Sherrill Eatherly on wed 14 may 03
I know that my white crackle is ready by watching it through the spy =
hole. It gets all bubbly and warty looking at first, then it smoothes =
out to an even texture. I know the glaze is mature then. If you want =
lots of crackle, expose it to some air before you reduce it, blow on it =
or get someone else to, that's what causes the glaze to crack, the =
sudden change in temperature, then when you reduce it, you'll see finer =
crackle. You can even sit it out on a cinder block briefly and then =
reduce it, if the newspaper doesn't start fire immediately, just ignite =
it.
My first firing is usually around an hour to warm things up slowly, =
after that, it depends on the piece. For most pots it is usually 20-30 =
minutes. If it is a larger piece or a piece of sculpture, I go slower.
I don't pay attention to psi when I fire, I listen to the hiss of the =
burners and gradually turn them up. One way to monitor the temperature =
is with the use of a perometer, it's not real accurate because placement =
of your pots will not be the same and the hottest part is always down by =
the flames. As you get to know your firing process related to the =
perometer, you'll know how to gage the temperature and also by the red =
glow of the kiln itself if it is a fiber kiln.=20
I open up the flu to let more oxygen in to get the flame hotter, then =
close it up some if I want to reduce the pots before I remove them.
Hope this helps.
Leland G. Hall on wed 14 may 03
Hello Sherrill,
The below is all good information, and I am thankful. I wonder if you
would also be willing to tell us what clay you are using and what is your
percentage rate of breakage due to thermal shock? I am looking for a more
dependable raku clay. Thanks in advance.
Leland Hall
Before The Wheel Enterprises
On Wed, 14 May 2003 13:53:50 -0500, Sherrill Eatherly
wrote:
>I know that my white crackle is ready by watching it through the spy hole.
It gets all bubbly and warty looking at first, then it smoothes out to an
even texture. I know the glaze is mature then. If you want lots of crackle,
expose it to some air before you reduce it, blow on it or get someone else
to, that's what causes the glaze to crack, the sudden change in
temperature, then when you reduce it, you'll see finer crackle. You can
even sit it out on a cinder block briefly and then reduce it, if the
newspaper doesn't start fire immediately, just ignite it.
>My first firing is usually around an hour to warm things up slowly, after
that, it depends on the piece. For most pots it is usually 20-30 minutes.
If it is a larger piece or a piece of sculpture, I go slower.
>I don't pay attention to psi when I fire, I listen to the hiss of the
burners and gradually turn them up. One way to monitor the temperature is
with the use of a perometer, it's not real accurate because placement of
your pots will not be the same and the hottest part is always down by the
flames. As you get to know your firing process related to the perometer,
you'll know how to gage the temperature and also by the red glow of the
kiln itself if it is a fiber kiln.
>I open up the flu to let more oxygen in to get the flame hotter, then
close it up some if I want to reduce the pots before I remove them.
>Hope this helps.
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
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