clennell on mon 21 may 01
Junkyard Dawg wrote:
> I like pots that reveal themselves slowly to a thoughtful viewer or
> user, and, frankly, I don't want my pots to scream, "I am wood fired!"
> Over the past several years, firing in my Olsen Fastfire style kiln,
> I've developed what, for me, is a good balance of colorful and
> purposeful glaze and slip work with the rich and somewhat random
> and unpredictable effects of wood firing.
Dawg and Molina:
I have built 3 Freddies and kinda learned almost everything i know about
firing with wood from that little baby. It was my first kiln and i fired
twice a week for the first year of it's existence. One day to make pots, the
rest of the week firing, trimming, glazing, wood gathering, preparation,
selling etc. etc.. I was 27. I then built a gas kiln but have always
maintained a wood kiln for pleasure.
There are some big versions of Freddie that some pretty well recognized
potters use for their pots. they wouldn't be considered production potters
but they do make "one offs" and make a living. Mick and Sheila Casson in
England- two chambered version of fast fire firebox, Andrew McGarva of
France (one of Europes potter's potters) whimsical drawings of pigs and
critters on a pale shino glaze and Micki Schloessingk of Wales wood salt-
giving a workshop somewhere in the US this summer.
I now get reliable results with gas and throw my money to the wind in firing
my train. the last firing of the train i had 15 large bottles and sheila had
a bunch of cups and t-pots. From that firing i have 3 bottles I am proud of
and can sell. the 12 others went to the dump. It's a good thing I'm cute
cause I ain't very smart. they will be in the "works in shino" show opening
this weekend. they sream loud and clear "i got pasted on Chardonnay". I
fired them with Chardonnay grapevine .
Everyone should have a wood kiln. Doesn't matter what kind. It will keep
you humble.
As Webb Wilder would say "You're never too small to hit the big time"
Cheers,
tony
clennell on wed 23 may 01
Sour Cherry Pottery
>
> Can you tell us what the firing problems are? From the photos at this page:
>
> http://www.umanitoba.ca/schools/art/ceramics/activity/kilnday10.html
>
> The train looks like maybe it is a tunnel kiln with a bourry box on the front?
>
> Thanks,
> --
>
> Lee Love
> Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
> Interested in Folkcraft? Signup:
> Subscribe: mingei-subscribe@egroups.com
> Or: http://www.egroups.com/group/mingei
> Help ET phone Earth: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
Lee: I take it you had trouble firing this kiln????? the pots didn't look
ash laden like the ones we get from our ash machine. It looks like a version
of a train. A pretty one at that. From the first photos I think I could make
these observations. firstly I prefer to place the primaries as high up in
the air from the stoking door as possible. this prevents what we call blow
backs which is when you open the door you almost lose your eyebrows. Ours
are a couple of feet above the top of the stoking door. We also have 5 - 4
and half by 2 and a half primaries. this kiln had 8 or more.
did the kiln have steps built into the firebox???? so that the wood doesn't
land flat on its self.
We also put two steel bars in the middle of the hobs to serve as grates.
this way you can use any size wood you like. I think the wood falls down
easier that way.
If we have ever had trouble with the train it has always been wood related.
good hard dry wood and the kiln will melt cone 13 into a puddle at the
front. Side stoking will bring up the back but we don't go this route since
we live in an urban area and don't want a big flame or smoke at the end of
the firing. too many people with cell phones anxious to be heroes.
I couldn't see the flue but ours is a chequered back wall from floor to
ceiling.
the stacking also seemed weird. It looked like the flame was being invited
to travel up the one side of the kiln. We stack some pots right in the
throat arch and then place kiln shelves right up within two inches of the
throat arch.
firing schedule is like this- start small fire, build it up during the day,
mow lawn, trim pots, load up firebox with stumps in 3 hour intervals, get up
during night in 3 hour spells, this continues for 24 hours (1000F), go on
the hobs with 2 primaries open for an hour, open all 5 primaries, kiln
takes off usally at 1800 in 2 hours, off in another 6 hours. We usually
hold it at cone 10 to 12 for a couple of hours. Just because.
Hope this helps a little.
Don't have a sake for me.
cheers,
Tony
P.S Is Irish Flynn pregnant?????
Lee Love on thu 24 may 01
----- Original Message -----
From: "clennell"
> I now get reliable results with gas and throw my money to the wind in firing
> my train. the last firing of the train i had 15 large bottles and sheila had
> a bunch of cups and t-pots. From that firing i have 3 bottles I am proud of
> and can sell. the 12 others went to the dump
Tony,
Can you tell us what the firing problems are? From the photos at this page:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/schools/art/ceramics/activity/kilnday10.html
The train looks like maybe it is a tunnel kiln with a bourry box on the front?
Thanks,
--
Lee Love
Mashiko JAPAN Ikiru@kami.com
Interested in Folkcraft? Signup:
Subscribe: mingei-subscribe@egroups.com
Or: http://www.egroups.com/group/mingei
Help ET phone Earth: http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
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