3rd copper red firing11/9/09

For the third firingI staggered the shelf height hoping for more heat in the upper area. Marked the shelf used as the damper in 1/2" increments so could see a measurable amount of closure produced how much reduction. Was able with this to fire with less gas only needed to go to 2 on my dial instead of 9 to get reduction could make the kiln climb with a 100 to 300 degree difference between the bottom and the top temperature probe. was able to keep the oxyprobe at between 0.60 and 0.65 for most of the firing going up after hitting 1600 BUT had a brain fart and moved my decimal point and thought it should have been 6.5 not 0.65 so had turned off the burners at between 1800 bottom and 1500 top just leaving the pilots on thinking I was going to stop it when my error hit me and I put the burners back on after 5-10 min. The rest of the firing going up was in reduction. I let the bottom temp probe go as high as 2330 but stopped because I couldn't get the top above 2000 . I decided to try to let the temp drop to around 1900 and held it there for 45 min and lowered it slowly another couple hundred degrees with low burners then the pilots then shut it down stuffed the fireports with fiber ans well as covering over the draft hole in the top with fiber. Results: cone 10 on the lowest staggered shelf cone 9 the next, six inches higher not even a cone 8 and the top shelf not even a cone 6 The copper......was green Did I ruin the reduction when I turned it off even though when I restarted and the rest of the firing up it was a 0.65 on the oxyprobe? By slow cooling in oxidation did it turn back to green and loose the reduction ? If so how can I slow cool and reduce. The damper was closed except for I guess some leaks I couldn't get it to reduce on the way down. I was able to get the kiln to rise and even made it stall and then rise again by manipulating the damper and the gas pressure. Any thoughts appreciated. Thinking may need to rebuild the exit flue area to get it tighter, Any one know the shelf that can take the hottest temps so I could use it on the bottom and take it hotter the soaps can go hotter, or a way to get more heat to the top shelves before it exits. I restuffed all the cacked areas in the fiber and may calmp the door tighter. Please feel free to comment on clayart Thanks Liz

2nd copper red firing

Second firing of copper reds in gas kiln. Got new shelves and soaps for the lower level of the kiln since this gets so hot. Raised the first shelf up to full soap height. Fired again trying to slow down the firing but was unable to get the kiln into reduction by 1650 F so ended up with all copper greens. Cooled too fast and some pots were broken. Top again no cones melted in 8/9/10 pack bottom shelf ^10 melted.