Jennifer F Boyer on sat 30 dec 00
I think the reason test kilns don't give large-kiln results is
the speed of firing and cooling. My little AIM kiln has a
controller that allows me to fire up slowly, but I have to fire
down manually in order to keep it cooling as slowly as my gas
kiln cools. I like having a test kiln, but always have to do
the final tests in the big kiln.
Take Care
Jennifer, GETTING OUT THE CROSS COUNTRY SKIIS!! YIPPEEEEEEEE! I
just love snow.
Veena Raghavan wrote:
>
> Message text written by Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> >I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
> giving the same results as a large kiln.<
>
> May I add my request on to K. Farmer's about test kilns, only I am
> interested in one that is reliable and good for cone 6. I too am setting up
> my first small studio and would appreciate any advice and help.
>
> Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.
>
> Veena
>
> Veena Raghavan
> 75124.2520@compuserve.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
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--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
95 Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602 USA
802-223-8926
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
Check out this searchable sites about web hoaxes:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/science/urbanlegends/library/blhoax.htm
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vince pitelka on sat 30 dec 00
> I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
> giving the same results as a large kiln. Has anyone
> found a small test kiln that does give good test
> results? I am planning to set up a small studio soon
> and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will
> be mostly firing to cone 05-04. Thanks for your help!
K -
Any small electric kiln can give results as good as a large electric kiln as
long as you can reproduce the firing and cooling ramps of the large kiln. A
programmable controller will make this simple, but of course that adds a
hefty chunk to the price of the kiln. If you do not go with a programmable
controller, then you simply need to control the turn-ups very carefully and
soak the kiln at maximum temperature for an appropriate period, and then
fire down so that the cooling ramp takes as long as a larger kiln. Talk to
someone who gets glaze results you like from a larger kiln, and attempt to
reproduce their firing and cooling ramps in your smaller kiln.
Good luck -
- 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/
John Hesselberth on sat 30 dec 00
K Farmer wrote:
>I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
>giving the same results as a large kiln. Has anyone
>found a small test kiln that does give good test
>results? I am planning to set up a small studio soon
>and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will
>be mostly firing to cone 05-04. Thanks for your help!
Hello K Farmer,
The key to a test kiln that gives results you can translate to your big
kiln is controlled heating and cooling--particularly cooling. A computer
controlled test kiln is the only way I know to do this without going
insane. I have a small Olympic Doll E kiln with a computer. I fire it
nearly every day and it gives excellent results that translate to my big
kiln every time. Cost a little over $500 at NCECA last year (show
special price--your price may vary). I have found the Olympic people
extremely helpful when I had a problem a month or so ago (which turned
out to be my own stupidity). Usual disclaimers--I am just a very
satisfied customer.
Regards, John
"The life so short, the craft so long to learn." Hippocrates, 5th cent.
B.C.
K Farmer on sat 30 dec 00
I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
giving the same results as a large kiln. Has anyone
found a small test kiln that does give good test
results? I am planning to set up a small studio soon
and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will
be mostly firing to cone 05-04. Thanks for your help!
__________________________________________________
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Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online!
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Veena Raghavan on sat 30 dec 00
Message text written by Ceramic Arts Discussion List
>I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
giving the same results as a large kiln.<
May I add my request on to K. Farmer's about test kilns, only I am
interested in one that is reliable and good for cone 6. I too am setting up
my first small studio and would appreciate any advice and help.
Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.
Veena
Veena Raghavan
75124.2520@compuserve.com
Michael Haldiman on sun 31 dec 00
K Farmer & All,
So glad this question came up!
We too were thinking of a test kiln and began to explore all the options, costs,
setup, dual or shared venting, shared controller (for common results), etc, etc!
Then we stopped and asked ourselves WHY?
For us the answer was just test in the same firing as our production pcs. We
always have more pcs that room in our 10 cubic ft kiln so having to leave something
out till the next firing was not the question.
Our main concern was "how do we setup this new test kiln so it totally replicates
our production kiln?" Given all the duplications we were going to have to
accomplish we have chosen to just stay with our existing AMACO electric kiln and
have it do combined firings.
For example, in each of our last 5 production glaze firings, we have included
approx 45 test pcs (cut from thrown rings). In our firings we usually end up with
one shelf being used for our shorter pcs and its on that one we include our test
pcs. Now with our last firing, we have learned to take advantage of "any space
available" on any shelf so not to run out of space for our test pcs.
According to our witness cones our top, middle and bottom shelves end up within a
1/4 to a 1/2 cone of each other, so we don't feel placement is killing our
testing(?).
Anyway, just wanted to jump in on this thread and ask how many others have turned
away from a test kiln and worked it all in one? Also, who out in potter land has
started out this way, and then moved on to a test kiln, and for what reasons (s)?
Remember - we're not siding one way or the other - just VERY interested in the
decisions others have made with respect to the subject!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike & Rose - Throwing In St. Louis~
K Farmer wrote:
> I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
> giving the same results as a large kiln. Has anyone
> found a small test kiln that does give good test
> results? I am planning to set up a small studio soon
> and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will
> be mostly firing to cone 05-04. Thanks for your help!
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online!
> http://photos.yahoo.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.
michael wendt on sun 31 dec 00
Veena,
If you also fire gass, I recently built a thermal gradient box on the side
of my largest gas kiln amd it works like a charm. It consists of a small box
5"tall X 6 1/4" wide X 16" long with an outer door. The first test I ran of
the unit with cones throughout was disappointing as the gradient dropped off
too quickly, so I made a movable wall which I placed inside half way and
found that the samples I am testing fire from cone 10 on the shelf facing
the box to cone 5 nearest the movable wall. Now I can test clay and glazes
over a wide range of cones while I do my regular loads. So far, I have
tested my white liner glaze and found that it fires from cone 12 all the way
down to cone 7. Cone 6 is dull but still fused and cone 5 is merely
sintered. I will post pics on my web site at www.wendtpottery.com . Go to
the bargain table for a view. Best of all, it fires the same heat-cool
profile as my kiln.
Regards,
Michael Wendt wendtpot@lewiston.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Veena Raghavan <75124.2520@COMPUSERVE.COM>
To:
Sent: Saturday, December 30, 2000 1:10 PM
Subject: Good Electric Test Kiln?
> Message text written by Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> >I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
> giving the same results as a large kiln.<
>
> May I add my request on to K. Farmer's about test kilns, only I am
> interested in one that is reliable and good for cone 6. I too am setting
up
> my first small studio and would appreciate any advice and help.
>
> Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.
>
> Veena
>
> Veena Raghavan
> 75124.2520@compuserve.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.
>
eden@SOVER.NET on mon 1 jan 01
I think that much of the discrepancy can be adjusted out by following the
same schedule on the little kiln as for the big one. Also you can add a
brick into the test firing to adjust for a more heavily-loaded firing.
I have my little test kiln set up right next to my large kiln so I can just
borrow one of the thermocouples from the computer-controlled kiln so I have
the computer control on my little kiln at no extra cost. So that makes it
pretty easy to copy the firing.
Eleanora
At 10:50 AM 12/30/00 -0800, you wrote:
>I have heard many stories about small test kilns not
>giving the same results as a large kiln. Has anyone
>found a small test kiln that does give good test
>results? I am planning to set up a small studio soon
>and would appreciate any advice on this matter. I will
>be mostly firing to cone 05-04. Thanks for your help!
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 www.eleanoraeden.com
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