Althea Vail on sun 7 jul 02
Hello all,
I'd like to experiment with sprinkling wood ash onto wet glazes before firing the pieces in my electric kiln (to cone 5 or 6). I know that combustibles in an electric kiln are bad for the elements. But, my questions is, since ash is already a by-product of combustion, will it combust further in the kiln and cause a problem for my elements or other pieces being fired at the same time?
If anyone has done this or has an opinion on it, please let me hear from you. Thanks.
Althea Vail
Pine Tree Pottery
Blackwood, NJ
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Wes Rolley on sun 7 jul 02
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At 11:58 AM 7/7/02 +0000, you wrote:
>But, my questions is, since ash is already a by-product of combustion,
>will it combust further in the kiln and cause a problem for my elements or
>other pieces being fired at the same time?
>
>If anyone has done this or has an opinion on it, please let me hear from
>you. Thanks.
Althea,
Almost all of my glazes contain unwashed ash from local oak trees. The
problem is not so much with combustibles as it is with some of the other
components of ash, sulfides, chlorides, as well as carbon monoxide from
burning residual charcoal. They will, without doubt, cause a deterioration
of the elements. I estimate that I had to replace my first set in about
1/2 the normal use. The handle to the top of my Skutt is very corroded
since it is directly over the peep holes.
If this is to be more than a one time experiment, then you should use a
coating such as ITC on the elements. The process has been discussed
several times on CLAYART but the most clear definition of the process is in
the article by Mel Jacobson in Pottery Making Illustrated one or two years
ago (And I am too lazy to walk out to my garage/studio to look up the vol.
number.)
Wes
Wes Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
http://www.refpub.com
"When I'm working on a problem, I never think about beauty. I think only
how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not
beautiful, I know it is wrong." -- Richard Buckminster Fuller
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Shirley Tschannen on sun 7 jul 02
Althea, In my ignorance some years ago, my brother sent me some ashes
of his Alburquerie NM trees...cactus, etc. Not knowing what to do, I
simply glazed some pieces and then rolled them, they were still wet,
around in the ashes. Well! what a nice surprise when they came out of
the kiln. They had large areas of very shiny and glossy patches. I
have since learned that ash is a fluxing material and hence the shiney
surface. It was fun to experiment....go for it. The source of the ash
makes a difference as to what you will get +++I do fire at ^6.
Marcia Selsor on sun 7 jul 02
Dear Althea,
Wood ash is a flux no longer a combustible as it has been "spent" so to
speak. There are some fine wood ask glazes for electric kilns. Go ahead
and sprinkle. Not a problem.
Marcia Selsor in Montana
Althea Vail wrote:
> Hello all, I'd like to experiment with sprinkling wood ash onto wet
> glazes before firing the pieces in my electric kiln (to cone 5 or 6).
> I know that combustibles in an electric kiln are bad for the
> elements. But, my questions is, since ash is already a by-product of
> combustion, will it combust further in the kiln and cause a problem
> for my elements or other pieces being fired at the same time? If
> anyone has done this or has an opinion on it, please let me hear from
> you. Thanks. Althea VailPine Tree PotteryBlackwood, NJ
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: Click Here
>
> _____________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org You may look at the archives
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> http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/ Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson
> who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Dannon Rhudy on sun 7 jul 02
At 11:58 AM 07/07/2002 +0000, you wrote:
....I'd like to experiment with sprinkling wood ash onto wet
glazes before firing the pieces in my electric kiln (to cone 5 or 6).
......
A little bit of ash sprinkled on your wet glazes will not have an
appreciable
effect on your kiln elements, in my opinion. It certainly could not hurt
to
try it a few times. Your bigger problem may be that at cone 5-6 the
ash
may not do much of anything, but there ARE ash glazes for cone six.
You might look for cone six ash (or ash-type) glazes and see what
the composition is. Meanwhile, try sprinkling some on. Most likely,
it will make little "freckles" on the surfaces, and can be quite
attractive.
regards
Dannon Rhudy
Jim V Brooks on sun 7 jul 02
As far as i can tell, ash sprinkled on your cone 6 glazes does not have
an adverse affect of the kiln or elements. I have done this to a number of
glazes and have had some really surprising affects...some good -- some bad..
as you would expect. There are a few combinations that i use over and
over..so some can be very good..!
I have always had a melt of the ash. I suspect that the cone 6 glaze has
enough flux to also take care of the ash melt. Try a few.. on both your
gloss and matt glazes; you may find some that you like a lot. But, do do
some test tiles as the glaze may become runny if a lot of ash is used. Do
not expect the glaze to look like the ash glazes you see all the time that
have been fired to cone 10 or higher...
Good luck........... Jim in Denton.
Steve Mills on mon 8 jul 02
Dear Althea,
The following was passed onto me by the manufacturers Technical
Department when we first started selling Kilns and elements:
Every time a Kiln is fired a microscopically thin layer of oxide is
added to the Element surface, and there is a consequent loss of core
metal from the element (this is what ultimately causes elements to slow
down and fail). This oxide layer also, perversely, protects the element
from damage by other products of firing in what is in reality a very
hostile atmosphere. Burning a combustible material in a kiln partially
or wholly strips away that oxide layer!
There is always some partly burnt content in wood ash, so it would put
your elements at risk to some extent. The best solution would be to
follow your glaze firing with a short EMPTY firing in your kiln up to
just over red heat; this will partly re-establish the oxide layer and
its protective qualities. Don't be tempted to put anything in the kiln
during that curative firing.
Steve
Bath
UK
In message , Althea Vail writes
> Hello all,
>
> I'd like to experiment with sprinkling wood ash onto wet glazes
> befo= re firing the pieces in my electric kiln (to cone 5 or 6). I
> know t= hat combustibles in an electric kiln are bad for the
> elements. But,= my questions is, since ash is already a by-product
> of combustion, will i= t combust further in the kiln and cause a
> problem for my elements or= other pieces being fired at the same
> time?
>
> If anyone has done this or has an opinion on it, please let me hear
> = =66rom you. Thanks.
>
> Althea Vail
> Pine Tree Pottery
> Blackwood, NJ
>
> Chat with friends onlin= e, try MSN Messenger: Click Here
>
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
Bobbruch1@AOL.COM on mon 8 jul 02
Althea: I don't know what effects you are hoping for, but there are a number
of glazes for oxidation firing at cone 6 which contain wood ash. You can find
these in the archives. I have no experience sprinkling ash on a pot in an
electric kiln, although I have found it to produce interesting results at
cone 10 reduction.
<<<From: Althea Vail
Subject: Ash in electric kilns
>>>>>>I'd like to experiment with sprinkling wood ash onto wet glazes before
firing the pieces in my electric kiln (to cone 5 or 6). I know that
combustibles in an electric kiln are bad for the elements. But, my
questions is, since ash is already a by-product of combustion, will it
combust further in the kiln and cause a problem for my elements or other
pieces being fired at the same time? If anyone has done this
or has an opinion on it, please let me hear from you.
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