primalmommy on mon 28 jan 08
Mel wrote:
>i know that many that fire with air/gas waste gobs of fuel.
>they just keep turning it up...students at universities
>are usually guilty of that kind of firing...but, who the hell
>would turn over the firing to a raw/untrained recruit?
>well, lazy profs do it all the time. get anyone to fire the school
>kiln.
>we all have those stories to tell. tech hell, a dork with a job.
>mel
> nothing makes me more angry then institutional waste.
>who pays for the gas...? who knows? fire for twenty hours
>and waste fuel...who cares? someone else pays the bill.
>yes, always someone else.
Mel, just a quick rebuttal from the university student/tech/dork with a
job.
First, students (of my generation and younger) tend to be pretty serious
about the environment, fossil fuels and our "carbon footprint".
Sometimes more so than the profs.
Second, any prof whose students graduate unable to fire the kilns ought
to be ashamed. But we all start out as "raw recruits" until we learn,
especially when there are all new kilns and methods to master.
Finally, I'm damn clear on who pays for that fuel. According to my
tuition/technology fee/supply fee/studio fee bill, it's me.
Yours
Kelly Savino in Ohio.. just home from unloading the big gas kiln, which
we fire to ^6 in reduction, packed tot he hilt and on a tight schedule
to save fuel...
tomorrow, at home, I'll bisque the last 30 of the 100 "empty bowls" the
kids at church made. I offered to fire, glaze and refire them all
myself... by Sunday...
ever get a twitch in your right eye?
http://www.primalpotter.com
http://www.primalmommy.com/blog.html
mel jacobson on mon 28 jan 08
i do it all the time.
i have a very small gas burner used for
pilots/small stuff. (baso valve/safety shut off/pilot controlled.)
it costs nothing to pre/heat my kiln.
maybe 50 cents.
the reason i do it:
to warm the kiln, burn off wax on my pots,
make sure the kiln shelves are warm and dry.
i do it to protect my kiln.
when i turn on the kiln, it is full blast.
as i fire, it gets turned down.
my advancer shelves are $120 each.
my other shelves are $80 bucks each.
the kiln is 40 years old..i baby it.
i do not like firing steam.
small price to pay for kiln care.
the pots take care of themselves.
i would not slow cook my glazed pots.
you know...kiln on half for six hours. waste of fuel.
i added the small burner when i was bisque firing in the
gas kiln...gave that up fast. went to electric.
split one big platter and you have just lost a great deal
of money. electric is ideal for bisque.
wood firing like david hendley uses for his pots is an entire
different story with flue size...air flow and stack configuration.
totally different than a gas kiln.
wood firing needs oxygen and draft. lots of it.
he has it down pat. a great kiln and a professional at
the helm. i love that he fires pallets.
kilns that fire with compressed air/gas and air mixed need
a different set of protocols for firing. in many cases, the
kiln needs a bit bigger flue. the stack becomes mute.
i know that many that fire with air/gas waste gobs of fuel.
they just keep turning it up...students at universities
are usually guilty of that kind of firing...but, who the hell
would turn over the firing to a raw/untrained recruit?
well, lazy profs do it all the time. get anyone to fire the school
kiln.
we all have those stories to tell. tech hell, a dork with a job.
mel
nothing makes me more angry then institutional waste.
who pays for the gas...? who knows? fire for twenty hours
and waste fuel...who cares? someone else pays the bill.
yes, always someone else.
from minnetonka:
website http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart site:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Chris trabka on thu 28 feb 08
Mel,
I only have one kiln, a modified MFT, 32 cubic feet of stacking space. I
use it for both bisque and glaze firings. One bisque = two glaze firings
(except when I fire very large pieces). The kiln sits outside all winter in
Michigan. The first firing is very slow. Ice cold brick love that water
created by the flame. Air moves through a gas kiln, air sits in an electric
kiln. I like to think of the warm air gently warming my pots as it candles
over night.
Chris
On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:15:57 -0600, mel jacobson wrote:
>i added the small burner when i was bisque firing in the
>gas kiln...gave that up fast. went to electric.
>split one big platter and you have just lost a great deal
>of money. electric is ideal for bisque.
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