The first firing of 2013 is in the book. It was overall good firing, though I am noticing a small piece fused on the edge of the pot recently. I vacuumed the kiln before the firing, and had lost couple pieces this way. I checked the inside the kiln, and found the firebrick near the target brick looked chunky.
I decided to repair. Bricks are not mortared, but was not easy to pull out. I wound up using the drill and chisel to chip away. Many bricks are split into two sideways, so the front face came off, but the rest of the brick were still there. As if the interior of the brick were burned, and the outer side of the brick looked new. I finished putting in new bricks today. I will fill the gap with fiberglass and mortar some loose pieces tomorrow.
Hodakapottery 