mel jacobson on mon 18 mar 02
have had many discussions about this with
some experts....i am not that.
but, nils claims that a kiln does not care what
shape it is. olson has made some of the most
interesting shaped kilns i have ever seen. they work.
feriz delkic says the same thing. they
concur that a box is just fine. most furnaces (kilns)
in industry are now box tunnels. they work great.
the main thing about any well functioning kiln is
the flue size, amount of energy coming in and how
it is allowed to circulate.
potters often put up dams they call bag walls, pack kiln shelves together
and stick the pots too close. heat cannot get through
all the clutter. then they put in an 81 square inch flu and all the
heat goes up the stack. and most fire with far too much fuel
and not enough oxygen. (feriz uses the analogy of an empty
room at nceca. then pack in 400 people, chairs, tables....and
then ask. why is it so hot, stuffy, where is the oxygen...i feel
terrible? just like inside a kiln.)
feriz was at his best this week in the clayart room. it was
so good to hear him talk of kilns. passion times 100.
he claims that many large industrial kilns now use
kiln shelves with holes in them. yes, holes.
he claims potters should drill holes in their shelves.
they are stronger. use a carbide or diamond drill.
we will discuss this more with another post.
he also said, `if you get a crack in a shelf drill a hole
at the end of the crack and the shelf is fixed for life. arches.
think arches.
alice loved to work with potters. feriz is tired of it.
he is not going to advertise his product any more
in the magazines. he is far too busy with industrial
kilns. he said he `can build a million dollar kiln and
never have a call, and get back to his office and have
10 calls waiting for him about how to apply itc.`.
he can be crabby.
ADVANCER SHELVES:
man, slap my head...i did not know they were made
of metal. they are metal shelves. i knew they
had metal compounds in them...but, they are
basically metal. some smartypants will tell us about
them. anyway...he is having me coat my shelves
with itc 213...a thin coat. he said it will be a great
kiln wash. it wall take away that glassy surface. something
new, every day.
it is so marvelous to sit and talk with feriz, jon singer, tom
buck, when i can find him, ron roy...john h....and then
to room with nils and kurt...listen to the discussions....man
that is like a tonic of brains. it is so great to listen to
various ideas, some dissent, re evaluation, new ideas.
firm argument...then lowell's ideas(he is an inventive genius)...vince pops
in a few.
dannon goes tsk, tsk. (or, `get a brain.`)
it was fun sitting in the clayart room listening to feriz talk.
watching the mouths of the two college freshman just sitting
and listening...others walking over..sitting down. chatter.
excitement.
i feel so blessed. these are the times when i am so proud
of myself for creating the clayart room. it was a big idea,
and i just had to do it. the cheese was on the line. but, thanks
to acers, we now have a permanent place at nceca. again
thank you bill jones, you bailed out our butts.
cyber, computers, email...great tools.
real humans...that is the best.
i have the ultimate dabbler story coming
to you all. the final confrontation. it was a kick
in the pants. i am still shaking my head.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Tommy Humphries on mon 18 mar 02
For insights into some of the new technical ceramic stuff out there, go to
www.ceramicindustry.com There are some astounding things being done in the
industrial field today, that will have a great impact on the pottery field
in a few years.
Tommy
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