William & Susan Schran User on wed 29 feb 12
On 2/29/12 9:33 AM, "Ann Kenworthy" wrote:
>
>I'm about to start soda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in my gas
>kiln. Everything I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of
>course I plan to do that.
>
>However, I have two types of shelves: silicon carbide and Advancers.
>For
>my gas firings I've just used alumina on the shelves and it's worked very
>well.
>
>Do I need to kiln wash the Advancers? I know for sure that I'll wash the
>silicon carbide shelves. I've read both Ruthanne Tudball's book and Gail
>Nichols' as well, plus have searched the internet, and found no direction
>on how to deal with Advancers. I know wood firers who do not wash their
>Advancers, so I was just wondering.
>
I would think twice about spraying a water/soda solution in the kiln with
Advancer shelves. Spraying on the Advancers could cause them to crack due
to rapid thermal change. Saw this happen to a potter in New Jersey. Give a
call to folks at Smith Sharpe, ask for Marshall.
Bill
--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com
>
Ben Morrison on wed 29 feb 12
Follow Vince's advice he's 100% correct, the Chinese Silicon Carb=3D
Ann,=3D0A=3D0AFollow Vince's advice he's 100% correct, the Chinese Silicon =
Carb=3D
ide are the best for soda. For further information which you'd asked me abo=
=3D
ut I can point you in the direction of an article which might answer more q=
=3D
uestions for you. In my experience K-26 IFB's are not the best brick to use=
=3D
in a soda kiln. We used them in a kiln and it only lasted about 2.5 years =
=3D
before too much of the brick was sloughing off onto the pots during firing.=
=3D
Below is a link to an article which can answer some questions about what w=
=3D
ill happen to your kiln bricks and shelves in a soda firing.=3D0A=3D0Ahttp:=
//ki=3D
lnshelf.publishpath.com/Websites/kilnshelf/Images/Insulating%20Materials%20=
=3D
for%20Salt%20Kilns%20Article.pdf=3DA0=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0AI've fired with bo=
th salt (s=3D
odium chloride) wrapped in paper and dipped into water just before deployin=
=3D
g in the kiln, as well as soda (sodium bicarbonate) mixed into water and sp=
=3D
rayed into the kiln. Below is a link to a website which has some more infor=
=3D
mation about a very interesting form of soda firing.=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.ka=
zega=3D
mas.com/soda.htm=3DA0=3DA0=3D0A=3D0ABest Regards,=3D0ABen Morrison=3D0A=3D0=
A_____________=3D
___________________=3D0A From: Vince Pitelka =3D0ATo: =
Clay=3D
art@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG =3D0ASent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 5:55 PM=3D0ASu=
bjec=3D
t: Re: Soda Firing and Advancer Shelves=3D0A =3D0AAnn Kenworthy wrote:=3D0A=
I'm ab=3D
out to start soda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in my gas=3D0Akil=
n.=3D
=3DA0 Everything I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of=3D0Ac=
ours=3D
e I plan to do that.=3DA0 However,=3DA0 I have two types of shelves:=3DA0 s=
ilicon=3D
=3D0Acarbide and Advancers.=3DA0 For my gas firings I've just used alumina =
on t=3D
he=3D0Ashelves and it's worked very well.=3D0A=3D0AAnn -=3D0ADo not kiln-wa=
sh advan=3D
cers, and I would not use them in a salt or soda kiln.=3D0AIn our salt and =
so=3D
da kilns we use the inexpensive Chinese 1/2"=3D0Anitride-bonded silicon car=
bi=3D
de shelves and we do not wash them at all.=3DA0 Of=3D0Acourse all wares are=
wad=3D
ded, but they would have to be wadded even if you=3D0Awashed the shelves.=
=3DA0 =3D
After every firing we scrape the shelves down on all=3D0Asides and edges to=
g=3D
et rid of the bubbles that form on the surface.=3DA0 They do=3D0Aerode slow=
ly, =3D
but we get a great many firings out of them.=3DA0 Occasionally we=3D0Ado ha=
ve t=3D
rouble with the same bubbling actually foaming up and getting the=3D0Awares=
.=3D
=3DA0 People report that a thin layer of alumina dusted onto the shelves=3D=
0Awo=3D
rks well to eliminate that problem.=3DA0 Brush it off the very edges of the=
=3D
=3D0Ashelves so it doesn't sift down on to the next layer.=3D0A- Vince=3D0A=
=3D0AVin=3D
ce Pitelka=3D0AAppalachian Center for Craft=3D0ATennessee Tech University=
=3D0Avpi=3D
telka@dtccom.net=3D0Ahttp://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
Ann Kenworthy on wed 29 feb 12
I hope some soda firers out there can help me with my current question.
I'm about to start soda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in my gas
kiln. Everything I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of
course I plan to do that.
However, I have two types of shelves: silicon carbide and Advancers. For
my gas firings I've just used alumina on the shelves and it's worked very
well.
Do I need to kiln wash the Advancers? I know for sure that I'll wash the
silicon carbide shelves. I've read both Ruthanne Tudball's book and Gail
Nichols' as well, plus have searched the internet, and found no direction
on how to deal with Advancers. I know wood firers who do not wash their
Advancers, so I was just wondering.
Many thanks for any suggestions you can give.
Ann Kenworthy in MD.
jonathan byler on wed 29 feb 12
kiln washing the advancers sounds like pure folly. talk to the
manufacturer about that. any residual water is going to make them
explode unless you do a very careful and prolonged heating of the
shelves below the boiling point of water.
I would stick with your silicon carbide shelves. we have nitride
bonded silicon carbide shelves from larkin (chinese imports). You can/
should put kiln wash on those as they are not near as dense as the
advancers, and water from your kiln wash can permeate them/escape from
them with out trouble. we use 1 part epk/1 part alumna hydrate by
volume mixed with water to make the mixture thin enough to brush on
properly. works fine in the soda firings and keeps the soda that gets
on the nitride bonded shelves from foaming up and ruining the bottoms
of the pots.
On Feb 29, 2012, at 8:33 AM, Ann Kenworthy wrote:
> I hope some soda firers out there can help me with my current
> question.
>
> I'm about to start soda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in
> my gas
> kiln. Everything I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of
> course I plan to do that.
>
> However, I have two types of shelves: silicon carbide and
> Advancers. For
> my gas firings I've just used alumina on the shelves and it's worked
> very
> well.
>
> Do I need to kiln wash the Advancers? I know for sure that I'll
> wash the
> silicon carbide shelves. I've read both Ruthanne Tudball's book and
> Gail
> Nichols' as well, plus have searched the internet, and found no
> direction
> on how to deal with Advancers. I know wood firers who do not wash
> their
> Advancers, so I was just wondering.
>
> Many thanks for any suggestions you can give.
>
> Ann Kenworthy in MD.
Ben Morrison on wed 29 feb 12
For soda firing you don't want to kiln wash silicon carbonate. I fired with=
=3D
traditional chinese silicon carbide shelves in a soda kiln for years never=
=3D
washing them. Each time I cleaned the kiln up I scraped the shelves down w=
=3D
ith a metal scraper to remove the bubbles of glass that come out of them du=
=3D
ring the soda firing. I can't speak to the advancers because I've never use=
=3D
d them, but my guess is they are going to be the same.=3D0A=3D0A-Ben=3D0A=
=3D0A=3D0A__=3D
______________________________=3D0A From: Ann Kenworthy =
=3D
=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG =3D0ASent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 6=
:33 =3D
AM=3D0ASubject: Soda Firing and Advancer Shelves=3D0A =3D0AI hope some soda=
firer=3D
s out there can help me with my current question.=3D0A=3D0AI'm about to sta=
rt s=3D
oda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in my gas=3D0Akiln.=3DA0 Everyt=
hing=3D
I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of=3D0Acourse I plan to =
do=3D
that.=3D0A=3D0AHowever,=3DA0 I have two types of shelves:=3DA0 silicon car=
bide and=3D
Advancers.=3DA0 For=3D0Amy gas firings I've just used alumina on the shelv=
es a=3D
nd it's worked very=3D0Awell.=3D0A=3D0ADo I need to kiln wash the Advancers=
?=3DA0 I=3D
know for sure that I'll wash the=3D0Asilicon carbide shelves.=3DA0 I've re=
ad b=3D
oth Ruthanne Tudball's book and Gail=3D0ANichols' as well, plus have search=
ed=3D
the internet, and found no direction=3D0Aon how to deal with Advancers.=3D=
A0 I=3D
know wood firers who do not wash their=3D0AAdvancers, so I was just wonder=
in=3D
g.=3D0A=3D0AMany thanks for any suggestions you can give.=3D0A=3D0AAnn Kenw=
orthy in=3D
MD.
Vince Pitelka on wed 29 feb 12
Ann Kenworthy wrote:
I'm about to start soda firing (with water/bicarbonate of soda) in my gas
kiln. Everything I've read says you must kiln wash the shelves, so of
course I plan to do that. However, I have two types of shelves: silicon
carbide and Advancers. For my gas firings I've just used alumina on the
shelves and it's worked very well.
Ann -
Do not kiln-wash advancers, and I would not use them in a salt or soda kiln=
.
In our salt and soda kilns we use the inexpensive Chinese 1/2"
nitride-bonded silicon carbide shelves and we do not wash them at all. Of
course all wares are wadded, but they would have to be wadded even if you
washed the shelves. After every firing we scrape the shelves down on all
sides and edges to get rid of the bubbles that form on the surface. They d=
o
erode slowly, but we get a great many firings out of them. Occasionally we
do have trouble with the same bubbling actually foaming up and getting the
wares. People report that a thin layer of alumina dusted onto the shelves
works well to eliminate that problem. Brush it off the very edges of the
shelves so it doesn't sift down on to the next layer.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
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