Firing

I am in for lunch while the kiln does it own thing for little while. I just checked and cone 5 was started at the front in the middle, which is usually the hottest part of the kiln. I have all my 'chunk' mixed up and ready to go. I am increasing that by about 1 lb and dropping the salt back from 3 lbs to 1lb. At least that's the plan, if the draw rings look like I am needing more salt then I will add another pound probably.
As Phil Rogers suggested I did a good body reduction for one hour. Prior to this I also fired a little slower than usual and really let the kiln have some time between 1500 and 1600 to burn out any carbon. I have been thinking and I realized that my bisque temperature is really all over the place. The bottom of that little kiln will be cone 06 down and who knows what the next two levels up are. Maybe 010 or somewhere. So I thought I'd do this soak during my firing to let anything burn out that I missed in the bisque.
Early on this kiln did great. At that time I was single firing and my firings were long. Sometimes 26 hrs. But the pots were always really nice. I always felt that long slow heat up was good and maybe it's what's been missing lately.
Well enough of all this. I will start putting the chunk in when the 8's start, till then I'm just going to hang out and read a little and listen to the rain on the tin roof.