Ingeborg Foco on tue 20 jun 00
Hi Mel,
You stated "the mice do more damage than the salt." Have you figured out
how to stop them?
I have a shuttle kiln and the door and arched roof are made of fiber, the
rest is bricks. I am PLAGUED with rodents demolishing my kiln. (mice,
squirrels and chipmunks) It has been a constant problem (they're running out
as I'm loading up) but this year I was gone all winter and it is trashed!!!!
I've tried mothballs in the past and they seemed to work for a short time
and then they get used to the smell I guess. I've blocked all openings to
the kiln and they tunneled thru the fiber door from the side doing more
damage than if I just let them get in. I set traps loaded with peanut butter
and since I've been back, get one mouse per day minimum. The squirrels
carefully step over the traps - I've seen them coming out as I'm opening the
door.
I'm beginning to think removing all of the fiber and going to all bricks is
the way to go. Not what I really want to do. It has been patched so many
times, this time however, it needs more than just patching.
Do you have any words of wisdom? Anyone??? Thanks
Ingeborg
ifoco@teleport.com
----- Original Message -----
From: mel jacobson
To:
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 3:25 AM
Subject: joyce's salt kiln
> i agree with tony...100 percent...of course i always agree
> with tony...he is my hero.
>
> anyway. there is no sense taking an already designed
> stoneware kiln and making a salt kiln...and he is more than
> correct about the bottom burner system that could be destroyed.
> the itc spray is a great idea...stabilize the fibre....make it
> a better kiln.
> but, salting that great geil, no.
>
> one of the big issues in salt is how much you use.
>
> mehgan and jason at the appalachian craft center are both
> using a small dose of salt in their baby kilns. they have combined
> small kiln, itc spray, glaze and slip with about a pound of salt
> soda sprayed in...with almost no affect on the kilns.
>
> several other folks have used that kiln and dumped many pounds
> of rock salt in at cone 11....and you should see the mess.
> broke mehgans heart to see what others did to her kiln.
>
> she is going to fire it as a stoneware kiln, clean it out...and start
> again. it does not appear to me to have created too much damage.
> it really surprised me that with only one coat of itc 100 on that
> used brick kiln that there was not more break down.
>
> she has fired the kiln 23 times to cone 10...and it really is
> in good shape. if the salt dumpers had not messed with it..well
> i think you would not have been able to tell that it was salted.
>
> we will start up the salt kiln here at the farm for hay creek.
> as i have repeatedly stated, the mice do more damage than
> salt...i have three brick faces to repair and about four inches
> of flame way to recoat. the fibre is as if the kiln was new.
> and that is after about 60 firings....and we use about 8 pounds of
> salt..sometimes more. (remember, the salt does not stay in the
> kiln and build up as you would find in a hard brick salt kiln.)
> so, we will report as things progress this summer at hay creek.
> we will make the electric/gas kiln next week...and will fire the
> baby train. honest reports will follow.
> mel
>
> http://www.pclink.com/melpots
> written from the farm in wisconsin
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
mel jacobson on tue 20 jun 00
i agree with tony...100 percent...of course i always agree
with tony...he is my hero.
anyway. there is no sense taking an already designed
stoneware kiln and making a salt kiln...and he is more than
correct about the bottom burner system that could be destroyed.
the itc spray is a great idea...stabilize the fibre....make it
a better kiln.
but, salting that great geil, no.
one of the big issues in salt is how much you use.
mehgan and jason at the appalachian craft center are both
using a small dose of salt in their baby kilns. they have combined
small kiln, itc spray, glaze and slip with about a pound of salt
soda sprayed in...with almost no affect on the kilns.
several other folks have used that kiln and dumped many pounds
of rock salt in at cone 11....and you should see the mess.
broke mehgans heart to see what others did to her kiln.
she is going to fire it as a stoneware kiln, clean it out...and start
again. it does not appear to me to have created too much damage.
it really surprised me that with only one coat of itc 100 on that
used brick kiln that there was not more break down.
she has fired the kiln 23 times to cone 10...and it really is
in good shape. if the salt dumpers had not messed with it..well
i think you would not have been able to tell that it was salted.
we will start up the salt kiln here at the farm for hay creek.
as i have repeatedly stated, the mice do more damage than
salt...i have three brick faces to repair and about four inches
of flame way to recoat. the fibre is as if the kiln was new.
and that is after about 60 firings....and we use about 8 pounds of
salt..sometimes more. (remember, the salt does not stay in the
kiln and build up as you would find in a hard brick salt kiln.)
so, we will report as things progress this summer at hay creek.
we will make the electric/gas kiln next week...and will fire the
baby train. honest reports will follow.
mel
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
written from the farm in wisconsin
Earl Brunner on wed 21 jun 00
Well, I might have Critters here in the Mojave, but nothing
like Ingeborg was talking about! (Of course I haven't opened
the door on my Geil kiln (fiber) for several weeks........)
Milton Markey wrote:
>
> In a message Earl writes:
>
> > I suppose moving to the desert is not an option?
> >
>
> Hi Earl!
>
> Unfortunately, mice are critters we desert dwellers contend with, too. There
> are other notorious rodents out here, too. The pack rat, for instance, has a
> tendency to "steal" things like small jars, fettling knives, and other small
> tools and things, to make a nest with, hence the name "pack rat." I
> discovered such a nest outside a storage shed. In it were old AA batteries,
> battered pieces of ceiling insulation, my missing fettling knife, and some
> trash.
>
> The rats are out and gone, probably food for the coyotes, or the large king
> snake I saw last month. There are quite a few predators out here, which do a
> better job than the traps I use to lessen the critter population. And the
> predators have predators. Life abounds in the Mojave!
>
> Best wishes!
>
> Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM
>
> Looks like monsoon season is coming! Large cumuloform clouds dot the sky this
> morning.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Earl Brunner on wed 21 jun 00
I suppose moving to the desert is not an option?
Ingeborg Foco wrote:
>
> Hi Mel,
>
> You stated "the mice do more damage than the salt." Have you figured out
> how to stop them?
>
> I have a shuttle kiln and the door and arched roof are made of fiber, the
> rest is bricks. I am PLAGUED with rodents demolishing my kiln. (mice,
> squirrels and chipmunks) It has been a constant problem (they're running out
> as I'm loading up) but this year I was gone all winter and it is trashed!!!!
> I've tried mothballs in the past and they seemed to work for a short time
> and then they get used to the smell I guess. I've blocked all openings to
> the kiln and they tunneled thru the fiber door from the side doing more
> damage than if I just let them get in. I set traps loaded with peanut butter
> and since I've been back, get one mouse per day minimum. The squirrels
> carefully step over the traps - I've seen them coming out as I'm opening the
> door.
>
> I'm beginning to think removing all of the fiber and going to all bricks is
> the way to go. Not what I really want to do. It has been patched so many
> times, this time however, it needs more than just patching.
>
> Do you have any words of wisdom? Anyone??? Thanks
>
> Ingeborg
>
> ifoco@teleport.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: mel jacobson
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 3:25 AM
> Subject: joyce's salt kiln
>
> > i agree with tony...100 percent...of course i always agree
> > with tony...he is my hero.
> >
> > anyway. there is no sense taking an already designed
> > stoneware kiln and making a salt kiln...and he is more than
> > correct about the bottom burner system that could be destroyed.
> > the itc spray is a great idea...stabilize the fibre....make it
> > a better kiln.
> > but, salting that great geil, no.
> >
> > one of the big issues in salt is how much you use.
> >
> > mehgan and jason at the appalachian craft center are both
> > using a small dose of salt in their baby kilns. they have combined
> > small kiln, itc spray, glaze and slip with about a pound of salt
> > soda sprayed in...with almost no affect on the kilns.
> >
> > several other folks have used that kiln and dumped many pounds
> > of rock salt in at cone 11....and you should see the mess.
> > broke mehgans heart to see what others did to her kiln.
> >
> > she is going to fire it as a stoneware kiln, clean it out...and start
> > again. it does not appear to me to have created too much damage.
> > it really surprised me that with only one coat of itc 100 on that
> > used brick kiln that there was not more break down.
> >
> > she has fired the kiln 23 times to cone 10...and it really is
> > in good shape. if the salt dumpers had not messed with it..well
> > i think you would not have been able to tell that it was salted.
> >
> > we will start up the salt kiln here at the farm for hay creek.
> > as i have repeatedly stated, the mice do more damage than
> > salt...i have three brick faces to repair and about four inches
> > of flame way to recoat. the fibre is as if the kiln was new.
> > and that is after about 60 firings....and we use about 8 pounds of
> > salt..sometimes more. (remember, the salt does not stay in the
> > kiln and build up as you would find in a hard brick salt kiln.)
> > so, we will report as things progress this summer at hay creek.
> > we will make the electric/gas kiln next week...and will fire the
> > baby train. honest reports will follow.
> > mel
> >
> > http://www.pclink.com/melpots
> > written from the farm in wisconsin
> >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __
> > Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
> >
> > You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> > settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
> >
> > Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net
Milton Markey on wed 21 jun 00
In a message Earl writes:
> I suppose moving to the desert is not an option?
>
> Ingeborg Foco wrote:
> >
> > Hi Mel,
> >
> > You stated "the mice do more damage than the salt." Have you figured out
> > how to stop them?
=====================
Hi Earl!
Unfortunately, mice are critters we desert dwellers contend with, too. There
are other notorious rodents out here, too. The pack rat, for instance, has a
tendency to "steal" things like small jars, fettling knives, and other small
tools and things, to make a nest with, hence the name "pack rat." I
discovered such a nest outside a storage shed. In it were old AA batteries,
battered pieces of ceiling insulation, my missing fettling knife, and some
trash.
The rats are out and gone, probably food for the coyotes, or the large king
snake I saw last month. There are quite a few predators out here, which do a
better job than the traps I use to lessen the critter population. And the
predators have predators. Life abounds in the Mojave!
Best wishes!
Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM
Looks like monsoon season is coming! Large cumuloform clouds dot the sky this
morning.
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