Ann Brink on sun 2 dec 01
To get right to the point, I accidentally fired 3 small pieces made of low
fire white clay in a cone 7 glaze firing. Would you believe that a pot the
size of an orange foams up and expands, then solidifies into a pile 6-8
inches across and 2 inches high? I am just sick about it. Yes, I have a
system for keeping track of which clay a piece is made of--I mark a little
arrow pointing down, under my signature, to denote a low fire clay. Either
I didn't do it this time, or I forgot to look.
The local earthenware I use is of course not white, so I never get that
mixed up and don't mark it with the arrow. I only even had white low fire
clay in the place because someone gave me some and if I wasn't the type who
can't stand to throw away good raw materials (gotta use everything up), I
wouldn't be sitting here crying on your collective shoulders.
Naturally it ran onto adjacent pots- lots of them. The three culprits were
not all sitting together, but were on separate shelves. On the lower shelf,
about 8 inches of element are embedded in this foamy stuff. It is brittle,
and I may be able to clean it up. Think large scale dentistry with a Dremel
tool. Maybe. Otherwise I will have to replace the element. Maybe a few
bricks too.
If anyone is curious about how this stuff looks- let me know and I'll take a
digital photo and send a .jpg file. It is a horrible sight, believe me.
And I've been at this for 20 years. I am really kicking myself. Thanks for
listening.
Ann Brink in Ca
Marianne Lombardo on mon 3 dec 01
----- Original Message -----
> If anyone is curious about how this stuff looks- let me know and I'll take
a
> digital photo and send a .jpg file. It is a horrible sight, believe me.
Oh, Ann. It sounds like a potter's worst possible nightmare! I hope that
someone will be able to help you with some ideas on how to clean it up.
Marianne
Kurt Wild on mon 3 dec 01
Ann:
In light of the following, consider the fact that you have just "joined" a
rather large "I forgot" club. That goes for not only the wrong clay, but
wrong cones in the kiln, forgetting to turn the kiln up, forgetting to wipe
off foot rims, wrong ingredient in glaze, etc., etc., etc.!
Kurt
At 10:46 PM 12/2/01 -0800, you wrote:
>......... I accidentally fired 3 small pieces made of low
>fire white clay in a cone 7 glaze firing. Would you believe that a pot the
>size of an orange foams up and expands, then solidifies into a pile 6-8
>inches across and 2 inches high? I am just sick about it. Yes, I have a
>system for keeping track of which clay a piece is made of--I mark a little
>arrow pointing down, under my signature, to denote a low fire clay. Either
>I didn't do it this time, or I forgot to look.
>.
L. P. Skeen on mon 3 dec 01
O Ann,
I did this in the gas kiln at UNCG when I was in school. Nothing like a
clay pancake! ^6 clay in a ^10 firing....definitely a nono. You have my
sympathies.
L
----- Original Message -----
From: Ann Brink
Subject: My poor kiln!!!!- (a cautionary tale)
> To get right to the point, I accidentally fired 3 small pieces made of
low
> fire white clay in a cone 7 glaze firing. Would you believe that a pot
the
> size of an orange foams up and expands, then solidifies into a pile 6-8
> inches across and 2 inches high
Roger Korn on tue 4 dec 01
Hi Ann,
Where are you located? I depart Thursday from near Flagstaff, travelling through
Needles, Tehachapi, up 99 to Sacramento, then I-5 to Portland. If you are near that
track, I'll stop by with my arsenal of kiln repair stuff. Call the AZ number or
email if this might help.
My deepest sympathies, but these disasters are not a matter of "if", but more of
"when".
Roger
Ann Brink wrote:
> To get right to the point, I accidentally fired 3 small pieces made of low
> fire white clay in a cone 7 glaze firing. Would you believe that a pot the
> size of an orange foams up and expands, then solidifies into a pile 6-8
> inches across and 2 inches high? I am just sick about it. Yes, I have a
> system for keeping track of which clay a piece is made of--I mark a little
> arrow pointing down, under my signature, to denote a low fire clay. Either
> I didn't do it this time, or I forgot to look.
>
> The local earthenware I use is of course not white, so I never get that
> mixed up and don't mark it with the arrow. I only even had white low fire
> clay in the place because someone gave me some and if I wasn't the type who
> can't stand to throw away good raw materials (gotta use everything up), I
> wouldn't be sitting here crying on your collective shoulders.
>
> Naturally it ran onto adjacent pots- lots of them. The three culprits were
> not all sitting together, but were on separate shelves. On the lower shelf,
> about 8 inches of element are embedded in this foamy stuff. It is brittle,
> and I may be able to clean it up. Think large scale dentistry with a Dremel
> tool. Maybe. Otherwise I will have to replace the element. Maybe a few
> bricks too.
>
> If anyone is curious about how this stuff looks- let me know and I'll take a
> digital photo and send a .jpg file. It is a horrible sight, believe me.
> And I've been at this for 20 years. I am really kicking myself. Thanks for
> listening.
>
> Ann Brink in Ca
>
>
>
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--
Roger Korn
McKay Creek Ceramics
In AZ: PO Box 463
4215 Culpepper Ranch Rd
Rimrock, AZ 86335
928-567-5699 <-
In OR: PO Box 436
31330 NW Pacific Ave.
North Plains, OR 97133
503-647-5464
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