vince pitelka on fri 8 sep 00
> My ceramics teacher always told us to blow gently into the spy hole (it
does work),
> but now I have a special pair of glasses from an isulation company that
protect my
> eyes. Be careful not to blow too hard, I had dust burn my cornea.
Chris -
In addition to the risk you mention above, blowing into the spy-hole can
damage the wares. Most kiln walls are constructed with soft brick, and the
use of a spy-hole plug naturally results in soft-brick dust in the spy-hole.
When you blow into the spy-hole, you blow this soft-brick dust all over your
pots.
The tinted glasses certainly help, but I have found that if I just stare
into the spy-hole for a minute or so (with the tinted glasses) I can always
see the cones.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Jennifer F Boyer on sat 9 sep 00
Another tip for cone viewing in a gas kiln is to set the cones
in a place where you line of site is angled UP through the spy
hole. That way, if you need time to adjust your vision to see
cones, you aren't singeing your eyebrows in the stream of heat
coming from the spy, and you can get a bit closer. Amazing how
many years it took me to learn this little lesson. Ahh the smell
(and sound)of burning hair, a distant memory! ;-)
Take Care
Jennifer
vince pitelka wrote:
>
> > My ceramics teacher always told us to blow gently into the spy hole (it
> does work),
> > but now I have a special pair of glasses from an isulation company that
> protect my
> > eyes. Be careful not to blow too hard, I had dust burn my cornea.
>
> Chris -
> In addition to the risk you mention above, blowing into the spy-hole can
> damage the wares. Most kiln walls are constructed with soft brick, and the
> use of a spy-hole plug naturally results in soft-brick dust in the spy-hole.
> When you blow into the spy-hole, you blow this soft-brick dust all over your
> pots.
>
> The tinted glasses certainly help, but I have found that if I just stare
> into the spy-hole for a minute or so (with the tinted glasses) I can always
> see the cones.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
> 615/597-5376
> Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
> 615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
> Appalachian Center for Crafts
> Tennessee Technological University
> 1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
> http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
>
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--
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Jennifer Boyer jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
Vermont USA
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
Check out this searchable sites about web hoaxes:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/science/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ray Aldridge on sat 9 sep 00
At 08:24 PM 9/8/00 -0500, you wrote:
> > My ceramics teacher always told us to blow gently into the spy hole (it
>does work),
> > but now I have a special pair of glasses from an isulation company that
>protect my
> > eyes. Be careful not to blow too hard, I had dust burn my cornea.
>
>Chris -
>In addition to the risk you mention above, blowing into the spy-hole can
>damage the wares. Most kiln walls are constructed with soft brick, and the
>use of a spy-hole plug naturally results in soft-brick dust in the spy-hole.
>When you blow into the spy-hole, you blow this soft-brick dust all over your
>pots.
I use a piece of brass tubing to blow cool air over the cones, in order to
avoid the dust problem. You have to be careful not to put it in too far,
or the end will melt off, but if you put in to about the depth of the brick
and puff quickly, it works well. You do need to have a systematic approach
to putting the tubing down, so that the next time you pick it up, you don't
grab it by the hot end.
Ray
http://goodpots.com/
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