Catherine White on sat 6 sep 03
Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes =
without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it =
manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite =
diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule. =
The kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an =
independent thinker.........
Regards from
Catherine's Studio=20
(aka the garage)=20
in Yuma, AZ
Ababi on sun 7 sep 03
Hello friend!
From what that I understood from the book you have to do it this way:
Be near the kiln at the top. (Anyway where you live or I; we have the
same heat in and out of the kiln room.)
I don't remember exactly, you have to help the kiln, let say it has to
cool down100C in an hour and after 30 minutes these 100C has arrived:
You must keep it soaking for the next30 minutes in the temperature you
have arrived to. The glaze addict does it only with crystal glazes!
Because he wants to runaway to his air-conditioned home!
Ababi Sharon
Glaze addict
Kibbutz Shoval Israel
ababisha@shoval.org.il
http://members4.clubphoto.com/ababi306910
http://www.matrix2000.co.nz/Matrix%20Demo/Ababi.htm
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Catherine
White
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 4:35 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Cone 6 Firing Schedules........
Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it
manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite
diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule.
The kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an
independent thinker.........
Regards from
Catherine's Studio
(aka the garage)
in Yuma, AZ
Dewitt on sun 7 sep 03
At 07:34 PM 9/6/2003 -0700, Catherine White wrote:
>Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
>without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it
>manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite
>diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule. The
>kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an independent
>thinker.........
Ron and John have a simple suggestion on how to do this in their book -
after you hit cone 6, turn all the switches to medium for four hours. It's
not precise or exact, but it works for me and yielded one nice
surprise. Licorice gives me a nice black "teadust" effect. For pure
black, just shorten or eliminate the soak.
deg
Marcia Selsor on sun 7 sep 03
I was playing around with the new computer controller on my friend's new
Olympic kiln. I fired it and added a 30 minute soak at ^6. It made a
BIG difference in the glazes.
That would be easy to do if you were around when the kiln hit temp.
Just push the button back on, the shut-off lever will rest on it,
turn it on med. hi for 30 minutes. maybe use a pyrometer to wtch the
temp. Play with the settings until you get it right.
Marcia
Catherine White wrote:
> Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule. The kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an independent thinker.........
>
> Regards from
> Catherine's Studio
> (aka the garage)
> in Yuma, AZ
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
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John Hesselberth on sun 7 sep 03
Hi Catherine,
You can do it manually with the help of your thermocouple. Just don't
let your kiln sitter turn the kiln off. There is quite a bit of
latitude, although better control will give you more reproducible
results. Just turn your kiln off or on low after you have reached peak
temperature and have soaked as long as you want. Then start cranking it
back up as you approach 1900F. I find that 125F/hr (2F/min) between
1900 and 1400 is about right for me. You can pretty quickly find
switch settings that will get you close to this. Somewhere around
medium should give you rate of temperature fall, but that will vary
depending on how new your elements are, how full your kiln is, etc.
Give it a try and good luck.
Regards,
John
On Saturday, September 6, 2003, at 10:34 PM, Catherine White wrote:
> Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
> without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it
> manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite
> diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule.
> The kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an
> independent thinker.........
http://www.frogpondpottery.com
http://www.masteringglazes.com
Ron Roy on mon 8 sep 03
Hi Catherine,
You must tell us what kind of switches you have - Low, Med and High - or
infinite?
Best thing is to have a pyrometer - then you can turn switches up, down or
off till you get the results you want.
best kiln of pyrometer would be the digital kind - because they tell you
what is happening immediatly and you can make adjustments faster.
>Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
>without a computer controller? What would be involved in doing it
>manually? I have a thermocouple and usually watch over the kiln quite
>diligently, but am not sure I could maintain an exacting a schedule. The
>kiln heats at its own capacity rather than my wishes. It's an independent
>thinker.........
>
>Regards from
> Catherine's Studio
> (aka the garage)
> in Yuma, AZ
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
Catherine White on tue 9 sep 03
Ron,
My kiln is a very old Crusader approx 24" x 24" interior.
It has six, infinitely variable switches, all functional. I can fire the
kiln manually.
My partner installed the Dawson LT3KR controller which is not a computerized
controller. This LT3KR allows a ramping time to be set for "x" number of
hours. At the end of the selected time, the kiln will be firing on high and
continue til the kiln sitter actuates. Supposedly, the relays will maintain
a steady heat rise.
I'm buying your book next week! It'll be fun going from ^10 to ^6. Since I
do no functional ware at this time, the ^10 Sonora White Sculptural, Tecate
Gold, and Black Mountain clays should be OK fired lower. Or, no?
Regards from
Catherine's Studio
(aka the garage)
in Yuma, AZ
=================================================
----- Original Message -----
> Ron wrote:
> You must tell us what kind of switches you have - Low, Med and High - or
> infinite?
> Best thing is to have a pyrometer - then you can turn switches up, down or
> off till you get the results you want.
>
> best kiln of pyrometer would be the digital kind - because they tell you
> what is happening immediatly and you can make adjustments faster.
>
======================================
> >Catherine wrote:
> >Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
> >without a computer controller?
Catherine White on tue 9 sep 03
John, Ababi, and Marcia,
Thanks for all the input. I see more personal involvement in future
firings. At present, it's three hours on low, three hours on med, go to
high, and let 'er rip til the kiln sitter actuates as I lie in bed sleeping.
John, your info is printed out for reference. It may be a while but I will
post my first firing results to ClayArt. What fun to go to all the test
results that various folks have on their websites!
Regards and thanks to all from
Catherine's Studio
(aka the garage)
in Yuma, AZ
================================
----- Original Message -----
> You can do it manually with the help of your thermocouple
> John
=================================
Catherine White wrote:
>
> > Is it too difficult to get good results from Ron's and John's glazes
> > without a computer controller?
Snail Scott on wed 10 sep 03
At 04:07 PM 9/9/03 -0700, you wrote:
>Since I
>do no functional ware at this time, the ^10 Sonora White Sculptural, Tecate
>Gold, and Black Mountain clays should be OK fired lower. Or, no?
Function is as function does! ;)
Many ^10 clays look fine at ^6 and take
the glazes OK, but would not be good for
outdoor sculpture in freezing climates.
Indoor decorative work would not have this
drawback, though the clay will probably
be less strong than a ^6 clay fired to ^6.
It's a common practice, though, and many
clay manufacturers recognize it by marking
their ^10 clays '^5-10' or some such. It
won't be fully vitrified, but for most
purposes, it'll probably work OK.
-Snail
Cat Yassin on wed 10 sep 03
In a message dated 9/9/2003 10:12:14 PM Central Daylight Time,
ncwhite@ADELPHIA.NET writes:
> Since I
> do no functional ware at this time, the ^10 Sonora White Sculptural, Tecate
> Gold, and Black Mountain clays should be OK fired lower. Or, no?
>
Catherine, I've used the Tecate Gold (lovely clay color) for sculptural
pieces and only bisqued fired them to 04. Since they aren't functional ware I just
needed the clay bisqued to hold its shape and no need to go higher.
-Cat Yassin
Ron Roy on thu 11 sep 03
Hi Cathrine,
With that kind of switch control you will be able to drop at just about any
speed you want.
Does your controller have a pyrometer read out? If so it's going to be simple.
When you have reached top temp - you will know by looking at the large cone
you have set about 4" from your spy hole - if the kiln has not shut off -
start turning switches down - particularly the ones that control the
elements in the hottest part of your kiln - leave the elements on full in
the coldest parts of your kiln - you will know which is which by having
cones at all levels for a while.
You can hold for a short soak (start soaking before your cone has dropped
to where you want it) or just start your slow cooling right away.
If the kiln shuts off before your cone 6 drops enough - start the kiln
again so that the cone drops - then start with the switches.
Make sure your kiln room is well ventilated - if you are hanging around it
there will be fumes.
If the temp does not fall fast enough turn the switches down more - piece
of cake.
Note every change you make time, temp and degrees F or C. for every firing
you do - you will then know what to change if you need to.
RR
>My kiln is a very old Crusader approx 24" x 24" interior.
>It has six, infinitely variable switches, all functional. I can fire the
>kiln manually.
>My partner installed the Dawson LT3KR controller which is not a computerized
>controller. This LT3KR allows a ramping time to be set for "x" number of
>hours. At the end of the selected time, the kiln will be firing on high and
>continue til the kiln sitter actuates. Supposedly, the relays will maintain
>a steady heat rise.
>
>I'm buying your book next week! It'll be fun going from ^10 to ^6. Since I
>do no functional ware at this time, the ^10 Sonora White Sculptural, Tecate
>Gold, and Black Mountain clays should be OK fired lower. Or, no?
>
>Regards from
> Catherine's Studio
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
Lewis on thu 11 sep 03
The below seems to answer the question I asked in my post "Soak time and
effective cone".
I'm assuming now that the 'correct' cone takes account of the effect of
slow heating (obviously), the soak (but some say soak after cone
reached) and slow cooling (if there is any 'heatwork' in that).
Would that be right?
Lewis
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of Ron Roy
> Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2003 6:53 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Re: Cone 6 Firing Schedules........
> ,Snip>
> You can hold for a short soak (start soaking before your cone has
dropped
> to where you want it) or just start your slow cooling right away.
>
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