Ann Brink on sat 27 nov 10
Hello Drake,
The very few times I've had to do this, to meet some deadline or other, I
have filled some spaces with kiln furniture, also looked at my inventory fo=
r
boring pieces and re-dipped or partially re-dipped them, to use up some
space.
Ann Brink in Lompoc CA
(mostly about pottery)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Drake Ash"
> aside from being wasteful in terms of energy use, is it a bad thing to
> fire
> a kiln that is not very full? now and then i have an imbalance in
> bisque/glaze loads and need to get a portion of a glaze load finished
> before
> i can do yet another bisque to fill up the kiln.( i guess this comes abou=
t
> because one stacks a bisque kiln, thus creating more pots than can be
> accommodated once they are glazed.) if the kiln is only 2/3 full how does
> this impact the results of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt
> electric
> kiln.
>
> thanks--drake ash
>
>
steve graber on sat 27 nov 10
i swear kilns fire best when full.=3DA0 even heat, more reflection, etc.=3D=
A0 i=3D
add kiln =3D0Afurniture=3DA0for loads that are less filling.=3DA0 but do N=
OT add=3D
any local rocks!=3DA0 i =3D0Aloaded local granite to a glaze fire and had =
a ME=3D
SS after cone 10.=3DA0 =3DA0=3D0A=3DA0Steve Graber, Graber's Pottery, Inc=
=3D0AClaremo=3D
nt, California USA=3D0AThe Steve Tool - for awesome texture on pots! =3D0Aw=
ww.g=3D
raberspottery.com steve@graberspottery.com =3D0A=3D0A=3D0AOn Laguna Clay's =
websit=3D
e=3D0Ahttp://www.lagunaclay.com/blogs/ =3D0A=3D0A> aside from being wastefu=
l in t=3D
erms of energy use, is it a bad thing to fire=3D0A> a kiln that is not very=
f=3D
ull? now and then i have an imbalance in=3D0A> bisque/glaze loads and need =
to=3D
get a portion of a glaze load finished before=3D0A> i can do yet another b=
is=3D
que to fill up the kiln.( i guess this comes about=3D0A> because one stacks=
a=3D
bisque kiln, thus creating more pots than can be=3D0A> accommodated once t=
he=3D
y are glazed.) if the kiln is only 2/3 full how does=3D0A> this impact the =
re=3D
sults of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt electric=3D0A> kiln.=3D0A>=
=3D0A=3D
> thanks--drake ash=3D0A> =3D0A=3D0A=3D0A
Paul Lewing on sat 27 nov 10
On Nov 27, 2010, at 4:41 PM, Drake Ash wrote:
aside from being wasteful in terms of energy use, is it a bad thing to
fire
a kiln that is not very full?
I don't think it really is wasteful. I find that there's a pretty
close correlation between how full my electric kiln is and how long it
takes to fire it. So, if it's not full, it doesn't use as much energy
because it gets to temperature faster.
But that's in a n electric kiln. In a gas kiln, you will notice a
huge difference in how a kiln fires depending on how full it is. It
completely changes the flame paths if it's packed tight as opposed to
packed loose. Back when I was throwing, I made lots of small pots and
packed my kilns incredibly tightly. At one time I had a new studio
partner move in, who made mostly big spherical jars and vases and lamp
bases. We could not get my kiln to fire evenly for him. I'm sure we
could have if we'd changed the bagwalls or the dampers or something,
but I was not willing to do that, so he moved on.
Paul Lewing
www.paullewingtile.com
www.paullewingart.com
Drake Ash on sat 27 nov 10
aside from being wasteful in terms of energy use, is it a bad thing to fire
a kiln that is not very full? now and then i have an imbalance in
bisque/glaze loads and need to get a portion of a glaze load finished befor=
e
i can do yet another bisque to fill up the kiln.( i guess this comes about
because one stacks a bisque kiln, thus creating more pots than can be
accommodated once they are glazed.) if the kiln is only 2/3 full how does
this impact the results of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt electric
kiln.
thanks--drake ash
William & Susan Schran User on sun 28 nov 10
On 11/27/10 7:41 PM, "Drake Ash" wrote:
> if the kiln is only 2/3 full how does
> this impact the results of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt electr=
ic
> kiln.
Depends on how you load the kiln, and if a programmable kiln, how many
thermocouples.
Generally, a lighter load will fire faster because there isn't as much mass
to heat.
If the ware is distributed evenly throughout the kiln, there will be a even
firing, especially with programmed kilns taking readings from a single
thermocouple located at the center of the kiln.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
David Woof on sun 28 nov 10
Hi Drake=3D2C
You can pick up a smaller older electric capable of bisque temps for 150.00=
=3D
to 350.00 $ US. Or for a bit more one that will fire ^6-8 . The obvious be=
=3D
ing for not only having two sizes for solution of the situations you descri=
=3D
be=3D2C but as a back up when one is down.
=3D20
Pots fire by heat absorbtion and retention. Retention being the key in rais=
=3D
ing the temp to maturation. To reach higher temps efficiently and economic=
=3D
aly the pots must be loaded with a dense enough mass and proximity so that =
=3D
there is a reflected=3D2C radiated=3D2C heat and energy exchange between th=
em. =3D
The heat you put into the kiln is only one side of the "equation"
=3D20
In a pinch you can shelf raise the stacking "floor" so to load in mid kiln =
=3D
and make sure there is a top "roof" shelf over your load to reflect heat ba=
=3D
ck into the loaded section. Pay due attention to your thermocouple. =3D20
=3D20
Note! Aviso! achtung! If you don't typicaly do this=3D3B setting a top roof=
s=3D
helf 1" under the insulating refractory kiln lid when loading a full load m=
=3D
ay effect the firing and glaze results in ways that please or not. Proccee=
=3D
d as a test if you try this for a first time. Learning to load your kiln fo=
=3D
r consistent results is a study in basic thermodynamics.
=3D20
Misneach=3D2C
=3D20
David Woof.....Clarkdale=3D2C AZ.......Recovering from that real butter cru=
st=3D
=3D2C blackberry pie I baked from scratch and topped with real whipped crea=
m =3D
from a real cow. Had to go out yesterday and split wood by hand for the ne=
=3D
xt firing to help my heart clear it's pipes.(smile) How's that for old fas=
=3D
hioned harvest season cheer? =3D20
I notice my yard is full of range fed beef this AM. Must be that hole in t=
=3D
he fence again. The bull is showing off by walking down some smaller trees =
=3D
so the cows can eat...."Stick with me honey=3D2C I'll take care of you" I=
t'=3D
s the same the world over!!! Like with my neighbor Art hoofin it over to hi=
=3D
s tenant's trailer with a 12 pack under one arm and a big grin plastered ac=
=3D
ross his face. What goes on in Patio Town=3D2C even on a slow day=3D2C wou=
ld r=3D
ival Cannery Row. People respect each other here. They watch out for each =
=3D
other. It's tight.
*****************
not-so-full kiln
Posted by: "Drake Ash" drake.ash@GMAIL.COM=3D20
Date: Sat Nov 27=3D2C 2010 6:37 pm ((PST))
=3D20
aside from being wasteful in terms of energy use=3D2C is it a bad thing to =
fi=3D
re
a kiln that is not very full? now and then i have an imbalance in
bisque/glaze loads and need to get a portion of a glaze load finished befor=
=3D
e
i can do yet another bisque to fill up the kiln.( i guess this comes about
because one stacks a bisque kiln=3D2C thus creating more pots than can be
accommodated once they are glazed.) if the kiln is only 2/3 full how does
this impact the results of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt electric
kiln.
=3D20
=3D
Mike on mon 29 nov 10
Basically, you just save fuel. It's less ware and shelves to heat up.
Just load evenly and you're good. I did have one problem once in a very
small gas kiln, because the flame took a very short path through the
kiln and didn't heat everything evenly and gave me wildly different
atmospheres. (In retrospect that probably could have worked to my
advantage) I had at the time thought this was because I hadn't loaded
properly. However, even in this case the fix came from putting in some
IFB wedges under the floor where the flame entered(it was a one burner
kiln), to break it up before it entered the chamber, and adjusting the
passive damper properly. After that, the amount of ware didn't really
matter.
Mike
in Taku, Japan
http://karatsupots.com
http://karatsupots.blogspot.com
Workshop in Taku, Spring 2012: To Be Announced
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Drake Ash"
>
>
>> aside from being wasteful in terms of energy use, is it a bad thing to
>> fire
>> a kiln that is not very full? now and then i have an imbalance in
>> bisque/glaze loads and need to get a portion of a glaze load finished
>> before
>> i can do yet another bisque to fill up the kiln.( i guess this comes
>> about
>> because one stacks a bisque kiln, thus creating more pots than can be
>> accommodated once they are glazed.) if the kiln is only 2/3 full how
>> does
>> this impact the results of the firing? i fire to cone 6 in a skutt
>> electric
>> kiln.
>>
>> thanks--drake ash
>>
>>
>
Jenny Lewis on tue 30 nov 10
Hi Drake, and everyone
I love Clayart when it answers my questions that I hadn't asked yet! I=3D2=
0=3D
too have recently fired a glaze kiln load that wasn't very full, and have=
=3D
=3D20
been musing about this topic. So, I was pleased to see all the chat on t=
=3D
he=3D20
list.
Normally I would wait until I have enough for a firing, but this was just=
=3D
=3D20
before my local museum's arts n crafts market, so I decided to take a=3D20
chance and went ahead with it.
Because the pots were fairly spread out, I used quite a few teeny glaze-
test bowls, and also used all four shelves, even though I only needed 3.=3D=
20=3D
=3D20
Must confess I put the extra one in thinking don't know why I'm doing=3D20
this but it seemed a good idea at the time. The firing went exactly the=3D=
20=3D
same as usual, took about 9 hours to 1270 centigrade. I check the=3D20
electricity meter before and after and the reading was the same number of=
=3D
=3D20
units as usual.
The pots all came out ok. No big surprises or shocks, phew.
It's not a huge kiln, maybe that helps, I dunno.
Jenny Lewis
in the UK
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