CLAYTIMES@aol.com on mon 18 aug 97
Dear Art,
I was recently forwarded a Clayart post in which you discussed the article on
"Cone 6 Reduction Firing" which appeared in your very first issue (May/June
1997) of Clay Times magazine. You had expressed some concern as to the
objectivity with which our story was written because advertisements for
Olympic and AIM reduction kilns appeared with the story. I'd just like to
address a few points on this matter to clear up any misunderstanding:
The story was not published for the purpose of comparing equipment or
promoting a particular brand of kiln, but simply to make our readers aware
that this type of kiln (portable 3-ring, contained, gas-fired) exists. This
type of kiln is very practical in school and home situations where
restrictions against softbrick kilns would otherwise prevent reduction
firing.
The story resulted from continued successful experimentation with one of
these types of kilns by Clay Times associate editor Rick Berman and his
students. They were so pleased with results they were achieving that they
chose to share their successful techniques with others through our magazine.
This has been particularly helpful to many of our readers who were previously
under the impression that firing in a reduction environment is out of their
means, when in fact, these relatively small (and affordable) 3-ring contained
reduction kilns make it practical for just about anybody to reduction fire.
Furthermore, most potters who fire in a reduction environment do so at cone
10--yet Rick and his class found that they were achieving excellent reduction
glazes at cone 6. This not only saves firing time and fuel consumption but
also allows many glazes used for cone 6 oxidation to double as reduction
glazes, cutting down on glaze materials storage space and ingredient
inventories for persons who wish to fire in both types of atmospheres.
To inform our readers as to where these types of kilns can be purchased, we
contacted many different kiln manufacturers and our research produced only
two manufacturers of this type of kiln: AIM and Olympic (both of whom had,
incidentally, already advertised with us on multiple previous issues of Clay
Times). Those manufacturers' advertisements (which had been ordered by AIM
and Olympic without any prior knowledge that this article was being written)
were placed alongside the story so that interested readers would have easy
access to information on those kilns and how to contact those manufacturers.
I would have considered it a disservice to our readers had we written the
story WITHOUT directing our readers to the proper sources for obtaining this
type of kiln. (Incidentally, had you received earlier issues of our magazine,
you would have discovered that our "Buying A New Wheel" and "Buying A New
Slab Roller" stories included descriptions of products by both advertisers
AND non-advertisers.)
As always, our goal at Clay Times is to provide useful, inspirational, and
entertaining clay-related information to our readers in the most objective
way possible. Yes, we do accept advertising (as do just about all other
national magazines)...yet we will not refrain from reporting helpful
information to our readers as a result.
If you have any further questions regarding Clay Times, please e-mail me at:
CLAYTIMES@AOL.COM and I'll be glad to offer my assistance. (By the way, since
you'd expressed an interest in building a small reduction kiln yourself, you
might be interested in the article on that very subject in our upcoming
September/October issue)...
All the best,
Polly Beach, Editor
Clay Times Magazine
P.O. Box 365
Waterford, VA 20197
CLAYTIMES@AOL.COM
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