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itc bashing

updated sat 30 jun 01

 

Earl Brunner on thu 28 jun 01


The manufacturer of my gas kiln "poo-pooed" the idea of using ITC when I
asked about it. I considered it for about a year before finally doing
it. My personal take on people that scoff is that
A. they scoff because they didn't think of and make it first.
B. they think it is expensive. Other things work just as well, (but they
don't name them)
C. They know nothing about it. But since they are the local authority
they have to "know"
D. They don't make or sell it, so why recommend it?

I am pleased, my kiln is fiber and so I haven't noticed "huge" fuel
savings, but it stabilized the fiber surface and so I don't need to
worry about denting it as much and I don't have to worry about breathing
fiber particles.

I am fascinated by the idea of the electric/gas kiln and will probably
try that one of these days.



mel jacobson wrote:

> check the archives.
> hundreds of letters from clayarters
> that have saved money, time, and have
> better kilns because of itc.
>
> i am one of them. it is the only reason i give
> testimonials....it works a charm for me.
>
> it is not a question anymore.
> it works.
> only those who do not use it scoff.
>
> those kiln folks that are using it are going
> to grab the market share before long.
>
> axner is making several new kilns...itc sprayed.
> both coils and brick. wait and see. the new state
> of the art. his kilns are superb. and as we see, paragon
> is working things out with itc.
>
> we have many, many gas electrics out there....they work.
> i get a new testimonial each week. some very happy potters
> working out of their back yards...cone 10 reduction in a kiln
> that has been thrown away by someone else. they are not
> scoffing.
>
> what the hell have we been talking about for five years on
> clayart? does anyone ever listen? many production potters have
> increased their coil life by five times. if your coils are spitting
> brown things, well, you put it on too thick.
>
> read nils' book, he claims that itc is as important as the invention
> of the soft brick...i agree.
> geez. listen.
> mel
> the farm salt kiln was fired 4 times this past month.
> once to cone 12. soda. still running, and itc covered
> over soft brick and fibre. now five years old, and still
> in decent shape. itc...hell, i won't use it..could be funny.
> nils had his butt up against it several times. he had the
> women firing it with wood for four hours. worked great.
> (the dock six women went to vince's for the gail nichols
> soda workshop.....and they got great results in our kiln.
> fired with heavy reduction on the way down. got great
> flashing. we also used the hank murrow/relight/ cooling
> method for the stoneware kiln. worked a charm. we sure did not have very
> many average pots, and man, did we have racers....
> what a wonderful group of men and women.
> sharing, working together...as it is suppose to be.
> From:
> Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
> web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>
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>
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>
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--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec/
bruec@anv.net

John Hesselberth on thu 28 jun 01


on 6/28/01 8:21 PM, mel jacobson at melpots@PCLINK.COM wrote:

> it is not a question anymore.
> it works.
> only those who do not use it scoff.

My, my such an outburst. It is a question in my mind. Show us scoffers who
have used it the data. Not the experiential stories--the hard test and
control data. Run 10 kilns with it and 10 without it and compare element
life. If data like that exists I'd love to see it. For itc 100 you may be
beginning to develop that data in your salt kiln. My comments were in
regard to ITC 213.

John

Web site: http://www.frogpondpottery.com Email: john@frogpondpottery.com

"The life so short, the craft so long to learn." Chaucer's translation of
Hippocrates, 5th cent. B.C.

mel jacobson on thu 28 jun 01


check the archives.
hundreds of letters from clayarters
that have saved money, time, and have
better kilns because of itc.

i am one of them. it is the only reason i give
testimonials....it works a charm for me.

it is not a question anymore.
it works.
only those who do not use it scoff.

those kiln folks that are using it are going
to grab the market share before long.

axner is making several new kilns...itc sprayed.
both coils and brick. wait and see. the new state
of the art. his kilns are superb. and as we see, paragon
is working things out with itc.

we have many, many gas electrics out there....they work.
i get a new testimonial each week. some very happy potters
working out of their back yards...cone 10 reduction in a kiln
that has been thrown away by someone else. they are not
scoffing.

what the hell have we been talking about for five years on
clayart? does anyone ever listen? many production potters have
increased their coil life by five times. if your coils are spitting
brown things, well, you put it on too thick.

read nils' book, he claims that itc is as important as the invention
of the soft brick...i agree.
geez. listen.
mel
the farm salt kiln was fired 4 times this past month.
once to cone 12. soda. still running, and itc covered
over soft brick and fibre. now five years old, and still
in decent shape. itc...hell, i won't use it..could be funny.
nils had his butt up against it several times. he had the
women firing it with wood for four hours. worked great.
(the dock six women went to vince's for the gail nichols
soda workshop.....and they got great results in our kiln.
fired with heavy reduction on the way down. got great
flashing. we also used the hank murrow/relight/ cooling
method for the stoneware kiln. worked a charm. we sure did not have very
many average pots, and man, did we have racers....
what a wonderful group of men and women.
sharing, working together...as it is suppose to be.
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots