
And the result of this is that our studio manager has said he won't 'refire' any more things. So I've got one piece that's been waiting 2 weeks to refire, and I guess it's just trash now.
I hope I get enough of these pieces out without problems. I have gifts that are to be given in a week. I will really feel badly if I don't have enough finished.
There's nothing to do but try. I can't blame anyone for this happening. We've been really lucky that most of the problems with new potters or children haven't been close to our own work, up till now.
The reason it blew up? Nobody knows. The pieces have evidence of bloated clay under the glaze that remains. I've only had bloated clay on refired pieces with a clay called P-5. This might have been the same clay body. Have you heard of this, or experienced it yourself?
