Jeff Lawrence on sat 27 sep 97
Hi,
The remaining parts for my new gas kiln are due to arrive Monday. This is
the kiln I was going to have firing before the end of July, which I have
ware stacked all around the shop waiting for firing. All those bowls
stacked lip to lip look like a bunch (a slither?) of oysters using up every
level surface.
I rather need to tame this new beast as quickly as possible for both ^6 and
^04 oxidation firing but have been burned before by gambling it all. The
last time, I did get a good Dali-esque photo of large bowls and plates
drooping like taffy off the shelves they melted on, but that was a very
time-expensive image.
In any case, I would deeply appreciate any suggestions on a systematic
tuning/taming approach.
Also, I'm curious about the phrase "learning curve"-- Jonathan K said he
experienced a steep one when he started using his current kiln. Jon, does
this mean you rapidly ascended to mastery? or does it imply that you
started with totally abysmal results?
Details: MFT, 70 cuft, 8" fiber walls, two forced air burners with
piggybacks from Ward
Thanks in advance!
Jeff
ray carlton on mon 29 sep 97
At 02:18 27/09/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi,
>
>The remaining parts for my new gas kiln are due to arrive Monday. This is
>the kiln I was going to have <<>>>alls, two forced air burners with
>piggybacks from Ward
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Jeff
>
>
hey jeff i'm doin the same thing my kiln is a brick one 6 1.5 inch burners
65 cuft I have been building this kiln for 15 years and have only just
fired it to bisque temp for the second time// I use another kiln an 18 cuft
commercial job which is rapidly disintergrating b4 my eyes [18 years of
firings @ 1 per week}and the terrible truth is I have to fire the big beast
to glaze temp sometime in the next 2 months// I fire to ^ 13 so it is gonna
be a doozy the first time.
I think you just have to assume that the kiln will work// you've done your
design work and it's been built real strong Right?? fire bisque 1st and
know that you are it's master you will learn much from the first firing
crdinal rules would be
1. start real slow
2. don't push the kiln along to hard let it go slowly// who cares any way??
3. keep an accurate log
4. BE CONFIDENT
5. if you hear thump noises from inside you know you have just blown a pot
slow down
6. watch your cones carefully and do it now!!!
good luck
PS wouldn't it be good if we had a chat room where people firing
kilns for the 1st time could get support during the firing?????
raycarlt@valylink.net.au
Ray Carlton
17 Reefton Drive
McMahons Creek Victoria Australia 3799
0359668443
Karen Gringhuis on mon 29 sep 97
Jeff - Boo! Forgive me for sounding like a techie but....seems to
me that a digital pyrometer might shorten this curve. Your would
know how fast you are or are not climbing &, while pyro's are not
considered highly accurate w/ regard to actual temp, mine is not
too far off. I have built enough firing log history that I could
fire w/ only the pyro. if all the cones went haywire. How ou
would support a pyro sticking thru a fiber kiln wall, I do not
know. Just a thought.
One more thought - put cone packs ALL OVER the kiln not just
by spy holes. then pay attention to them when you unstack.
Good luck, Karen Girnghuis
Craig Martell on mon 29 sep 97
Hello Jeff:
If you are going to use a pyrometer or an Oxyprobe, that will help set and
map the temp rise per hour. The oxyprobe will help with fuel efficiency and
better ware quality, especially if you require a very strict oxidation
atmosphere. A downdraft is a bit harder to equalize in temp., at times, if
you fire in Ox. because you can't use the damper as much to put backpressure
on the kiln to even it out. But, this ain't a problem til it happens so
you'll have to wait and see.
You'll probably want to station cones all over the kiln for the first few
firings, or until you really have it mapped to determing where your cold and
hot spots are. If your burners are in the back, by the flue and firing
forward, the lower front of the kiln is going to be the hottest point and if
you pack a little denser there, the thermal mass will soak up more of the
heat. You should use packs of 3 cones to determine the temp spread, as in
the cone for the target temp, plus cones on either side of this. I would use
cones 5,6,&7 for your cone 6 firings. I'm probably telling you stuff you
already know, right??
For better heat distribution, stagger the shelf heights to allow many
avenues of passage for the gasses. This will eliminate some hot and cold spots.
As a point of reference, I fire a 66 cu ft. MFT with two propane fired Big
Berthas. The refractories are k-26, so my kiln is going to come up slower
than a fiber kiln. Anyway, from stone cold, I reach cone 06 in about 6 hrs
and cone 5 in 9 hrs. Your kiln should be faster than this if you want to
fire quicker.
I'm sure you'll get a lot more help with this. Good luck, Craig Martell-Oregon
Erin Hayes on tue 30 sep 97
Jeff,
I don't know if there's any way to speed up getting to know a new kiln -
firing it is the only way (and firing it, and firing it, and firing
it). Different loads, different times of the year, different weather.
I always thought of it like getting married - run off to Vegas after a
week and you shouldn't expect a long, happy union. Go slowly, become
friends and expect to grow old together.
Erin.
--
Erin Hayes
Yakima Valley Community College
PO Box 1647
Yakima, WA 98907-1647
Malissa D on tue 30 sep 97
Ray:
What a great thing it would be to have a chat room for firing for first
time and old time potters. I was firing my downdraft. I had
re-kaowooled the door to the kiln and tightened up the air going into
the kiln around the burners. I started firing midday and around
midnight the kiln stalled out at 1900 degrees. I was way too tired to
think what to do and made little adjustments for an hour until it dawned
upon me to reduce the fire going in. That was exactly the right thing
to do but way too late. The firing was a meltdown and a bunch of my
profits went with it. A chat firing line would have really been helpful
(if anyone would have been there at midnight Texas time).
Malissa D.
EarthWorks
Earth@tstar.net
Hill Country
Texas
ray carlton wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> At 02:18 27/09/97 EDT, you wrote:
> >----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> >Hi,
> >
> >The remaining parts for my new gas kiln are due to arrive Monday. This is
> >the kiln I was going to have <<>>>alls, two forced air burners with
> >piggybacks from Ward
> >
> >Thanks in advance!
> >
> >Jeff
> >
> >
> hey jeff i'm doin the same thing my kiln is a brick one 6 1.5 inch burners
> 65 cuft I have been building this kiln for 15 years and have only just
> fired it to bisque temp for the second time// I use another kiln an 18 cuft
> commercial job which is rapidly disintergrating b4 my eyes [18 years of
> firings @ 1 per week}and the terrible truth is I have to fire the big beast
> to glaze temp sometime in the next 2 months// I fire to ^ 13 so it is gonna
> be a doozy the first time.
> I think you just have to assume that the kiln will work// you've done your
> design work and it's been built real strong Right?? fire bisque 1st and
> know that you are it's master you will learn much from the first firing
> crdinal rules would be
> 1. start real slow
> 2. don't push the kiln along to hard let it go slowly// who cares any way??
> 3. keep an accurate log
> 4. BE CONFIDENT
> 5. if you hear thump noises from inside you know you have just blown a pot
> slow down
> 6. watch your cones carefully and do it now!!!
>
> good luck
>
> PS wouldn't it be good if we had a chat room where people firing
> kilns for the 1st time could get support during the firing?????
>
> raycarlt@valylink.net.au
>
> Ray Carlton
> 17 Reefton Drive
> McMahons Creek Victoria Australia 3799
>
> 0359668443
J.P. Audette on wed 1 oct 97
Howdy Clayarters,
I've just begun to receive this listserv, and brothers and sisters
am I psyched! What an active stimulating group this is.
>Erin said....
>I don't know if there's any way to speed up getting to know a new kiln -
>firing it is the only way (and firing it, and firing it, and firing
>it). Different loads, different times of the year, different weather.
This is definitely the low-down skinny, but something that can
help to accelerate the learning curve is to contract a kiln consultant
(*if* you've got the bread).
There's a cat named Cameron who has a site at
http://www.kilnman.com
.....and he seems to know everything. He has some monthly classes
online, and he can also be retained as an on-call consultant.
He has stuff on improving the performance of your kiln, how to buy
a used kiln, etc., etc.
Hope this helps.
Cheers from sunny Bend, Oregon, where things are always groovier
than they are not.
John
mailto:jpa@empnet.com
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