HOW DO I DO THIS?
As the control panels for programmable kilns vary across brands, you should consult your owner's manual or contact the seller or manufacturer of the kiln for instructions on how to program your specific kiln.
Once you know how to program your kiln, enter the following schedule:
* 5 Ramps Total *
- 100℉/hr to 220℉ (this preheat ramp is optional)
- 350℉/hr to 2000℉
- 150℉/hr to 2200℉ hold 15An astounding deep blue-green color with tones of brown where thin. Has a flowing look in a regular cool and gold crystals when slow-cooled.
The Constellations are the first line of glazes designed to shine in both regular and slow-cooled firings. Thickness, firing temperature, and especially cooling speed can affect these glazes, ensuring they are never the same twice. minutes
- 500℉/hr to 2150℉ hold for 15 minutes
- 125℉/hr to 1400℉
Thermocouples tend to vary slightly so you may need to tweak the top temperature for your kiln. Your witness cone 5 should be all the way down, and the witness cone six should be from halfway over to the tip even with the base (between cone 5 1/2 and 6), cone seven should be mostly straight.
WHY SLOW COOL?
These new glazes look their best when cooled slowly. Most modern electric kilns are less insulated than their gas fired counterparts, resulting in a quick cooling cycle that prevents many glazes from developing the richness they might otherwise have. Iron reds, crystaline glazes and others should be slow cooled to achieve their best effects.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MY OTHER GLAZES?
By programming your automatic kiln to our recommended firing schedule many of your current glazes will look dramatically better. All of the Coyote glazes fall into one of three categories when slow cooled:
- WAY BETTER!!
- A little better
- Can't tell any difference.
We haven't found any glazes that look worse in a slow cool than they do in a regular firing.
WHICH OTHER COYOTE GLAZES LOOK GREAT IN A SLOW COOL FIRING?
Some of our favorites are Opal, Saturated Iron, Rhubarb, Eggplant, Mottled Blue, Rust Brown and Red Gold.
CAN I FIRE THESE NEW GLAZES IN A REGULAR FIRING?
Yes, the new glazes look fabulous in regular firings. A slow cool will maximize the growth of crystals and bring out the best in these glazes, but is not necessary to make them work well.
ARE THESE GLAZES FOOD SAFE?
Ivory Crystal, Crystal Celadon, and Crystal Lagoon will change color when exposed to acidic foods and are not recommended for food use. Autumn Spice, Mars Red Iron, Light Gold, and Summer Spice are suitable for food.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT SLOW COOLING?
Mastering Cone 6 Glazes by John Hesselberth & Ron Roy was instrumental in introducing slow cooling to a wide audience. The slow cool schedule that we recommend is a modified version of the one found in this book.
If you are interested in learning how to mix your own glazes this is a great book, with a focus on making durable and attractive glazes, as well as some very nice recipes. It is still available as an ebook at masteringglazes.com