June Perry on sat 12 jul 03
Mel,
I was intrigued by your fast firing experiment. How long did you reduce at
1750F? Also, is there a reason you chose to use wood for reduction at that
temperature instead of just using the gas and damper control?
Another question came to mind reading your note. Wouldn't just fast firing up
to 1750F then slowing and reducing at that temperature and resuming fast fire
to cone 10 shutting off the kiln do the same thing.
I might just try that in my little electric test kiln along with the mini gas
burner Nils made for me a few years ago, as soon as I change my tired
elements.
Thanks,
June Perry
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/shambhalapottery/
karen terpstra on sun 13 jul 03
Hi June,
I=92ll butt in here with our experience with the Bailey kiln at school.
After Nils was here last March, we started fast firing up to 1550 which
is when we start reduction. Then we clam it up and shut it off. Nils
is right, no reason to mess around with a low, medium, high routine. We
found that if the kiln is stacked like it should be=85 a bit loose. We
get even temperature and our normal reduction. The advantage for us in a
school situation was that it saves us a few hours of time and money
(although we don=92t have to pay for the gas at school). However we =
found
at the end of the semester when work was thrown in, packed tight,
uneven, you name it=85 the kiln would not fire evenly. That is always a
problem at the end of the semester. Students stack and fire the kilns
and someone always has to learn the hard way. Nevertheless, the cones
were much more uneven (1 to 1 =BD cones difference) with the fast fire =
and
difficult if not impossible to correct at the end. So, sounds like when
we are in that situation again with unevenness we should down fire just
to even out both temperature and reduction. Mel=92s right, I think it
just takes experimenting with your own kiln and experiment with the way
you like to fire and reduce.
=20
Karen Terpstra
La Crosse, WI
=20
-----------------------------
=20
Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 11:36:59 EDT
From: June Perry
Subject: MEL - fast fire question
=20
Mel,
=20
=85Wouldn't just fast firing up
to 1750F then slowing and reducing at that temperature and resuming fast
fire
to cone 10 shutting off the kiln do the same thing=85
=20
=20
=20
June Perry on mon 14 jul 03
Dear Karen,
As I told you in another email, I wouldn't count on firing down evening out
the temperature with a cone or cone and a half difference. Mel drops that kiln
fast to 1900 F and holds for a couple of hours. That gives added heat work but
I don't think that is going to necessarily be enough heat to bring a cone 9
to a cone 10 level. It will probably be nice for the glazes though.
Maybe Mel can step in here and tell us if that fast firing gave him a even
temperature throughout, and if that hold at 1900 did indeed even out the firing.
Regards,
June
http://www.angelfire.com/art2/shambhalapottery/
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