clennell on mon 19 jun 00
Joyce said that I talked her outta her small salt kiln. I didn't!!! I
talked you out of putting ITC on your brand new Geil Cadillac kiln and then
salting it.
I think the job of a teacher is to make sure everyone has fun, experiments,
learns new stuff and all that- but no one gets hurt. I think the
experiments that Nils and Mel have done with ITC, softbrick and salt/soda
are still just that- experiments. To go from a pile of bricks out back to
a beautiful state of the art kiln is courting a law suit. The article that
Mel wrote on the experiment clearly illustrated damage to the kiln.
One of the beauties of Clayart is the speed of information. It also one of
the dangers. No sooner said than done. Lots of people doing something
that is only just in the experimental stages.
I could see the metal casing corroding, the burners coming up from the
bottom of the kiln ( a Geil feature) having salt soda dripping down into
the burner heads, bricks spalling and Joyce getting hurt. The hurt may
have only been a finiancial loss but in the school I teach at that is hurt.
By the way I teach at the U of HK- University of Hard Knocks.
Joyce- I'm glad I talked you out of that scene. I think Alice at ITC and
Paul Geil are equally glad. Never thought I'd stop someones fun, but hey I
didn't want Clayarts most enthusiastic student getting hurt. I may no
longer be a teacher, but I do care for the welfare of potters. If potters
do well, I do well.
Cheers,
Tony
P.S I do like ITC 100 and 296a for the inside of a gas reduction kiln-
especially if it has fiber components.
Tony and Sheila Clennell
Sour Cherry Pottery
4545 King St.
Beamsville, On.
Canada L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
905-563-9382
fax 905-563-9383
Alex Solla on tue 20 jun 00
A second chime to Tony's bell toll:
Experimenting with kilns and refractory coatings and
all the other jazz we like to brag about is wonderful.
If you have the $$ and time to "experiment" DO! But
dont plan on jumping onto a "new technology" without
finding some rough spots along the way. ITC is great
stuff. Industry has used stuff like it for many years.
It is used outside of the heavy clay industry for all
sorts of applications... but and this is a big but...
they have the infrastructure and technical support to
make these endeavors possible. Potters by and large
are a cheap bunch, making do with what little they
make. Risking it all is a tough call. Play small,
learn the tools, and upgrade. Most importantly, do
your research: find other kilns using similar
technology, talk to other designers and builders and
then experiment. Above all: post your failures as well
as sucesses. In any scientific journal the most
valuable part of the research is the findings and the
lit review. Same holds true in clay. We should all
know what doesnt work, even if it is only one person
for whom it causes a problem.
Thanks for your note of admonition Tony.
-Alex Solla
--- clennell wrote:
> Joyce said that I talked her outta her small salt
> kiln. I didn't!!! I
> talked you out of putting ITC on your brand new Geil
> Cadillac kiln and then
> salting it.
> I think the job of a teacher is to make sure
> everyone has fun, experiments,
> learns new stuff and all that- but no one gets hurt.
> I think the
> experiments that Nils and Mel have done with ITC,
> softbrick and salt/soda
> are still just that- experiments. To go from a pile
> of bricks out back to
> a beautiful state of the art kiln is courting a law
> suit. The article that
> Mel wrote on the experiment clearly illustrated
> damage to the kiln.
> One of the beauties of Clayart is the speed of
> information. It also one of
> the dangers. No sooner said than done. Lots of
> people doing something
> that is only just in the experimental stages.
> I could see the metal casing corroding, the burners
> coming up from the
> bottom of the kiln ( a Geil feature) having salt
> soda dripping down into
> the burner heads, bricks spalling and Joyce getting
> hurt. The hurt may
> have only been a finiancial loss but in the school I
> teach at that is hurt.
> By the way I teach at the U of HK- University of
> Hard Knocks.
> Joyce- I'm glad I talked you out of that scene. I
> think Alice at ITC and
> Paul Geil are equally glad. Never thought I'd stop
> someones fun, but hey I
> didn't want Clayarts most enthusiastic student
> getting hurt. I may no
> longer be a teacher, but I do care for the welfare
> of potters. If potters
> do well, I do well.
> Cheers,
> Tony
> P.S I do like ITC 100 and 296a for the inside of a
> gas reduction kiln-
> especially if it has fiber components.
>
>
> Tony and Sheila Clennell
> Sour Cherry Pottery
> 4545 King St.
> Beamsville, On.
> Canada L0R 1B1
>
> http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
>
> 905-563-9382
> fax 905-563-9383
>
>
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