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2 more sculpture questions

updated sat 7 nov 98

 

Donna Alcorn on wed 4 nov 98

Thanks so much for the help! I also love to sculp animals, perticularly
horses. Obviously the bodies are too heavy to hold themselves up on such thin
legs, laying them down really throws off proportion. I made a lion with a
child riding its back and rolled up small tubes of newspaper in the center of
its legs. someone told me that I could probably burn it out in a few minutes
on med. fire with the lid cracked, than close the lid when its done smoking.
problem; I didn't mind experamenting, But my kilns down and I have a show
coming up, A very good friend{thanks Mary} has offered her kiln, Just
exactly what could I do to her kiln? P.S. the sculpture is 14by 16"
question 2; As I said I'm new to all this I did a piece of a seahorse with a
waterbaby 18 by 9" a while back, I love the sculpt, but I tried painting
it with acrylics, oils,rub'buff etc. It's hidious. I'd like to try to
burn it off . I'm sure it would make a gooey mess in the kiln. Can I take a
blowtorch to it outside? Thanks, Donna

Earl Brunner on fri 6 nov 98

Paper will burn out no problem in the normal course of firing. If your pieces a
any thickness at all you run the risk of blowing them up heating too fast. The
other material should fire off if you rebisque or refire the piece. None of the
applied materials you described would stay around at 1800 F. You may get some
residual color from the chemicals that colored the original paints etc. The key
to both of these ref ire/fire problems is venting of the kiln and adequate
ventilation in the surrounding area, they will give off smoke and particularly t
paints and other materials could give of toxic fumes/carbon monoxide, etc.
Earl Brunner

Donna Alcorn wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Thanks so much for the help! I also love to sculp animals, perticularly
> horses. Obviously the bodies are too heavy to hold themselves up on such thin
> legs, laying them down really throws off proportion. I made a lion with a
> child riding its back and rolled up small tubes of newspaper in the center of
> its legs. someone told me that I could probably burn it out in a few minutes
> on med. fire with the lid cracked, than close the lid when its done smoking.
> problem; I didn't mind experamenting, But my kilns down and I have a show
> coming up, A very good friend{thanks Mary} has offered her kiln, Just
> exactly what could I do to her kiln? P.S. the sculpture is 14by 16"
> question 2; As I said I'm new to all this I did a piece of a seahorse with a
> waterbaby 18 by 9" a while back, I love the sculpt, but I tried painting
> it with acrylics, oils,rub'buff etc. It's hidious. I'd like to try to
> burn it off . I'm sure it would make a gooey mess in the kiln. Can I take a
> blowtorch to it outside? Thanks, Donna