Anne K. Wellings on wed 13 feb 02
Thanks, Marianne L., for your detailed description of how you slow-cool
your old kiln with manual switches.
It sounds like you spend some time sitting by the kiln as you monitor it.
One time I did this while trying to soak my manual switch kiln, just
witness cones, no pyrometer, and I ended up with a very red face the next
day. If I do it again, I will be more careful. If one had a face shield
something like welders use, it would be a good idea to use it.
I was supposed to go to a party that night and was self-conscious about
my red face. So I put some aloe vera on it, fresh from a growing plant.
It greatly lessened the redness in a short time, and I went to the party.
Amazing stuff.
I just thought people should be warned about this. It can't be good for
the skin.
In case anyone wonders, I haven't come up with a definitive soaking
method, but it doesn't seem to matter a lot with the glossy glaze I am
using. I do, however, have the new book by John and Ron and would like to
try out their glazes and ideas, so appreciate people sharing cooling
experiences with manual switch kilns.
Time to get a pyrometer, I guess.
Anne
Marianne Lombardo on thu 14 feb 02
Hello Anne;
Wow, your kiln must get *really* hot on the outside. I guess I don't get
that close to the kiln. I generally sit at a worktable a few feet away, and
work on some glaze notes, and record the time, temperature, and switches I
turn on/off in a firing notebook. I gave up trying to see witness cones a
long time ago. No matter where I place them on the shelves, there is no way
that I can see the stupid things. I don't think the peepholes in my kiln
are large enough, or something. Maybe my eyes are just old, who knows. I
use them, but just to look at afterwards.
When I was working on stained glass (before I got into the pottery), I was
continually getting burnt by the soldering iron. I kept an aloe vera plant
in my workroom and as soon as I got burnt, I cut a leaf in half and squeezed
the sap out onto the burn. Yes, it works. I *never* had even a red mark
the next day. Great stuff. But only the fresh, real plant works, various
ointments do nothing.
Marianne Lombardo
Omemee, Ontario, Canada
> It sounds like you spend some time sitting by the kiln as you monitor it.
> One time I did this while trying to soak my manual switch kiln, just
> witness cones, no pyrometer, and I ended up with a very red face the next
> day. If I do it again, I will be more careful. If one had a face shield
> something like welders use, it would be a good idea to use it.
>
> I was supposed to go to a party that night and was self-conscious about
> my red face. So I put some aloe vera on it, fresh from a growing plant.
> It greatly lessened the redness in a short time, and I went to the party.
> Amazing stuff.
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