mel jacobson on wed 21 sep 11
i know i am on a crusade to change firing habits.
it will take me two lifetimes.
(nils has been beating the drum for decades.)
but, i will stay on it.
it is like following a car with all the bumper stickers
about `save everything`....and the car is spewing smoke
out of the tail pipe.
they don't know, what they don't know.
i have spent the last five years writing/building what we think
is a classic, well documented book on the building and
firing practices of ceramics...it has many authors who are
experts in their given avenue of ceramics. sharing authors
gives the book a `sense of total honesty`. it is not for everyone,
but there sure are some folks that ought to be doing some
new research. our book has been a labor of love and concern.
so much of my research has been in how industry and professional
ceramic engineers approach heat, dynamics and cost. it has been
figured out in industry as `how much it costs` dominates all heat treating
and furnace work. waste of money is not tolerated very long in business.
it may not be perfect, and pollution can happen, but most companies
cannot afford `bad practice`. it is just too hard on the bottom line.
when your natural gas bill is $1.8 million a year, anything to improve
that cost is considered. and those costs are rising fast.
(and ask yourself why all toilets are made in mexico? why has
the CERAMICS industry shifted to other countries. COST.)
just like firing your own kiln. the costs are skyrocketing..(as if i have =
to tell you.)
if you do not understand how to fire your kiln for efficiency, your pots ar=
e
not worth firing. do the math, do your bottom line. figure out
how much your time, your costs, your profit is. many are losing money and
they don't even know it.
it is like the simple illustrated `spiral pipe/lined stack` we feature in t=
he
book. it is the perfect stack. it makes firing much more efficient. add
some itc 100 to the liners and it is inexpensive, lasts a long time
and is safe. a stack of rotten hard brick sure is not the answer.
MEL
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
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