Michele Williams on wed 24 apr 02
One thing I will offer to this thread, though I've never fired a gas kiln.
Two students at our university did a gas firing last week. The kiln is 8
feet high, 6 feet long, 6 feet wide--big enough to blow the entire studio
off the planet if you do something too wrong. They tried to light it once,
and it didn't go. The tried a second time, and it didn't go. So they tried
one more time. They had released enough gas that the flame shot 12 ft.
high, scared them into running almost out of the studio. They said the heat
was intense all around the kiln, that they felt wind being sucked into the
fire from behind them...
Yes, it takes learning, and after these girls have fired the gas kiln a
number of times, even they say supervision is a good thing even with a
little experience. Would have been good if someone had told them to wait a
while for gas to dissipate between firing attempts.
Michele Williams
----- Original Message -----
From: "Janet Kaiser"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2002 7:31 PM
Subject: Re: posting for England Section please/Novice at everything
> Don't know how many are still around on Clayart from England, except
> regular contributors: Steve Mills in Bath, Richard Jeffery in
> Bournemouth, Jenny Lewis in London. Are Chris Cox in Cumbria, Ivor in
> Macclesfield, Steven Parry-Thomas, Pierre Brayford, Ronan O'Rourke
> still out there? Avril, Jacqui and I don't count... We are the Clayart
> Taffia, here in WALES!
>
> However, I do not think it is necessary to have a UK list... The
> knowledge and experience of potters around the world is at you
> fingertips on Clayart. Potters and clay artists from Brazil to British
> Columbia, South Africa to South Dakota, New Zealand to New Foundland
> take part. What more can you ask for?
>
> The only additional advice I would have (which is really applicable
> wherever you are): find your local Potter's Association. Depends where
> you live, but there are some very active associations such as Kent
> Potters, London Potters, Northern Potters. etc. in England, North and
> South Wales Potters (who also have members from over the border in
> England) and Scottish Potters... They have meetings, workshops and all
> sorts of events which will be of support as you learn. Making friends
> with members (amateur and professional) is the best way of finding
> local expertise and hands-on help in times of trouble. Here on the
> internet we can only offer virtual support, no physical hand-holding!
>
> As you have obviously already learned from night-classes, most of what
> you learn is by trail and error. There is little input from teachers
> in such situations. Even full-time education is now very short on the
> teaching of skills. So just go ahead and learn-by-doing in your own
> home... Clayarters will be only to willing to help on problems as they
> arise and reading the daily mails you are interested in will help your
> learning curve. Just do not try to read each and every post!
>
> The reason there is no active UK-only list? Not many full-time potters
> are on-line and of those who are able, few are willing to spend time
> writing. At least that is the conclusion I have come to, because they
> rarely answer direct e-mails, so they are hardly likely to "talk"
> here! There is also in all probability no institution with the funding
> available to host a UK-based list. Other academic areas and subjects
> are also handicapped in this respect. However, by its very nature, the
> internet is going to be international, so it does not matter where it
> is physically based. The subject matter and language are the only
> constraints. The willingness to share is the most important
> prerequisite... Sadly the main reason there is no German language
> Clayart.
>
> Second post: Gas firing for beginners.
>
> I qualify what I said above after reading your second post of the day.
> There are some things you do need help with, before you attempt the
> do-it or teach-yourself method. If you have not fired a kiln before,
> it would be best to find someone with a kiln similar to yours and ask
> them to instruct you, especially using propane gas. You can offer to
> help with loading and firing a biscuit load and then the glaze firing.
> It is not like shoving buns into an oven and there is a lot to learn.
> I personally learned by first assisting the technician at college (had
> to INSIST on that) then firing "under supervision" and only then did I
> feel confident enough to fire... Indeed, I was only allowed to after
> passing proficiency tests by my tutor as well as the all-powerful
> technician!
>
> It would help, if you could state the make and size of your kiln, the
> temperature you are firing to and exactly how much experience you
> have. I won't be able to help, but there are many here who could once
> they know what you are using.
>
> Janet Kaiser
> The Chapel of Art / Capel Celfyddyd
> Home of The International Potters' Path
> 8 Marine Crescent : Criccieth : GB-Wales
> URL: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
> postbox@the-coa.org.uk
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
| |
|
