Arnold Howard on sat 21 aug 99
Dear All:
Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
What got you over the fear?
Thanks,
Arnold Howard
Enjoying the heat in Mesquite, Texas
__________________________________________________
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Dannon Rhudy on sun 22 aug 99
.......
At 05:23 PM 8/21/99 EDT, you wrote:
Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
.....>Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?......
I was never afraid of "ruining precious ware". I never thought of
wares as precious, not before they were fired, and not after. My
view of disappointing outcomes was/is: if I do it again, it will be
much better - and the point is the journey, not the destination.
BUT - I was very afraid of gas kilns when I began. And I have great
respect for them still. My fears were essentially those of one who never
used gas for anything, ever, before I began with kilns. As far as I
was concerned, gas would blow up for no reason at all! And then, I
was astonished at the ferocious temperatures attained. My first and
only ceramics nightmare came within a few days of my first cone 10
firing: I dreamed that I opened the door of the kiln when it made
temp, and reached inside to lift out a piece of work. When I pulled
my arms back out of the kiln, I had no hands. Woke so terrified I could
not even scream. I considered then and now that my subconscious was
serving up a cautionary tale. I am very attentive when lighting any kiln.
And I never shut down without remembering that nightmare.
Regards,
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
Ray Carlton on sun 22 aug 99
yes that is the basis of fear of kilns...the only way to overcome it is to
make lots of work and fire the kiln many times...even after firing kilns
thousands of times i sometimes still fear to open the door....
At 17:23 21/08/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Dear All:
>
>Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
>
>Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
>
>What got you over the fear?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Arnold Howard
>Enjoying the heat in Mesquite, Texas
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
cheers Ray Carlton
McMahons Creek Victoria Australia
Percy Toms on sun 22 aug 99
In a message dated 8/21/99 2:23:58 PM, ajhparagon@yahoo.com writes:
>Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
For me, not mainly.
>Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
Yes. My art school allowed only the technicians, never the students, to
handle the kilns and firings. Fatal flaw, I know now! I graduated with a
sense of estrangement from the magical hot end of the craft. A couple years
later I was an apprentice, joining eagerly if uncertainly in a rare group
kiln-build, got my head bitten off by the directing potter (yes, a bully) and
thereafter kept to the other end of the building, throwing and trimming - my
strengths.
>What got you over the fear?
Potter friends who love their kilns and firing and have the patience to
teach me - I have a communication disorder.
>Thanks,
>
>Arnold Howard
you're welcome!
Ned
in Chico, CA, where it's usually a furnace by now, thanking my stars for a
temperate August that's barely touched 100-degrees.
Vince Pitelka on sun 22 aug 99
>Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
>Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
>What got you over the fear?
A fear of kilns is a perfectly normal part of the ceramic learning process.
There are several ways to look at this, but my favorite is to consider the
fact that as one moves through the normal evolution in style and skill, it
is the experience rather than the individual pots which will be remembered
as most valuable. So, try to approach the firing process that way. The
secret is to avoid viewing the wares as so precious, regardless of the time
you have invested. In my classes, I try to convince my students to never
bond with the pots until they come out of the glaze firing. If you can do
it, just think of the pots as a bunch of clay and glaze materials until the
firing is complete, and it will reduce the tension and apprehension. Chalk
up the hard work to experience. That way, whether or not the firing turns
out as you had hoped, you still have the most valuable part - the practical
experience.
I realize this doesn't go very far when you are firing a load of pots
destined for an impending show or fair, but ideally the process is a little
more under control by that time. At the same time, if it becomes so
predictable that we no longer have any apprehensions about firing at all, it
is probably time to make some big changes in style and process. Without
challenge and risk, we get bored, and creativity stagnates.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Pamala Browne on sun 22 aug 99
It's funny--I have never been afraid of rakuing ,although I have a healthy
respect for the proximity of the fire. I am, however , afraid of the sheer
force of the big kiln firings.When we did the crystal firings and had to be
close to the kilns to monitor them at their highest temps, I had this fear
of them just exploding!! EEEK!! I have to admit that being that close to so
much power was exhilerating -- I am a beginner at firing and I am sure that
this fear will lessen with more experience. I am also sure that you should
never lose respect for the power and danger involved- it will keep you on
your toes! pamalab
----- Original Message -----
From: Arnold Howard
To:
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 1999 2:23 PM
Subject: Fear of kilns
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Dear All:
>
> Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
>
> Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
>
> What got you over the fear?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Arnold Howard
> Enjoying the heat in Mesquite, Texas
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
>
Rebecca Geary on sun 22 aug 99
In a message dated 99-08-21 17:23:58 EDT, you write:
<<
Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
>>
Most definitely. I have a more than healthy fear of kilns right now. I have
not yet learned the intricacies of running a kiln so I am hopeful that as I
learn, my fears will fade. I am so looking forward to that!
Rebecca
(lovin' the mud anyway ;)
Bill Williams on sun 22 aug 99
I don't think fear is the word. But I believe it is very wise indeed, to
have a healthy respect for a kiln. I never take for granted that my kiln,
or my electricity, or the cord, or the plug in, will not somehow
mal-function. I always watch mine very carefully. Three times my plug-in
has overheated. Had I not been watching it closely, it might have destroyed
more than just the ware inside. Everyone has a kiln disaster a some time or
other. Just hope that it only messes up what is inside the kiln and nothing
else. Connie
-----Original Message-----
From: Arnold Howard
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Saturday, August 21, 1999 4:24 PM
Subject: Fear of kilns
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Dear All:
Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
What got you over the fear?
Thanks,
Arnold Howard
Enjoying the heat in Mesquite, Texas
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
Elca Branman on mon 23 aug 99
Gee, I thought I was the only one..I used to grit my teeth and just do
it, aand hated the whole process..the noise and roaring, the flames
peeking out in reduction, the whole sense of having no control
whatsoever..I got lucky in that my husband discovered his firebug
within, and moved from encouraging me into supervision and then became
the firemeister.
Made me happy and enabled me to make reduction and salt pots and stay
with the clay..
If we knew more when we first started, we probably would have had a wood
kiln also.
By the time we built a small wood kiln, we were too damn old to
physically keep up with the firing.
Elca.. at home in Sarasota,Florida,USA
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Mike Gordon on mon 23 aug 99
Dannon,
Your dream is incredible! My what an imagination! I love it! Here's a
rather long story of mine about kilns. Mike
A funny tale about Heat! Remember when you are firing to c/10 you are
looking
through a peep hole! I uesd to work in a bronze foundry where we cast
large
sculptural pieces for various artists. The largest pour was 500lbs of
silicon
bronze. Silicon Bronze melts at @ 2700 degrees F. Now that is heat! You
are exposed, not through a peep hole, but your whole body from head to
toe. Protective gear is a must, although I seen photo's of Hawaiins
doing it in their thongs and levi's! But I'm straying from my first
thought. When I was a student at the College of Arts and Crafts in
Oakland Ca. in the 60's I was T.A. and in charge of firing kilns, amoung
other things. We had a brick down draft with two burners on the side,
and a tall chimney, must have been 60 feet. It was called "St. Elmers".
Well, I was firing it this time and was spending the time( between
checks) at a friends house drinking a few beers. It was time for a check
and I left his place and went up to check on the progress. This was very
early in the all night firing schedule. I noticed that the weather had
changed from a clear sunny day to an overcast night. Well! When I came
into the kiln room, flame and smoke was coming out of EVERY CRACK AND
PORT on the kiln! ( Oh I forgot to mention that this was the first time
I had ever fired St. Elmers and it was filled with Viola's pots! Back
when she was making pots. Well I tried to light some newspaper and get
the draft going at the base of the chimney, where there was a damper
opening. The down draft from the top of the stack to bottom , blew the
flame out several times. By this time I was cussing a blue srteak!
Another student happened to come in - seeing the lights on in the studio
- but heard my cussing and saw the flame and smoke, and RAN FOR IT!
Luckliy a 4cu.kiln was hooked up to the same chimney via a hood, and was
empty. So I light it up and pretty soon the heat in the stack started
the draft working and everything cleared up. As it turned out the firing
was the best ever, and Viola was very pleased! But I learned a lot from
that firing, and many more to follow. You have to be careful, observent
and have a good teacher when you first start out firing kilns. A little
luck doesn't hurt either!
Sheron Roberts on mon 23 aug 99
------------------
The community college where I took clay classes had two old, and old is an
understatement, electric kilns for bisqing. The lids were so far gone, we =
had
to use brick to chock around the edges and wire the lids shut. One finally
=22gave up the ghost=22, so the other one had to do double duty. After the=
bisque
fire the ware was fired to cone 10 in a gas fired kiln. It too was old and
quirky. It's outer shell was rusting and the inside was crumbling away. =
But
once she got going and her roar was reduced to a comforting steady rumble, =
we
all would settle back to making pots and easy conversation. The sound of =
fire
was a satisfying part of making pots. Opening that big rusty door was like
Christmas. And if something didn't come out like it's creator expected or
wanted, well so be it. It was just mud. That was the first thing our =
teacher
taught us.
When I couldn't get my first little half pound ball of clay to center, he
kneeled down beside my wheel, waited for me to stop, and said =22Hey, it's =
just
mud, don't let it control you, you control it.=22 When I have a problem =
today,
especially with centering, I just zone out with my hands in position on the
clay, relax my shoulders and tell myself, its just mud. And the clay obeys.
So I suppose this is the long way round to saying, I have never been afraid =
of
kilns, perplexed by them at times, but not afraid. My shiny Skutt 1027, =
which I
fondly call, R2D2, sits in its corner and produces it's own baby roar and =
when I
open her, I am seldom disappointed.
Sheron in NC debating with herself about mixing another glaze
gemini53=40weblnk.net
Mike Gordon on mon 23 aug 99
CORRECTION!!!!!!!
Hi Dannon and all you other folks,
Please let me correct a typo - We didn't melt bronze at 2700 degrees
F. Sorry, Mike
Erin Hayes on mon 23 aug 99
Hi All!
Arnold's questions about fear of kilns reminded me of the nightmares I had
when I was starting graduate school and learning to fire the gas kilns. I
dreamt often that first semester of firing a kiln and suddenly realizing in
my dream that there was no door on it. Flames everywhere - very scary.
I think the only thing that gets you over kilnphobia is being in charge of
firing one and learning how to do it consistently. Once you get comfortable
with it from experience, it becomes a natural part of the ceramic process.
Erin. (gratified that my own kiln has this morning given me an entire show's
worth of nicely fired work)
judy motzkin on mon 23 aug 99
Fear of kilns???
Let us not confuse fear with the feeling of excitement
that comes with moving toward the edge.
A healthy fear of the potential explosiveness of gas and
the high heat and the risk of fire is good. But I hope it
is with anticipation, excitement, and passion and
willingness to risk that I engage the fire aspect of my
work.
Judy
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Ray Aldridge on tue 24 aug 99
At 09:09 PM 8/22/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>Do you think fear of kilns is actually fear of ruining precious ware?
>>Were you ever afraid of kilns as a beginner?
>>What got you over the fear?
>
>A fear of kilns is a perfectly normal part of the ceramic learning process.
(snipped an interesting discussion of the learning process as it pertains
to kilns)
I don't think this fear or apprehension is true for everyone. Cardew
addresses this issue to some extent in _Pioneer Pottery_. He says, if I
remember correctly, that potters, like everything else, apparently, can be
divided into two classes, the "mud men" (and women) and the "fire men."
The former are happiest making pots, and the latter happiest firing them.
We probably all have elements of both in our personalities, but I slide
pretty far over to the firebug side. My first kiln (of any sort; I'm
self-taught to an absurd degree) was a woodfired updraft built of sandstone
and mud, and the first time I fired it, I fell in love with the process. I
might well feel anxiety about the pots in the kiln, but firing, especially
a fuelburning kiln, is almost unalloyed pleasure.
That's not to say I don't enjoy the forming. Most of my ware now emerges
from electric kilns in almost automatic fashion, so I must be partly a mud
man, but I still like to peek in and see the glazes shining at Cone 8.
Ray
Barb Lund on wed 25 aug 99
You bet! when I was first learning in the world of clay, I was the manager
for a for fun studio at a small school in Washington that was on the verge
of abandoning the studio and kilns in lieu of moving a day care center into
the old studio space. (We told them they were nuts but who listens...) At
any rate, the gas kiln there had a nasty habit of having one of the 4
burners go out part way through the firing. I was terrified of the
thing-told everyone to tell my family I loved them before I went back in to
light the thing again. It always relit, but why on earth something
shooting that much fire and gas out didn't explode is beyong me. At any
rate, I am still afraid of gas kilns and am quite happy with my 2
electrics. It is true that I have never fired a well behaved gas kiln so I
guess I don't know what I am missing. Barb in Bloomington
Corinne P. Null on sun 29 aug 99
Elca wrote:
If we knew more when we first started, we probably would have had a wood
kiln also. By the time we built a small wood kiln, we were too damn old to
physically keep up with the firing.
Then I hear from Linda:
I am very lame on computers I did just build a car-kiln and last
week fired it for the 2nd time to cone 10. It fires beautifully. It is a bit
big for me about42cu ft. But I do love pots.. Thanks for your responses.
Linda
and from John and Dorothy Weber:
We are now loaded and ready to fire in the am with our new 65cu. arched
kiln. Not to
brag, but it looks great, hope it (we)fire it the same way.
All this talk of just easily building a kiln - oh, how I want to believe
you! But I'm so worried that at 54 yrs. I'm a'gettin'a bit creaky to be
undertaking it by myself. See, my hubby isn't for getting his hands dirty,
so it would be my baby. (Well, maybe some potter friends would help me
out!) And, like Steve Dalton and Tony, I love woodfired, but want to be able
to do gas too, (for when I'm really too old to do woodfire) so I'd like to
build a woodfiring kiln that could have the firebox be bricked off and fired
with gas. Anybody know of such a critter? How about a car woodfire/gas
kiln? Am I dreaming too hard?
Tell me it's possible....
Corinne Null
Bedford, New Hampshire
null@mediaone.net
Nils Lou on mon 30 aug 99
Corinne, Sometime you have to take yourself by the back of the neck and
shake. My goodness, 54 revolutions around the sun. You're not in a
wheelchair, are you? And even if you were, so what? Bricks get laid one at
a time ( I could say something here). Just do it. Possible, of course!
Requires the mind to decide. Sometimes we think we can't--sometimes we
think we can. We're right either way, always. Nils
On Sun, 29 Aug 1999, Corinne P. Null wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> Elca wrote:
>
> If we knew more when we first started, we probably would have had a wood
> kiln also. By the time we built a small wood kiln, we were too damn old to
> physically keep up with the firing.
>
> Then I hear from Linda:
>
> I am very lame on computers I did just build a car-kiln and last
> week fired it for the 2nd time to cone 10. It fires beautifully. It is a bit
> big for me about42cu ft. But I do love pots.. Thanks for your responses.
> Linda
>
> and from John and Dorothy Weber:
>
> We are now loaded and ready to fire in the am with our new 65cu. arched
> kiln. Not to
> brag, but it looks great, hope it (we)fire it the same way.
>
>
> All this talk of just easily building a kiln - oh, how I want to believe
> you! But I'm so worried that at 54 yrs. I'm a'gettin'a bit creaky to be
> undertaking it by myself. See, my hubby isn't for getting his hands dirty,
> so it would be my baby. (Well, maybe some potter friends would help me
> out!) And, like Steve Dalton and Tony, I love woodfired, but want to be able
> to do gas too, (for when I'm really too old to do woodfire) so I'd like to
> build a woodfiring kiln that could have the firebox be bricked off and fired
> with gas. Anybody know of such a critter? How about a car woodfire/gas
> kiln? Am I dreaming too hard?
>
> Tell me it's possible....
>
> Corinne Null
> Bedford, New Hampshire
> null@mediaone.net
>
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