We Learned Something! (Temp. Test #2)
Okay, so on August 30, 2014 we tried another temperature test. This time we used a digital pyrometer and stuck the probe into the oven, with the cable wrapped up in ceramic fibre so it wouldn't melt. We also used the cones again, except this time we covered them with a flower pot (like a saggar) so we could surround the pot with lots of hot coals and not worry about the cones getting broken. The thinking was that maybe maybe we would reach cone 014 if the fire/heat was a bit more protected from the cool air moving in, etc. And we of course took advantage and fired up some more pieces. Outdoors it was a sunny 26°C and we started up at 2:55pm. Getting to 100° took a little while, but after that things moved quickly. 100° at 3:25 pm 200° at 3:36 pm 400° at 4:00 pm In just over an hour we reached 500° (4:10pm), but around that point the temperature readings started fluctuating wildly, jumping up and down in a flash by 60° or more, and then settling for...