*%&$#@&*

I really thought nothing of it. A normal firing, no alarms ringing, regular 8 1/2 hours. It was very not ok when I opened the lid. Hmmmm, that shelf is tilting at an alarming angle. Oh f___ all of the wedding place cards are in this firing. Ok, be calm, breath. There is nothing you can do, if they are wrecked, they are wrecked. You leave tomorrow, perhaps being a bit more ahead of the game would have been a good idea. No stop, bad self-talk is not helping. Breath...damn it, the kiln is still at 250 degrees, can't move the shelf yet to see the damage beneath. Go inside, pace, calm down, become philosophical about it all. It is what it is. Ok, down to 170, off comes the top shelf. Oh happy, happy day, ALL of the place cards made it.


Not so for the stuff of shelf #2. Everything must have tilted during the firing as the whole shelf spun around. Sadly it came down on my pyrometer/kiln controller thingy. It is very injured, I think it will need replacing. Amazingly enough, I only lost 4 bowls (and the controller, and it looks like some damaged posts/walls and possibly the elements).


It must have happened right when it reached cone. It is amazing to me how pliable it all is at that point. I have unloaded and set bits aside, closed the kiln lid and walked away until I return from holidays.