L. P. Skeen on thu 27 jun 02
Yes it does make a difference. Cones are TEMPERATURE indicators, not
reduction indicators. If you are firing a gas kiln, you have to keep the
temperature balanced between top an bottom of the kiln. If you are not
using the cone packs, and you don't have a pyrometer, then you don't have
any way to tell (other than the color inside, which is NOT a wholly reliable
indicator....) whether you need to make adjustments for uneven heating. For
example: If your cone setter (sitter?) is in the bottom, and you're firing
hot in the top and cooler below, and you don't adjust to balance it out, the
top shelves will be overfired by the time your bottom reaches temp and the
kiln shuts itself down. Overfiring can mean glazes on teh floor instead of
on the pots, plus bloated or melted clay, etc. As Martha would say, NOT a
good thing. (HOw's she gonna get good sheets in jail, anyway?)
L
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie Milazzo"
Subject: Okay, but seriously, on firing and reduction...
> Here's a question: If I really don't require much
> reduction for the results I want, do I have to follow
> the conepacks? realistically, does any of this
> matter for any reason other than consistant reduction?
Hank Murrow on thu 27 jun 02
Jules wrote;
>Here's a question: If I really don't require much
>reduction for the results I want, do I have to follow
>the conepacks? No matter what I do, I can't find them
>after a certain temperature, and I have a kiln sitter
>(much to my original chagrin), sooooo I'm not really
>in much danger of overfiring. I think that after
>keeping and studying my log, I can assume that cone 05
>is dropping within this hour (I broke my pyrometer,
>but every once in a while, during some firings, I can
>catch a cone or two). Assuming this to be true, can I
>just lightly reduce every other hour until my kiln
>shuts itself off? I've always been really
>conscientious about following the rules, but even
>welder's goggles haven't helped my blindness with this
>kiln. Next firing, I will put something with iron
>behind the packs, because they are really blending in
>with the posts, but realistically, does any of this
>matter for any reason other than consistant reduction?
Dear Jules;
The reduction marked by cone intervals is probably not so
important as consistency from fire to fire. So doing it by-the-clock
is OK in your case. I would really recommend that you save some $$
for the purchase of an OxyProbe when you can. It would mitigate all
this grief and anxiety you are having with this kiln. When you get
near to getting one, email me for further recommendations about
mounting, etc.
Cheers, Hank
Julie Milazzo on thu 27 jun 02
Here's a question: If I really don't require much
reduction for the results I want, do I have to follow
the conepacks? No matter what I do, I can't find them
after a certain temperature, and I have a kiln sitter
(much to my original chagrin), sooooo I'm not really
in much danger of overfiring. I think that after
keeping and studying my log, I can assume that cone 05
is dropping within this hour (I broke my pyrometer,
but every once in a while, during some firings, I can
catch a cone or two). Assuming this to be true, can I
just lightly reduce every other hour until my kiln
shuts itself off? I've always been really
conscientious about following the rules, but even
welder's goggles haven't helped my blindness with this
kiln. Next firing, I will put something with iron
behind the packs, because they are really blending in
with the posts, but realistically, does any of this
matter for any reason other than consistant reduction? Jules
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