Alyss Dorese on wed 13 may 98
As a warning.
On Thursday, I loaded a kilm with two very large paperclay sculptures.
A 41/2 foot camel and a 3 ft chimp mother and babe. I make my sculputes
by first throwing pots, using newspaper as armature and attaching and
sculpting with paperclay. It usually takes a week to fire my
sculptures, kindling the greenware and gradually increasing the
temperature. I was planning to do these pieces in one firing ^5
reduction. Well, on Saturday, the kiln reached 451 farenheit and it is
true, paper does burn at that temperature. The smoke was billowing and
was spotted in the distance and the fire department was called. I guess
we will just have to fire paperclay at night. Also, as a
warning--please be careful with firing paperclay indoors. If the kiln
was indoors, not only would all the fire alarms would have gone off, but
even greater, I shudder to think of the damage that could have been
done. In the future, I will be sure to limit my paperclay firings to
one sculpture. All I can think of is a cartoon where the fire department
being called, opening the kiln (which by the way they did) and fireman
with hose spaying water inside the kiln (which they didn't, thank
goodness) and the potter holding his head in his hands. Another vision
is the same one and the fireman opening the kiln and seeing a sculpure
dragon with flames leaping from its mouth.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid this from happening in
the future?
Thanks
Alyss Dorese
Palm Springs
Kenneth D. Westfall on thu 14 may 98
Call the fire dept. before hand and warn them that you are firing and to
disregard any calls about you smoke problem. Or get a kiln vent the will
meet OSHA regulation and reduce the visible exhaust by diluting with
additional air or after burner combustion.
At 08:37 AM 5/13/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>As a warning.
>
>On Thursday, I loaded a kilm with two very large paperclay sculptures.
>A 41/2 foot camel and a 3 ft chimp mother and babe. I make my sculputes
>by first throwing pots, using newspaper as armature and attaching and
>sculpting with paperclay. It usually takes a week to fire my
>sculptures, kindling the greenware and gradually increasing the
>temperature. I was planning to do these pieces in one firing ^5
>reduction. Well, on Saturday, the kiln reached 451 farenheit and it is
>true, paper does burn at that temperature. The smoke was billowing and
>was spotted in the distance and the fire department was called. I guess
>we will just have to fire paperclay at night. Also, as a
>warning--please be careful with firing paperclay indoors. If the kiln
>was indoors, not only would all the fire alarms would have gone off, but
>even greater, I shudder to think of the damage that could have been
>done. In the future, I will be sure to limit my paperclay firings to
>one sculpture. All I can think of is a cartoon where the fire department
>being called, opening the kiln (which by the way they did) and fireman
>with hose spaying water inside the kiln (which they didn't, thank
>goodness) and the potter holding his head in his hands. Another vision
>is the same one and the fireman opening the kiln and seeing a sculpure
>dragon with flames leaping from its mouth.
>
>Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid this from happening in
>the future?
>
>Thanks
>
>Alyss Dorese
>Palm Springs
>
CaraMox on thu 14 may 98
Dorese:
Perhaps you could explain the situation to the fire department ahead of time,
and show them your firing set up, so that they don't worry, and hose down your
kiln. A prof of mine in San Francisco became pals with the local Firemen, for
that very reason, as well as trying to fire at night so as not to startle the
natives.
Cara
hot and humid in New Orleans
Dannon Rhudy on thu 14 may 98
Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk with your local fire
department, go see them - sometimes they don't know a lot about
kilns, potters. I shudder to think what would happen if they
foolishly sprayed water into a 2,000 degree kiln without realizing
how hot it was. I talked to them here, in case we had any smoky
firings, raku, pit fires, whatever at the college. In the course
of doing that, I made sure that they realized just how hot a
kiln got inside. Admittedly I slipped that information in in a
non-lecturing way, just in case any were a bit touchy ( a small
town; no way to know what kind of training the fire dept. here
gets or doesn't get). Turns out they were quite interested, and
wholly ignorant of kilns, and glad to know what was going on. Had
no idea that it might get as hot as 2400F or so in the glaze kiln.
At Univ. North Texas in Denton, we used to call whenever we were
going to do a pit fire, because invariably someone would call
when the smoke started to billow at the start of the firing.
Oddly enough, the fire department could not interfere with the
firings, because they were on State property, not their
jurisdiction (they said, and not happily). But we called as a
courtesy, and to save them the expense of a fire run. Once or
twice they came, stayed in the street outside the fence, watched
a while. They seemed to find it disconcerting. But they did
not turn the hoses on...
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com remembering another small town where pit
fires would have been illegal but barbecues were NOT - so I always
added a few pieces of mesquite to the wood in the pit, and assured
the fire dept. that we were having a party and were just starting
the wood for the coal-bed needed for cabrito...ah, Texas.
----------------------------Original
message----------------------------
As a warning.
On Thursday, I loaded a kilm with two very large paperclay
sculptures.
A 41/2 foot camel and a 3 ft chimp mother and babe. I make my
sculputes
by first throwing pots, using newspaper as armature and attaching
and
sculpting with paperclay. It usually takes a week to fire my
sculptures, kindling the greenware and gradually increasing the
temperature. I was planning to do these pieces in one firing ^5
reduction. Well, on Saturday, the kiln reached 451 farenheit and
it is
true, paper does burn at that temperature. The smoke was
billowing and
was spotted in the distance and the fire department was called. I
guess
we will just have to fire paperclay at night. Also, as a
warning--please be careful with firing paperclay indoors. If the
kiln
was indoors, not only would all the fire alarms would have gone
off, but
even greater, I shudder to think of the damage that could have
been
done. In the future, I will be sure to limit my paperclay firings
to
one sculpture. All I can think of is a cartoon where the fire
department
being called, opening the kiln (which by the way they did) and
fireman
with hose spaying water inside the kiln (which they didn't, thank
goodness) and the potter holding his head in his hands. Another
vision
is the same one and the fireman opening the kiln and seeing a
sculpure
dragon with flames leaping from its mouth.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid this from
happening in
the future?
Thanks
Alyss Dorese
Palm Springs
Tim Stowell on thu 14 may 98
>Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid this from happening in
>the future?
>Thanks
>Alyss Dorese
>Palm Springs
A good way to keep it from happening is to inform the fire department
ahead of time...an even better way is to offer the fire department a
quickie workshop and invite them to learn what it is you do and that you
probably won't burn down the whole town...You do need to be aware that on
one hand you don't want the fire department to be showing up everytime
you fire the kiln, but, on the other hand you want them to come if the
smoke is not from the kiln.
Also if your firings are producing large amounts of smoke beware the EPA
Tim
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