mel jacobson on tue 13 jun 00
had a wonderful time with jason briggs, vince's resident artist
at the craft center last week.
we designed together a tiny horizontal electric/gas/soda/salt kiln./
jason makes very long, detailed ceramic sculptures and likes to fire
them one at a time....in the fall we built a small cantenary kiln that
fires like a dream, he sprits soda into it....we fired stoneware in it
last week and it fired perfectly.
he was entranced by the itc coated idea/gas/electric.
he has a small cress kiln that fires with 115 volts/ 20 amps.
we decided to rip it apart/get some new coils/ spray them with
itc 213 (euclids coils) spray the inside of the kiln with itc 100.
reassemble and then spray with top coat.
he has turned the kiln on its side. the door folds down as a front
loader. he has bult a steel frame to hold the kiln in place...put the
controls on the bottom/now back of kiln.
we have made it into a downdraft kiln...a small 2 inch hole in the back
bottom, a small 2 inch hole in the front....a right angle channel in the back
to divert the gases into a small stack....about a 2 inch steel pipe. 24
inches high.
went to the hardware store, bought pipe and built a burner...cute as hell.
he is going to spritz soda into the kiln during the final phase of the firing.
so/ we will have pix on the clayart page in a couple of weeks.
he has to get the custodians to give him a dedicated 20 amp line
into the kiln room////you all know how fast that will happen.
`hey walter, grap your tools quick, a kid wants a new line in
the ceramics area`....hmmmm, maybe in a month.
but, what a wonderful idea. he has taken my concept/(nils')
and added some new wrinkles. i am very impressed.
but, that is what teachers do...start the engine, give them
their heads....magic.
mel/mn
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
written from the farm in wisconsin
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