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raku plates/firing them

updated tue 25 jan 00

 

Marcia Selsor on fri 21 jan 00

At first I was going to advise you to set the plates up on bricks so
that you could grab them in the center. However, you have a top loadr so
that's different. What I would suggest is a method of standing the
plates on edge with lots of space around them to allow even heat as well
as the ability to grab them with tongs.
Marcia Selsor in Montana

Catharine Murphy Engle wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> ------------------
> Help! I am trying to fire some thin raku plates. If I pick up the hot plates
> on the rim with tongs, the rims break. The next thing I tried was to make som
> "baskets" out of nichrome wire. I put the plate in the basket, fire it, and
> lift out the plate via the basket. This works fairly well, but the wire is
> expensive and lasts for only 1-2 firings. I have a top loading raku kiln. Do
> anyone have another solution to getting the plates out of the kiln without
> breaking the rims? Thanks!
>
> Catharine
> cat@engle-associates.com

--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html

Joanne L. Van Bezooyen on fri 21 jan 00

Could you build a basket out of clay and fire it and use it to go through the fi
and reduction with the plate?
Joanne in Tucson

Marcia Selsor wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> At first I was going to advise you to set the plates up on bricks so
> that you could grab them in the center. However, you have a top loadr so
> that's different. What I would suggest is a method of standing the
> plates on edge with lots of space around them to allow even heat as well
> as the ability to grab them with tongs.
> Marcia Selsor in Montana
>
> Catharine Murphy Engle wrote:
> >
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > ------------------
> > Help! I am trying to fire some thin raku plates. If I pick up the hot plat
> > on the rim with tongs, the rims break. The next thing I tried was to make s
> > "baskets" out of nichrome wire. I put the plate in the basket, fire it, and
> > lift out the plate via the basket. This works fairly well, but the wire is
> > expensive and lasts for only 1-2 firings. I have a top loading raku kiln.
> > anyone have another solution to getting the plates out of the kiln without
> > breaking the rims? Thanks!
> >
> > Catharine
> > cat@engle-associates.com
>
> --
> Marcia Selsor
> selsor@imt.net
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
> http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html

Antoinette Badenhorst on sat 22 jan 00

What about a flat scoop on the one end and a normal
iron part on the other end to push the plate on the
scoop. Let someone weld it for you.
Antoinette

--- Marcia Selsor wrote:
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> At first I was going to advise you to set the plates
> up on bricks so
> that you could grab them in the center. However, you
> have a top loadr so
> that's different. What I would suggest is a method
> of standing the
> plates on edge with lots of space around them to
> allow even heat as well
> as the ability to grab them with tongs.
> Marcia Selsor in Montana
>
> Catharine Murphy Engle wrote:
> >
> > ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> > ------------------
> > Help! I am trying to fire some thin raku plates.
> If I pick up the hot plates
> > on the rim with tongs, the rims break. The next
> thing I tried was to make som
> > "baskets" out of nichrome wire. I put the plate
> in the basket, fire it, and
> > lift out the plate via the basket. This works
> fairly well, but the wire is
> > expensive and lasts for only 1-2 firings. I have
> a top loading raku kiln. Do
> > anyone have another solution to getting the plates
> out of the kiln without
> > breaking the rims? Thanks!
> >
> > Catharine
> > cat@engle-associates.com
>
> --
> Marcia Selsor
> selsor@imt.net
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
> http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
> http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
>

=====
Antoinette Badenhorst
PO Box 552
Saltillo,Mississippi
38866
Telephone (601) 869-1651
timakia@yahoo.com
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
http://im.yahoo.com

Mike Gordon on sun 23 jan 00

Try this.
Get some heavy wire from the lumber yard, about the diameter of a
pencil. Bend it into 2 horse shoe shapes. These will be the handles.
Bend the ends into L shapes, now with one in each hand lift your plates
from the edges and place on the ground for reduction. Worked for me with
my Iguanas. Mike

Marcia Selsor on sun 23 jan 00

Here is the most obvious. Get a pair of those $$ gloves from Mark Ward
and pull them out with a glove! I have done this for my big raku plaques
which are heavy, 20 x 24". Paper clay has made them lighter. These
gloves give you 30 seconds before the heat gets in.
Marcia Selsor
In Montana on a snowy afternoon

Antoinette Badenhorst wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> What about a flat scoop on the one end and a normal
> iron part on the other end to push the plate on the
> scoop. Let someone weld it for you.
> Antoinette
>
> --- Marcia Selsor wrote:
> > ----------------------------Original
> > message----------------------------
> > At first I was going to advise you to set the plates
> > up on bricks so
> > that you could grab them in the center. However, you
> > have a top loadr so
> > that's different. What I would suggest is a method
> > of standing the
> > plates on edge with lots of space around them to
> > allow even heat as well
> > as the ability to grab them with tongs.
> > Marcia Selsor in Montana
> >
> > Catharine Murphy Engle wrote:
> > >
> > > ----------------------------Original
> > message----------------------------
> > > ------------------
> > > Help! I am trying to fire some thin raku plates.
> > If I pick up the hot plates
> > > on the rim with tongs, the rims break. The next
> > thing I tried was to make som
> > > "baskets" out of nichrome wire. I put the plate
> > in the basket, fire it, and
> > > lift out the plate via the basket. This works
> > fairly well, but the wire is
> > > expensive and lasts for only 1-2 firings. I have
> > a top loading raku kiln. Do
> > > anyone have another solution to getting the plates
> > out of the kiln without
> > > breaking the rims? Thanks!
> > >
> > > Catharine
> > > cat@engle-associates.com
> >
> > --
> > Marcia Selsor
> > selsor@imt.net
> > http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
> > http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
> > http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
> >
>
> =====
> Antoinette Badenhorst
> PO Box 552
> Saltillo,Mississippi
> 38866
> Telephone (601) 869-1651
> timakia@yahoo.com
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
> http://im.yahoo.com

--
Marcia Selsor
selsor@imt.net
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html

Stephen Mills on mon 24 jan 00

I have a top loading Raku Kiln and use modified long shank barbecue
tongs: I curl the ends round more to hold the rim and then bend the arms
out so that closed, the gripping ends are about 3 inches narrower than
the diameter of the plates. If you're not sure what I mean post to me
and I'll send one of my bitmap doodles.

Steve
Bath
UK


In message , Marcia Selsor writes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>At first I was going to advise you to set the plates up on bricks so
>that you could grab them in the center. However, you have a top loadr so
>that's different. What I would suggest is a method of standing the
>plates on edge with lots of space around them to allow even heat as well
>as the ability to grab them with tongs.
>Marcia Selsor in Montana
>
>Catharine Murphy Engle wrote:
>>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> ------------------
>> Help! I am trying to fire some thin raku plates. If I pick up the hot plate
>> on the rim with tongs, the rims break. The next thing I tried was to make so
>> "baskets" out of nichrome wire. I put the plate in the basket, fire it, and
>> lift out the plate via the basket. This works fairly well, but the wire is
>> expensive and lasts for only 1-2 firings. I have a top loading raku kiln. D
>> anyone have another solution to getting the plates out of the kiln without
>> breaking the rims? Thanks!
>>
>> Catharine
>> cat@engle-associates.com
>
>--
>Marcia Selsor
>selsor@imt.net
>http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls
>http://www.imt.net/~mjbmls/spain99.html
>http://www.silverhawk.com/ex99/selsor/welcome.html
>

--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
home e-mail: stevemills@mudslinger.demon.co.uk
work e-mail: stevemills@bathpotters.demon.co.uk
own website: http://www.mudslinger.demon.co.uk
BPS website: http://www.bathpotters.demon.co.uk
Tel: **44 (0)1225 311699
Fax: **44 (0)870 0526466
"My whole being cries out against the inhumanity of regular employment"
(Wilde)

Bruce Girrell on mon 24 jan 00

Marcia Selsor wrote:

>Here is the most obvious. Get a pair of those $$ gloves from Mark Ward
>and pull them out with a glove! I have done this for my big raku plaques
>which are heavy, 20 x 24". Paper clay has made them lighter. These
>gloves give you 30 seconds before the heat gets in.


I have a set of those gloves and they're great. I must caution, though, that
you must be careful where you touch the piece as you take it out of the
kiln. My first attempt at this had me looking like a baby with a sticky
piece of tape - the glaze sticking first to one glove then the other as I
tried to free myself from the piece. The gloves left some nasty imprints of
their weave in the surface of the glaze, as well.

Be sure to pick the piece up with the glove touching only unglazed areas or
else wait for the surface of the glaze to set before touching it with the
gloves.

BTW, these should really be called mitts, rather than gloves. They have
thumbs, but no separate fingers.

Bruce and Lynne Girrell
playing in porcelain right now
or is it high fire white ware,
or is it finely grained white stoneware
or is it...