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the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire...

updated thu 9 may 02

 

Julie Milazzo on tue 7 may 02


Okay, so I wish I was kidding. For future reference,
ALWAYS listen to Richard Aerni and Vince. At around
eight thirty tonight, it was noted that the kiln roof
was smoldering, where the supporting two by four
crossed the roof. Then it started smoking, and then
the hose came out. We'll see what effect the water had
on any of the pots, because a bit got shot down the
chimney. Hmmm.... Also, I couldn't see the cone packs,
couldn't find my dark glasses (though the green wine
bottle that was in the recycling bucket came in handy
with the whack of a hammer), and decided to suck it up
and use the kilnsitter from here on out (as well as
the cone backs, but even blowing didn't help... I'll
have to search the archives for recent information I
read about shining a ligh, or something..). So, I'm
glad that I didn't dismantle the solenoid valve yet.
Tomorrow should be an interesting day, as I will get
to actually see the damage I did to the pieces in the
kiln. It seems to me that it is mighty quick to go up
a thousand degrees in an hour and a half, but my
instructions were to go slow for an hour, and then
crank it. I cranked it. I hope I didn't blow up the
kilnpacks again... I ended up turning off the kiln at
2300 degrees Fahrenheit, knowing that I am probably
underfiring, but knowing that the pyrometer is really
old, has been travelling around in the back of my car
with my spare tire for the past year and a half, and
who knows how accurate it is... geez, this should be
interesting, and I'm also pretty happy that no one
else came for this firing, as Murphy's law applied to
every bit of it. I will let you all know how the
firing actually came out tomorrow, and I'll also
figure out how to fix this roof issue. I really want
to go to bed, but am afraid that the house will fall
down, or I'll get swept up in a tornado, or the
boogieman will come and get me. Yes, the boogieman,
not the bogeyman. I hate disco. Anyway, how do you
sleep with a kiln full of stuff? I never understood
that. It should be microwaveable. ZAP! Shino! Zap!
Tenmoku... wait give it another thirty seconds, etc...
yes, I know, it's the wait that makes it so
delicious... I just want to see it now Now NOW! Oh,
and I tried June's frit substitute, so I'll mention
how that works, although, with all the other
variables, I have no idea if this will be any
indication. Plus, it's a copper red glaze I used it
for, so it's touchy anyway... Later! Jules
PMS Oh! And thank you for the kind words and support!
The check's in the mail...

__________________________________________________
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Earl Brunner on wed 8 may 02


If you blew up the cone packs again, then you need to change the way you
make them,
either use less clay, poke the heck out of them with holes, or make them far
enough
in advance that they will be good and dry (who the heck ever does that?).
Seems
like I always remember the cones about the time I'm getting ready to fire.
One of
the things I then do is make them up quick and put them on a cake rack in
the oven
on warm until just before the firing. Dries them out real good.

If its just cloudy atmosphere in the kiln keeping you from seeing the cones,
you
might back off the damper and "clear" the atmosphere long enough to check
them out.

Julie Milazzo wrote:

> chimney. Hmmm.... Also, I couldn't see the cone packs,
> couldn't find my dark glasses (though the green wine
> bottle that was in the recycling bucket came in handy
> with the whack of a hammer), and decided to suck it up
> and use the kilnsitter from here on out (as well as
> the cone backs, but even blowing didn't help... I'll
> have to search the archives for recent information I
> read about shining a ligh, or something..). =--

Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net

L. P. Skeen on wed 8 may 02


make them far enough in advance that they will be good and dry (who the
heck ever does that?). Seems
> like I always remember the cones about the time I'm getting ready to fire.

Hahaha Earl,

You sound like me, but after one set of cone packs exploded on me in
college, I sat down and made something like 10 sets of packs and put 'em on
my shelf so they'd be dry when I needed 'em. :) Much nicer
results.....(no explosions).

L

David Hendley on wed 8 may 02


Another "I told you so".
Please, friends, build your kiln sheds out of metal, not wood.
Forget about leaving plenty of clearance, installing heat
shields, coating the wood with ITC.
Do it right the first time and build with steel.

The best way to not explode your cone packs is to bisque
fire them. Make a dozen at a time and store them by your
bisque firing cones, so you will notice if you are low
when you reach for a cone for your bisque firing.

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com




----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie Milazzo"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 9:33 PM
Subject: the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire...


> Okay, so I wish I was kidding. For future reference,
> ALWAYS listen to Richard Aerni and Vince. At around
> eight thirty tonight, it was noted that the kiln roof
> was smoldering, where the supporting two by four
> crossed the roof. Then it started smoking, and then
> the hose came out. We'll see what effect the water had
> on any of the pots, because a bit got shot down the
> chimney. Hmmm.... Also, I couldn't see the cone packs,
> couldn't find my dark glasses (though the green wine
> bottle that was in the recycling bucket came in handy
> with the whack of a hammer), and decided to suck it up

Cheryl Hoffman on wed 8 may 02


In a message dated 05/08/02 11:27:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bruec@ANV.NET
writes:


> If you blew up the cone packs again, then you need to change the way you
> make them,
>

A guru friend shared this method for making cone packs: Mix vermiculite or
that fluffy granular padding material that they used in cone boxes in with
the clay and poke holes all over it after you set the cones in. It does
help
to make them up at least the day before...I'm trying to get in the habit of
making them up before I start to glaze a load. Good luck with the firing...I
know the feeling of flying by the seat of your pants. I just keep telling
myself -- no guts, no glory and every firing is a lesson learned.
Cher H.