Snail Scott on fri 14 sep 01
At 12:50 PM 9/14/01 -0500, you wrote:
So what did people
>use before all these high tech solutions?
One old method which is still used is tumble-stacking,
where everything is sort of piled up, with refractory
lumps between the items (sometimes).
Another, which only works if you are a production
potter, is to stack pots foot-to-foot and lip-to-
lip, as high as the clay body can support. Obviously,
you need strict attention to consistent sizing! The
pots themselves can differ in shape, but the foot and
lip diameters must be kept constant.
A third method, often used in combination with the
previous, is saggars. These are usually made of a
heavily-grogged clay, and are mostly one-time-use items.
Saggars have the advantage of allowing control of ash-
deposit quantities. Open saggars allow some ash to enter;
closed ones protect 'clean' style glazes. (Nowadays,
most people chose wood firing because they like lots of
ash, but historically, many people wanted to avoid it.)
And since saggars shrink along with the pottery, they
help control warping. Labor-intensive, though.
-Snail
Andrew Gardner on fri 14 sep 01
Hello all--
I haven't been able to focus much for the past three days, but I
try...Fortunately all but one of my friends in NY are accounted for. I
have hope for him. And I go on.
I have a question about kiln shelves for wood kilns. I understand that
high alumina shelves are attacked by ash and do not have a very long life.
Silicon carbide is expensive, and so are ITC coatings. So what did people
use before all these high tech solutions? What are you wood firers using?
Thanks, and I hope all your friends and family were spared.
Andy
Ruth Ballou on fri 14 sep 01
I've had good results with the 1/2" nitride bonded silicon carbide shelves.
They're not a cheap solution, and they're definitely worth every penny.
They're a little more than regular silicon carbide, but they can be made
thinner. Moisture doesn't bother them. I coated them with 80 alumina
hydrate/ 20 epk for the first firing, but quickly realized that they really
didn't need wash at all. Glaze drips, melted cone packs, etc. easily
release. The only problem I've run across with them is that porcelain
coming into direct contact with the shelf is discolored (gray). A little
dry alumina hydrate under the pot fixes that.
Ruth
>I have a question about kiln shelves for wood kilns. I understand that
>high alumina shelves are attacked by ash and do not have a very long life.
>Silicon carbide is expensive, and so are ITC coatings. So what did people
>use before all these high tech solutions? What are you wood firers using?
>Thanks, and I hope all your friends and family were spared.
Steve Mills on tue 18 sep 01
I use standard shelves and lots of batt wash, but then I salt glaze as
well!
Prior to that, I tumble stacked (no shelves).
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Andrew Gardner writes
>Hello all--
>I haven't been able to focus much for the past three days, but I
>try...Fortunately all but one of my friends in NY are accounted for. I
>have hope for him. And I go on.
>I have a question about kiln shelves for wood kilns. I understand that
>high alumina shelves are attacked by ash and do not have a very long life=
>=2E
>Silicon carbide is expensive, and so are ITC coatings. So what did peopl=
>e
>use before all these high tech solutions? What are you wood firers using=
>?
>Thanks, and I hope all your friends and family were spared.
>Andy
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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