Talbott on fri 13 dec 96
Over the summer there was a really humid spell of weather and we
did a bisque fire. We had 16 mugs or so to explode during the firing (had
been years since we had lost anything to speak of during a bisque).
However, the green ware did seem to be sufficiently dry prior to loading
the kiln.
Lesson Learned... Do Not bisque during extremely humid weather..
The winter months do have that advantage of providing very dry air to dry
out your pots prior to bisquing.. One potter in the area lost an entire
kiln load of green ware while bisquing during that very humid spell...
Marshall...
PS...If you are considering participating in the Gallery please let
me know.. We now have 14 applicants/participants...
Celia & Marshall Talbott
Pottery By Celia
Route 114
P.O. Box 4116
Naples, Maine 04055-4116
(207)693-6100 voice and fax
clupus@ime.net
Kirk Morrison on sat 14 dec 96
On 13 Dec 96 at 8:52, Talbott wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Over the summer there was a really humid spell of weather and we
> did a bisque fire. We had 16 mugs or so to explode during the firing (had
> been years since we had lost anything to speak of during a bisque).
> However, the green ware did seem to be sufficiently dry prior to loading
> the kiln.
> Lesson Learned... Do Not bisque during extremely humid weather..
> The winter months do have that advantage of providing very dry air to dry
> out your pots prior to bisquing.. One potter in the area lost an entire
> kiln load of green ware while bisquing during that very humid spell...
> Marshall...
> PS...If you are considering participating in the Gallery please let
> me know.. We now have 14 applicants/participants...
>
Depending on how big your kiln is you can heat the stuff a bit in the
oven or similar, on very low heat and dry it out, I have done this, and
it works if you do it for a couple of hours pior to bisque firings.
You want to heat it slowly to say 150 or maybe 200 over a hour or two.
Living near D.C. I had to figure something out or lose 4 months out of
a year.
Kirk
Vince Pitelka on sun 15 dec 96
> Lesson Learned... Do Not bisque during extremely humid weather..
>The winter months do have that advantage of providing very dry air to dry
>out your pots prior to bisquing.. One potter in the area lost an entire
>kiln load of green ware while bisquing during that very humid spell...
>Marshall...
>Celia & Marshall Talbott
Celia -
Fred Hayward gives excellent advice about the use of a dehumidifier. In my
former studio in Northern California I had a good dehumidifier, and a cheap
cold-mist humidifier. In the summer, when when the weather was very dry,
things tended to dry out far too rapidly, and I used the humidifier. In the
winter in Humboldt County things were usully very damp, and then I used the
dehumidifier to accelerate drying. Both worked great. Of course east of
the Rockies things would be just the opposite - the dehumidifier in the
summer when things are sticky, and the humidifier in the winter then the
atmosphere is dessicated.
The lesson here should not be to avoid bisqueing in humid weather or with
pots that might be slightly damp. It should be to preheat gradually enough
to drive off the water before you start turning up the kiln. In a downdraft
kiln the pilots alone, left on overnight, should build up enough heat to
drive off all moisture, without any chance of blowing up any wares. In an
updraft kiln you may be able to accomplish the same thing on the pilots,
with the damper closed tight, or you may have to have the burners on very
low with the damper slightly open. In an electric kiln you need only to
leave the lid propped up on a brick, with only the bottom element on low,
and all atmospheric water will be driven off overnight. Then you can fire
regularly the following morning. I have used these schedules throughout the
year regardless of humidity, often with work which is very thick and very
damp. The only time anything blows apart is when faulty joining has trapped
large air spaces within the clay.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@Dekalb.Net
Phone - home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801
Appalachian Center for Crafts, Smithville TN 37166
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