DJ Brewer on sun 5 dec 10
My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
(I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
is my third time to fire it).
The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
will get up in the night to check on its progress.
I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights?
Thanks for any input and advice!
DJ
Larry Kruzan on mon 6 dec 10
Don't worry about it DJ. It goes from 90 degrees to 2280 degrees in 8 hours
in the spring, going from 40 to 2280 in the winter is no problem. I've fire=
d
my gas kiln (it's outside) when temps were close to 0 degrees with no
problems except frostbite on me.
Larry Kruzan
Lost Creek Pottery
www.lostcreekpottery.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of DJ Brewer
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2010 10:49 PM
To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Firing on a porch outside on a cold night?
My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
(I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
is my third time to fire it).
The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
will get up in the night to check on its progress.
I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights?
Thanks for any input and advice!
DJ
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Email scanned by PC Tools - No viruses or spyware found.
(Email Guard: 7.0.0.18, Virus/Spyware Database: 6.16460)
http://www.pctools.com/
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Paula Rutledge on mon 6 dec 10
DJ,
I bet it will be okay. We didn't have any wind over here last night. If =
=3D
the wind had been blowing constantly and taking warm air away from the kiln=
=3D
, it may have impacted the kiln temperature. But it the kiln was out of th=
=3D
e wind, I bet it was okay. ( The insulation in the kiln walls works both w=
=3D
ays.) It looks it only got to 44 degrees here last night and I think you a=
=3D
re a smidge south of here. Plus, the extra humidity from the river may als=
=3D
o help insulate you. =3D20
You might consider erecting temporary "walls" around the kiln out of 2x4=
=3D
s and plastic sheeting (keep way away from the kiln) if you wanted to brea=
=3D
k the wind from hitting it.
Paula
=3D20
=3D20
=3D20
-----Original Message-----
From: DJ Brewer
To: Clayart
Sent: Mon, Dec 6, 2010 6:31 am
Subject: Firing on a porch outside on a cold night?
My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
=3D20
Steve Slatin on mon 6 dec 10
DJ -- shouldn't be a problem. Consider the relatives
of a 'cold' night to those of a 'hot' kiln. Maybe
your kiln will be in air 40 degrees cooler than on
a hot summer night, but so what? 40 degrees F compares
to the range of temps inside your kiln by about 1.8
percent (40 divided by 2000).
As for conditions under which you shouldn't fire,
check your kiln manual -- I wouldn't start a firing
under 35 degrees F myself because I shy away from
water transition temps but I'll bet several dozen
ClayArters have done it with no ill effects.
The kiln may take a tiny bit longer to fire to temp
or cool just a little faster.
Steve Slatin --
--- On Sun, 12/5/10, DJ Brewer wrote:
>> My kiln is outside on the back porch
> (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s
> tonight and
> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast
> winters).
> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night?
Lee Love on mon 6 dec 10
On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 10:49 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
> possibly the high 30s
I wouldn't be worried about firing outside in your "heat wave." ;^)
I think wind, rain and or snow would be more of a factor than the
difference in 20 or 30*F.
30* is tiny when you are thinking about going to 2200* higher than ambient.
--
=3DA0Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
=3D93Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving through and be silent.=3D94 --Rumi
C Sullivan on mon 6 dec 10
Hi DJ
My kilns are in my attached-garage. There's no heat out there and in the
winter, temps often are between 10 degrees and 30 degrees. I had some
sheetrock board, so placed these around the elect. kiln to form a little
alcove of sorts, and then a couple of hours before firing the kiln, turn on
a little heater in front of the digital controller, directing the heat
towards the kiln.
I fired all last winter in this manner and the kiln bisque-fired just fine
and is still doing so, so i'm guessing with you that 40 to 30 degrees won't
injure your kiln.
I'm sure others will chime in with their experiences which will be
interesting to see!
Good luck with your night-time firings
Chae
On Sun, Dec 5, 2010 at 8:49 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
> the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
>
> By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
> (I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
> full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
> actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
> is my third time to fire it).
>
> The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
> 2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
> trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
> decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
> there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
>
> Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
> too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
> will get up in the night to check on its progress.
>
> I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
> given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights?
>
> Thanks for any input and advice!
>
> DJ
>
John Rodgers on mon 6 dec 10
DJ,
Firing in the cold will not be so much a factor as the wind. There is an
energy flow from the inside of the kiln to the outside - this is in
every kiln of every type - whether electric, gas, wood, whatever. The
rate or speed of movement of that energy is dependent on the materials
the kiln is made of and the outside temps. If it is cold out, it will
take a bit longer to get to temperature, but if the wind is blowing,
that is an even bigger factor in delaying reaching temp. Put up some
sort of wind break to help there, and don't worry about the outside
temps. I've friends in Alaska who fire gas kilns outdoors in winter. You
might look at your timing for firing. It would be better to turn on your
kiln in the early morning and let it fire all day when you can keep an
eye on it, and let it reach shut-off in the early evening when you can
check it to be sure everything is off. Then allow the kiln to cool over
night, and you can open it next morning most likely. Firing through the
night, un-attended, is definitely not a good idea. It's done, but still
not a good idea. If something goes wrong, you would not know, and
wouldn't be there to manually shut off the kiln. Could be disastrous.
So, plan your actual firing for the time you can monitor it. I often set
my kilns to turn on at 4-5 am, and in a couple of hours I am up to check
and will keep an eye out all day. And I'm there to make sure it is in
fact off when the controller says it's it supposed to be off. Good shop
practices.
John
John Rodgers
Clayartist and Moldmaker
88'GL VW Bus Driver
Chelsea, AL
Http://www.moldhaus.com
On 12/5/2010 10:49 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
> the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
>
> By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
> (I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
> full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
> actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
> is my third time to fire it).
>
> The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
> 2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
> trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
> decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
> there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
>
> Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
> too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
> will get up in the night to check on its progress.
>
> I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
> given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights?
>
> Thanks for any input and advice!
>
> DJ
>
>
C Sullivan on mon 6 dec 10
Following along with John Rodgers line of theory: for Alaska temperatures:
one might cover the kiln with a thick fiber blanket after it has completely
shut off. To help keep the heat inside the kiln from evaporating too
readily.
Chae
On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 10:23 AM, John Rodgers wrote:
> DJ,
>
> Firing in the cold will not be so much a factor as the wind. There is an
> energy flow from the inside of the kiln to the outside - this is in
> every kiln of every type - whether electric, gas, wood, whatever. The
> rate or speed of movement of that energy is dependent on the materials
> the kiln is made of and the outside temps. If it is cold out, it will
> take a bit longer to get to temperature, but if the wind is blowing,
> that is an even bigger factor in delaying reaching temp. Put up some
> sort of wind break to help there, and don't worry about the outside
> temps. I've friends in Alaska who fire gas kilns outdoors in winter. You
> might look at your timing for firing. It would be better to turn on your
> kiln in the early morning and let it fire all day when you can keep an
> eye on it, and let it reach shut-off in the early evening when you can
> check it to be sure everything is off. Then allow the kiln to cool over
> night, and you can open it next morning most likely. Firing through the
> night, un-attended, is definitely not a good idea. It's done, but still
> not a good idea. If something goes wrong, you would not know, and
> wouldn't be there to manually shut off the kiln. Could be disastrous.
> So, plan your actual firing for the time you can monitor it. I often set
> my kilns to turn on at 4-5 am, and in a couple of hours I am up to check
> and will keep an eye out all day. And I'm there to make sure it is in
> fact off when the controller says it's it supposed to be off. Good shop
> practices.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
>
> On 12/5/2010 10:49 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
>
>> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
>> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
>> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
>> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
>> the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
>>
>> By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
>> (I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
>> full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
>> actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
>> is my third time to fire it).
>>
>> The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
>> 2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
>> trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
>> decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
>> there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
>>
>> Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
>> too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
>> will get up in the night to check on its progress.
>>
>> I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
>> given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights=
?
>>
>> Thanks for any input and advice!
>>
>> DJ
>>
>>
>>
gwynneth rixon on mon 6 dec 10
Hi,
Interesting that you mention gas kilns....My propane bottlsw are
outside....last time I fired it seemed to use more than I expected. It was
colder than I'd fired before.
Now I'm wondering whether I should fire or not, and if there is anything I
should do to shelter the gas bottles?
Gwynneth
www.gwynnethrixonceramics.co.uk
On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 6:23 PM, John Rodgers wrote:
> DJ,
>
> Firing in the cold will not be so much a factor as the wind. There is an
> energy flow from the inside of the kiln to the outside - this is in
> every kiln of every type - whether electric, gas, wood, whatever. The
> rate or speed of movement of that energy is dependent on the materials
> the kiln is made of and the outside temps. If it is cold out, it will
> take a bit longer to get to temperature, but if the wind is blowing,
> that is an even bigger factor in delaying reaching temp. Put up some
> sort of wind break to help there, and don't worry about the outside
> temps. I've friends in Alaska who fire gas kilns outdoors in winter. You
> might look at your timing for firing. It would be better to turn on your
> kiln in the early morning and let it fire all day when you can keep an
> eye on it, and let it reach shut-off in the early evening when you can
> check it to be sure everything is off. Then allow the kiln to cool over
> night, and you can open it next morning most likely. Firing through the
> night, un-attended, is definitely not a good idea. It's done, but still
> not a good idea. If something goes wrong, you would not know, and
> wouldn't be there to manually shut off the kiln. Could be disastrous.
> So, plan your actual firing for the time you can monitor it. I often set
> my kilns to turn on at 4-5 am, and in a couple of hours I am up to check
> and will keep an eye out all day. And I'm there to make sure it is in
> fact off when the controller says it's it supposed to be off. Good shop
> practices.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
>
>
> On 12/5/2010 10:49 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
>
>> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
>> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
>> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
>> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
>> the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
>>
>> By my reckoning, it should reach cone 6 at about 8 am tomorrow morning.
>> (I'm guessing that the next to the last ramp from 1200 to 2000 going
>> full throttle that the rise will be about 300 degrees an hour -- I don't
>> actually know how fast the kiln rises in temperture going full out. This
>> is my third time to fire it).
>>
>> The last ramp is 100 degrees an hour from 2000 to 2200. (Skutt says that
>> 2200 is cone 6. Not in my book -- but then, I didn't make the kiln and I
>> trust Skutt engineers know what they are doing with that temperature
>> decision). The kiln has just a few pieces in it for a test firing, so
>> there is not going to be a lot of heat retention due to a full kiln.
>>
>> Hopefully the temperature drop once the kiln finishes firing will not be
>> too swift due to the cold outside. I'm documenting the firing well and
>> will get up in the night to check on its progress.
>>
>> I'm unfamiliar with firing outdoors in cold weather. Jes' wonderin' if,
>> given the location of my kiln, is it best to avoid firing on cold nights=
?
>>
>> Thanks for any input and advice!
>>
>> DJ
>>
>>
>>
William & Susan Schran User on mon 6 dec 10
On 12/5/10 11:49 PM, "DJ Brewer" wrote:
> My kiln is outside on the back porch (roofed but no walls) of my studio,
> firing to cone 6. Its going to get down to the low 40s tonight and
> possibly the high 30s ( a cold night for Texas Gulf Coast winters).
> Have I done a dumb thing to fire on such a cold night? I did not look at
> the weather forecast when I programmed the kiln at 2 pm today.
Kiln doesn't care, unless you get down way below freezing or way above 100F=
,
then the controller may not want to work. Always ways around that.
But think about it.
Kiln going up to over 2000F.
What's the big deal if it's high 30's or low 80's.
I'd be more concerned about the moist salt air corroding the metal on the
kiln.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
DJ Brewer on mon 6 dec 10
Thanks everyone for your advice about firing in cold weather. I now
realize that compared to where many of you live, temps in the low 40s
and high 30s do not constitute a problem.
The kiln is shielded from the wind on all sides. It's in a real good
spot. John, I'm a night owl -- so you don't need to worry that the kiln
was untended. It wasn't. I was up right to the last ramp.
Thanks again, everyone. It is amazing the wealth of wisdom on this
list. Its one of the greatest resources on earth for ceramic artists.
Mel, thanks a thousandfold for managing this wellspring of creativity.
much love to all and Merry Christmas!
DJ
On 12/6/2010 12:23 PM, John Rodgers wrote:
> DJ,
>
> Firing in the cold will not be so much a factor as the wind. There is an
> energy flow from the inside of the kiln to the outside - this is in
> every kiln of every type - whether electric, gas, wood, whatever. The
> rate or speed of movement of that energy is dependent on the materials
> the kiln is made of and the outside temps. If it is cold out, it will
> take a bit longer to get to temperature, but if the wind is blowing,
> that is an even bigger factor in delaying reaching temp. Put up some
> sort of wind break to help there, and don't worry about the outside
> temps. I've friends in Alaska who fire gas kilns outdoors in winter. You
> might look at your timing for firing. It would be better to turn on your
> kiln in the early morning and let it fire all day when you can keep an
> eye on it, and let it reach shut-off in the early evening when you can
> check it to be sure everything is off. Then allow the kiln to cool over
> night, and you can open it next morning most likely. Firing through the
> night, un-attended, is definitely not a good idea. It's done, but still
> not a good idea. If something goes wrong, you would not know, and
> wouldn't be there to manually shut off the kiln. Could be disastrous.
> So, plan your actual firing for the time you can monitor it. I often set
> my kilns to turn on at 4-5 am, and in a couple of hours I am up to check
> and will keep an eye out all day. And I'm there to make sure it is in
> fact off when the controller says it's it supposed to be off. Good shop
> practices.
>
> John
>
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com
>
Fred Parker on tue 7 dec 10
Hi DJ:
My L&L fires outside also. Cold weather extends the time slightly an=3D
d it
probably uses more power. Other than that I haven't noticed any problems=
=3D
.=3D20
I am much more concerned with strong winds.
Fred Parker
| |
|
