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kiln shelf/wash question

updated mon 31 mar 97

 

David Donica on tue 11 mar 97

I read somewhere that in order to better preserve your kiln shelves, in
lieu of using wash, you could sift the dry ingredients of kiln wash onto
the shelf prior to loading and simply brush it off afterwards. That way you
could use both sides of the shelf in subsequent firings, offsetting
warpage. Has anyone ever done this? Sounds messy to me. Thanks for all
of your great advice from a fledgling potter, who's finally fluless and
watching the daffodils about to bust.
Maggie Shepard
FireWorks Pottery
Mt. Shasta, Calif.

Brooks Burgess on wed 12 mar 97

At 07:05 AM 3/11/97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I read somewhere that in order to better preserve your kiln shelves, in
>lieu of using wash, you could sift the dry ingredients of kiln wash onto
>the shelf prior to loading and simply brush it off afterwards. That way you
>could use both sides of the shelf in subsequent firings, offsetting
>warpage. Has anyone ever done this? Sounds messy to me. Thanks for all
>of your great advice from a fledgling potter, who's finally fluless and
>watching the daffodils about to bust.
>Maggie Shepard
>FireWorks Pottery
>Mt. Shasta, Calif.
>
>Yes it works.I should say that when I do this that I sift alumina hydrate
onto silicon carbide shelves. The alumina is reusable after firing. I have
never tried sifting the dry ingredients of a kiln wash onto shelves, only
pure alumina hydrate. Good luck.
Brooks Burgess

JULIE ATWOOD on wed 12 mar 97

I have seen this done...and have ALSO seen the disappointment of the
potters' who's work this grainy, dusty mixture has fallen into and messed
up. I am not impressed. I have seen multiple alternatives to kiln wash,
and all the dry methods are very disappointing. Silica sand is one of
the MOST disappointing. Anything dry seems to land in pots and create a
rough surface. In order to prevent it, you have to be exceedingly
neurotic about how you load the kiln...and with large front-loaders, this
is mind-numbing.

As for me, myself, personally...I still haven't seen anything very
stellar to replace kiln wash, and I still can't understand some people's
problem with kiln wash...

Julie in Seattle
(who benefitted a few times from botched silica sand experiments,
and now has a few very pretty bowls with little bumps lining the inside
of the pot)



On Tue, 11 Mar 1997, David Donica wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I read somewhere that in order to better preserve your kiln shelves, in
> lieu of using wash, you could sift the dry ingredients of kiln wash onto
> the shelf prior to loading and simply brush it off afterwards. That way you
> could use both sides of the shelf in subsequent firings, offsetting
> warpage. Has anyone ever done this? Sounds messy to me. Thanks for all
> of your great advice from a fledgling potter, who's finally fluless and
> watching the daffodils about to bust.
> Maggie Shepard
> FireWorks Pottery
> Mt. Shasta, Calif.
>

Gail Pasternack & Marty Cugelman on wed 12 mar 97

At 07:05 11/03/97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I read somewhere that in order to better preserve your kiln shelves, in
>lieu of using wash, you could sift the dry ingredients of kiln wash onto
>
>Maggie Shepard
>FireWorks Pottery
>Mt. Shasta, Calif.
>
>I sprinkle a dusting of alumina hydrate on my kiln shelves. I spread the
alumina hydrate with a stick a little wider than a ruler and I'm careful not
to drop any extra off the kiln shelves or it could damage the pots below it.
I make sure that I use a mask when doing this. I also use a large
rubbermaid bin that is wider than my shelves to dust off the alumina
hydrate. I keep reusing the same alumina hydrate each firing.
It takes only a few minutes to do. I never get any pots sticking to my
shelves. It takes a fraction of the time and effort of coating and
recoating with kiln wash.

Gail Pasternack
Ballantrae, Ontario

Candise Flippin on wed 12 mar 97

I have been using the dry "wash" for 10 years now. I keep it in a large
coffee can and re-use it. If you are not firing large loads it is not
too bad, but I can not imagine doing this in a high volume studio. When
loading a glaze firing you must be extremely careful not to brush the
dust from upper shelves to lower ones. Hope your in a NO WIND location,
also. Hope this helps.
Candise Flippin
Vista, CA

F. Melville on wed 12 mar 97

Maggie,
Yes, I have used dry kilnwash on my shelves, but not all over them -
just under certain pieces with untested glazes, and I keep it well away from
the edges of the shelf. With the glazes I generally use, I find it easier
not to use anything on the shelves, which I like to turn over. I normally
fire to ^6. Wear a mask when you brush off the powdered kilnwash. .
Francoise
F. Melville
Indalo Pottery
P.O. Box 95
Port Edward, B.C.
Canada V0V 1G0

Email:fmelvill@mail.kaien.com
http://members.tripod.com/~indalopottery/index.html

Eric Yoder on wed 12 mar 97

When I woodfire I mix 3.5 lbs of silica, 3.5 lbs of alumina and 1lb of
flower to a glaze like consistancy. The flower sicks the wash to the
shelf but burns out while firing so that the silica and alumina can be
brushed off afterwards. This way I do not have to wad all the pots.

Eric
--
=================================
Yoder's Valley Pottery
eyoder@valkyrie.net
http://www.valkyrie.net/~eyoder/
=================================

Talbott on thu 13 mar 97

BE CAREFUL... or you WILL be sorry... if that stuff (dry ingredients) gets
into the pottery during a glaze fire then your pots are RUINED. We use SiC
shelves from New Castle Refractories 12"x24"x1/2" and Lee's Kiln Wash from
Axner on ONE side only. For us this is the way to go... Yes..I too
thought the Lee's stuff was a rip-off until I took a gamble (was desperate
for a wash that would not flake) and actually tried it. We have very
little warpage problems.. and lose very few shelves due to cracking. We
fire to ^10 in reduction. .....Marshall


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David Hewitt on fri 14 mar 97

I have for many years now used only Silica Sand for placing. It is easy
to sprinkle on and from time to time the shelves just need brushing.
David Hewitt
David Hewitt Pottery ,
7 Fairfield Road, Caerleon, Newport,
South Wales, NP6 1DQ, UK. Tel:- +44 (0) 1633 420647
URL http://digitalfire.com/education/hewitt.htm

Stern HQ on sat 15 mar 97

How do you keep the sand from sifting onto the pieces below?

On Fri, 14 Mar 1997, David Hewitt wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have for many years now used only Silica Sand for placing. It is easy
> to sprinkle on and from time to time the shelves just need brushing.
> David Hewitt
> David Hewitt Pottery ,
> 7 Fairfield Road, Caerleon, Newport,
> South Wales, NP6 1DQ, UK. Tel:- +44 (0) 1633 420647
> URL http://digitalfire.com/education/hewitt.htm
>

David Hewitt on mon 17 mar 97

I am using an electric top loader kiln. I put the silica sand onto the
kiln batts / shelves before lowering them into the kiln. It is not a
problem for me, but I have no experience with gas or other fuel fired
kilns where there is a draught.

In message , Stern HQ writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>How do you keep the sand from sifting onto the pieces below?
>
>On Fri, 14 Mar 1997, David Hewitt wrote:
>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> I have for many years now used only Silica Sand for placing. It is easy
>> to sprinkle on and from time to time the shelves just need brushing.
>> David Hewitt
>> David Hewitt Pottery ,
>> 7 Fairfield Road, Caerleon, Newport,
>> South Wales, NP6 1DQ, UK. Tel:- +44 (0) 1633 420647
>> URL http://digitalfire.com/education/hewitt.htm
>>
>

David Hewitt
David Hewitt Pottery ,
7 Fairfield Road, Caerleon, Newport,
South Wales, NP6 1DQ, UK. Tel:- +44 (0) 1633 420647
URL http://digitalfire.com/education/hewitt.htm