Kathy McDonald on fri 3 mar 00
Hi...I have been following this thread and wishing this group had been
around for me about 15 yrs ago when I first built my d draft kiln.
I started out with a 500 gal tank and had been advised to always keep it
topped up,,ie: have it over 60% full. from Nov to March.
Well that was way back in my *starving artist* era,,,,and money was often a
problem .
Many times on the eve prior to packing for a big sale I would fill that kiln
in -25C weather,,,pray to the kiln gods,,, and hope that I could get the
thing to temperature,
I live in beautiful sunny Manitoba,,,gorgeous in summer,,,but god awful
bloody cold in winter,
One firing in particular changed my life,,,,,I had always had probs with ice
up ...and a water bath was not an option,,,,,,was 1/4 mile from a REAL water
source,,,,on a farm some 10 miles from nowhere, I used to hang chicken
lights,,,(any of you farm people will remember those lights used to keep
baby chicks warm) just inside the tank, and had dutifully built a housing
box for the gas inlet to try to reduce freeze up there.
For what ever reason on this particular cold night nothing seemed to be
helping this kiln to get anywhere near C 10,,,,the biggest Christmas craft
sale of the yr was happening in 2 days and I had been babysitting the damn
thing for over 24 hours,,,
I vaguely remembered a story (well maybe part fact /part fiction) told to me
by Stan Taniwa about just gently heating the bottom of the tank to get
enough pressure up to get things moving again, sooooooo,,, at 4
am...dutifully armed with my propane torch I head out to apply gentle heat
to the bottom of that tamk. I know my hands shook , and as I lay out there
trying to apply some heat to this tank my life flashed before my
eyes,,literally,,,,,I even remember talking to myself out loud,,,and said
"What the (expletive deleted) are you doing this for?,,,you are a crazy
women."
No I did not blow myself up,,,,and the firing got done,,,,,and my kids still
have a mom.....but it made me do some very good reevaluation. since that
time I have made some very significant changes,,,bigger tank...got an
electric blankie for the kiln from our power co.,,,,got a day job and bought
a smaller nat gas fired kiln that i have installed in my garage,,,,
I still love to fire that 50 cu ft,,,pile of bricks,,,but now its done only
in the summer when it's nice n warm at nights,,,the coyotes howl and my only
job is checking the length of the flame comin out the spyhole......
I apologize to those of you who hate rambling,,,,and I would NEVER recommend
that anyone ,,no matter how desperate the situation seems at the time.... to
try what I did. Paul Lewings comments rang a bell with me....memories,,,eh?
Kathy,,,,who has grown up and still has a passion for pots,,,but has tamed
my death wish somewhat....
http://sites.netscape.net/potterkath
Paul Lewing wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I once had a studio partner who, after the water bath didn't work any
> more, would warm the tank up by pulling a burner on a flexible hose out
> of the kiln and pointing it at the tank. This is a good way to make
> yourself eligible for the Darwin Awards. Those are given to people who
> take themselves out of the gene pool in particularly spectacular and
> foolish ways.
> Paul Lewing, Seattle
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