mezza matta on sat 4 nov 00
i just bought a cress 1814 electronic kiln. i had the electrician come and
put in the right type of outlet, on a 30 amp breaker, and then they
delivered my kiln and attached the fan.
i've never fired ceramics before, so bear with me. i was told to fire once
empty, let it cool down, and then i could fire my first batch of glazed
bisque (they told me to fire to cone 05 in both cases). i was told several
times that with this kiln i will never need to use cones. i've never fired
anything -- with or without cones, but i keep reading i should always use
them, and i keep hearing from the ceramics store that i should never use
them.
i'm afraid to turn the thing on. i spent most of the afternoon clearing
everything out from around the kiln so i wouldn't catch my house on fire.
i'd really like to stop being at the mercy of someone else for firing my
glazed bisque. i'd also like to make handmade tiles and fire those. can
anybody give me some suggestions as to how to get started without blowing up
my kiln on the first try? am i being too paranoid? anybody in the san
francisco area that gives lessons on this stuff? help!
- julia
julia kuschner
julia@mezzamatta.com
www.mezzamatta.com
The Buchanans on mon 6 nov 00
You probably don't want hear about buying another accessory for your kiln
but a pyrometer is not expensive and it gives a real feeling of confidence
watching the dial show a steadily climbing temperature. You won't use it to
turn off the kiln just because it reads the temperature on the cone chart
but if it goes very much over it you can save a drastic over firing. It
also keeps you from worrying when it takes longer to reach maturity as coils
age. Judi B.
>
Arnold Howard on mon 6 nov 00
The fear of a kiln is normal. However, once you have fired it a few times,
you will feel comfortable with it. It may also help to read the manual,
underlining as you go.
Though electronic kilns do not need cones, it is definitely advisable to use
them in every firing. Place witness cones on the shelf so that you can see
them through the peephole. If a firing takes longer than usual and you can
see witness cones, you will not panic. You will know exactly when to turn off
the kiln if it becomes necessary to turn it off manually.
As the thermocouple (temperature sensor) wears out, the kiln will gradually
lose accuracy. The witness cones will alert you to this.
The easiest cones to use are the Orton self-supporting.
Arnold Howard
Paragon
--- mezza matta wrote:
> i just bought a cress 1814 electronic kiln. i had the electrician come and
> put in the right type of outlet, on a 30 amp breaker, and then they
> delivered my kiln and attached the fan.
>
> i've never fired ceramics before, so bear with me. i was told to fire once
> empty, let it cool down, and then i could fire my first batch of glazed
> bisque (they told me to fire to cone 05 in both cases). i was told several
> times that with this kiln i will never need to use cones. i've never fired
> anything -- with or without cones, but i keep reading i should always use
> them, and i keep hearing from the ceramics store that i should never use
> them.
>
> i'm afraid to turn the thing on. i spent most of the afternoon clearing
> everything out from around the kiln so i wouldn't catch my house on fire.
>
> i'd really like to stop being at the mercy of someone else for firing my
> glazed bisque. i'd also like to make handmade tiles and fire those. can
> anybody give me some suggestions as to how to get started without blowing
> up
> my kiln on the first try? am i being too paranoid? anybody in the san
> francisco area that gives lessons on this stuff? help!
>
> - julia
>
> julia kuschner
> julia@mezzamatta.com
> www.mezzamatta.com
>
>
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Paul Taylor on wed 8 nov 00
Dear Julia
Very Little can go wrong if you take one thing at a time. This is the
sort of banal and obvious thing us teachers say in a confident tone with
just a hint of pomposity.
The difficulty you have is not knowing which instructions are critical
and Why, and which comments are Just to pad out an article or instruction
booklet.
Firstly the company recommends firing the kiln empty at first. Do
that, not because it is strictly necessary but because if something does go
wrong because of their negligence you do not want the fact that you did not
follow their instructions clouding the issue.
I have been firing kilns for thirty years 9 (Note the hint of pride) I
have never put a gas kiln on with out a cone. However I have to fire the
kiln at the collage overnight- all automatic. One day It malfunctioned and
over fired (1300c) a biscuit so a cone would have been useful if I was there
to see it and I had put a cone in.
You do not have to fill this kiln to fire it so you only need to put
few test pots in it for a trial run . Do not listen to the little voice in
your head about wasting fuel because testing saves money in the long run.
You problem is the controls. I am presuming the instructions are in
English. But even if they are not translated by a German into English from
the Chinese, they will be difficult enough to follow. Forms and instruction
books come loaded with all sorts of associations . They are produced and
understood by the administrative mind. These people get to run every things
because they are the most efficient and would have us all murdered in our
beds if they didn't get to rule .
Forms come with small print, text books come with teachers and bills
come with pain. It is difficult to look at a set of instructions as helpful.
I have learned to accept that I will not understand a list of instructions
until at least the tenth reading even then I will have to reread them while
I am firing the kiln, and after, to put my mind at rest . I have a sneaking
feeling that most of humanity is the same.
To add further complications the chances are , not only are you firing a
new kiln but your first solo kiln. With a set of instructions that keep
going out of focus as you read there is the added panic of not remembering
how to fire a biscuit kiln without it all blowing up, or worse bloating in
the next firing.
Well to put the mind at rest it is possible with a modern kiln to fire
so slowly to 200c that any thing will fire - it doesn't,t matter how thick.
The reason I say 200c or better 250c for the slow crawl ( 25 degrees an hour
for thick stuff- Half Inch) is because kilns seem to fire very unevenly at
low temps therefore the extra safety of another hundred degrees above the
steaming temp at the hottest part of the kiln is best. Your thermocouple is
bound to be in this position unless you did something bad in a past life .
Of course as you get familiar with the Kiln you will be wondering what the
fuss is about, until, like all potters, you blow up a few pots. Always
swinging from blaze to caution - balance and harmony is for whimps.
And firing without a pyrometer is certainly a brave thing to do although I
did it for three years myself in a gas kiln. You are trusting to luck and
the best way is to proceed with caution is do the test and after that as you
Keep firing you may wish to start taking a few chances by turning the kiln
up a bit higher at every perceived stage until a few pots start to blow up
or a little bloating and bubbling(or pinholes) of the glaze start to appear
and then you know you have gone too far.
I hope you get some advise from the kiln manufacturer he should give you a
rough idea of the temperature rise at which settings they will chang a
little according to the temperature. I would get a pyrometer if you can they
save the most amount of hassle.
Take records. An extra reason for records is that taking records
focuses your thinking better which decreases panic. Record Time and temp. If
your kiln is manual turn it up very slowly and record the temperature rise.
It is as well to do it even with an auto controller just in case it does not
work, but most do not bother
In an Electric kiln unless you are very impatient- over 100 c an hour-
you should not get bloating and if you let some air creep into the kiln 800c
+ through the front bung you will compensate for the carbon that did not
burn out if you were too lazy to fire it empty, "like you was told", or the
kiln is too air tight. I repeat creep. A rush of air will crack a few pots
at the bottom of the kiln. 750 to 900 needs the oxygen.
And don't forget with an oxidize glaze firing you can always use the
next firing to compleat the oxidation process by going slow. one degree a
minute centigrade from 750c to 900c as well.
The rest is simple You can do very little damage unless you over fire
above 1180 for earthen ware and 1300 for stone ware depending on the kilns
specifications which are hidden away some ware in the kiln literature. Do
not worry about setting any thing on fire, unless I did the electrics .
Regards from Paul Taylor
http://www.anu.ie/westportpottery
> From: mezza matta
> Reply-To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2000 18:12:16 -0800
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: help! first day with my first kiln
>
> i just bought a cress 1814 electronic kiln. i had the electrician come and
> put in the right type of outlet, on a 30 amp breaker, and then they
> delivered my kiln and attached the fan.
>
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