Betty, the kiln

My own little business started in 2017 when Grandma Betty sadly passed away. It did mean that my husband inherited a little bit of money though, and yes, he was very kind and actually gifted me a kiln. I remember the discussions, how big, front or top loader, where to put it, and how to connect it to the electrics. Do we need a special supply? Yes, we do, and we eventually settled on a Northern Kiln front loader. We bought a new shed and yes, I almost burned it down when I forgot to close the top bung in good time. We have since installed fire‑retarding panels and all has been well since.

Betty - the kiln

Naturally, I named the kiln Betty after Grandma and after 9 years, one set of new elements, she is still going strong. That said, kilns are not without their challenges and one does need to take care of them. I regularly clean mine and hoover up any debris that collects at the bottom. I also have it serviced by the fabulous people from Northern Kilns when the elements need changing. The first set of elements lasted me 125 firings, and I changed them because I relied on the kiln for the Meston Pottery, rather than noticing any decline in performance.

My second set of elements is now on its 140th firing, but I think I am on borrowed time and I will have them changed soon.

The kiln in the studio before it was all finished.

Running the Kiln

When I run the kiln, I keep my top bung open until ca. 400 degrees C and run an electric vent. I don’t like being in the studio when the kiln is running as the vapours can be unpleasant and toxic despite the vent. However, when it’s cooling down, the studio is lovely and warm. A perfect place to be.

Owning and running the kiln has other problem areas too — for instance when glaze drips or runs off onto the kiln shelf. More often than not, I remove it myself with a diamond core pad, but sometimes I take it to the stonemasons to get it cleaned up properly.

A kiln filled with Bisque ware.

Firing curves and times

My bisque firings are all very slow, and the kiln fires for ca. 14 hours to 1000 degrees C. I let it cool naturally, which can take 2 to 3 days depending on the time I switched it on. Glaze firings are equally long and run to 1220 degrees C. I like to slow down the firing speed at the top temperature so that the kiln has a chance to even out. But still, Betty never fired completely evenly. But that is fine — I know her well and put items with glazes that like it hot towards the top. :-).

Betty the kiln in the new studio.

Solar Panels

I think it was in 2022 that we got our first solar panels mounted on my studio roof. It’s only a small system with a small battery, but as they say: every little helps.

The photo shows the panels and an experiment we abandoned later, the reflective panels. They just did not work. But the panel is still there, simply because there is a road and a footpath and I rather not have anyone throw something over the stone wall and damage the panels.

The fence was a bit of an eyesore to start with, but a wonderful Rosa armandii and a Clematis montana have since covered it up and one can barely see it. Have a look at my garden stories on my Instagram feed to see more up‑to‑date pictures.

A picture of my studio showing the solar panels.

Menston Pottery and another kiln

I think the pottery became very popular in 2024 and one kiln was barely enough, so I found another second hand kiln from Skutt. But where can I put it? Of course, we had to extend and build studio #2. The second studio is much smaller, and made of wood. But we made it look similar so it blends in nicely.

Studio 2 is where the little kiln is housed.

The smaller kiln is a top loader.

Reflecting on 9 years of owning a kiln

Looking back its been a fabulous 9 years with Betty, we moved her from London back North (almost where she came from :-)) and I had my fair share of kiln desasters, but I still love it. Filling the kilna nd waiting with anticipation of what will come out. And you never know what comes out until its out.