mel jacobson on wed 3 dec 03
it is never a good idea, but, as i say that, i know
that there are times...
a quick run to the hardware store to get two 3/8 inch by 6 inch bolts
so you can fix that damn lawnmower grass catcher for the neighbor.
a run to a dairy queen for a malt.
now here is the proper thinking:
always start your kiln in the a.m. i like to be alone for the
early part. the kiln is not full of red heat, a gas outage
now could be a big bang. i watch it like a hawk.
i stay in the studio with the kiln room door open and
make sure the kiln is started and running as it should.
venting is working, 5 fans are on low. air is moving in
the room and the stack is getting hot.
when the kiln reaches 1750F i put it in light reduction and
take a nap. i have breakfast, and go back out and
do some work in the studio....often not pots, but repair and
other tasks. i know i have about 7 hours of just plain old
firing. all systems are working just fine.
if i run a quick errand during this period, i alert sharlene and she is
aware that
i am gone. if it goes past twenty minutes she may walk
out and check the kiln. two pair of eyes are wonderful when
firing.
the things to watch for are:
heat collecting in the ceiling, and around the stack..
burners sounding funny, surging.
the room seeming smokey or smells
that are not normal. (burning wood smell
makes one get funny poopers.)
kilns have sounds, when all is normal the sounds
are perfect. smells are important, you know when the
kiln is getting done by the smell and the heat on your face
when checking the cones.
when cone 9 starts to move, i stay with the kiln in the
studio. listen to recordings, radio, wander about. get nervous.
i set an oven timer...twenty five minutes. always check before
the damn thing goes off, but i set it anyway.
i have a garden sprayer full of water, set for fine mist.
when the kiln is at cone 10 the heat around it gets a bit
much. i mist the ceiling and rafters. three or four times.
just a precaution.
i have painted all the rafters and wood ceiling with `fire paint`. i love that
stuff. the rafters can take 800F.
i think all the fans that i have set in the kiln room are critical.
keep that air moving. don't let heat get stuck in the ceiling area.
like hank, i have been doing this for 50 years. never had a fire
or a problem. but, i am frightened when i fire...it is like `going to war`.
sorta love/hate. i am always glad when cone 11 is half over, and the
kiln is off.
like hank says. firing down is safe and easy. i do not hang
with the kiln during firing down. just let her go, then turn it
off after three hours.
button it up.
go back to the house.
it is about 8 in the evening.
firing schedule:
start at 5 a.m.
reduce at 7 a.m.
nap
set the kiln and let her
rip til cone 9 about noon to 1 p.m.
cone 11 over about 2 p.m.
cool until about 5 p.m.
down fire til 8 p.m.
this is a normal day firing.
get a great deal done around the studio.
cleaning, make clay, mess with chemicals.
you know. studio stuff.
mel
From:
Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S.A.
web site: my.pclink.com/~melpots
or try: http://www.pclink.com/melpots
new/ http://www.rid-a-tick.com
Marvpots@AOL.COM on thu 4 dec 03
Hi Mel:
Here I thought I was just a nervous old guy afraid of my gas kiln but I do
pretty much what you do, stay close to the scene and devote that day to the gas
kiln; sure, odds and ends in the studio get done too (my kiln is situatuated
just outside the studio, but on the same level and well protected by a two
walled shed, with special heat resistant lining etc.--Donovan Palmquist built it
for me a few years ago.)
Safety precautions are a must wherever there is equipment fired, powered or
otherwise potentially hazardous.
Thanks for keeping the clayart group on course.
All the best.
Marvin Flowerman
Earl Krueger on sat 6 dec 03
On Dec 3, 2003, mel jacobson wrote:
> kilns have sounds, when all is normal the sounds
> are perfect
One of the advantages of growing up on a farm
running equipment at an early age was that I
now have this unconscious ability to detect when
something isn't right by the sounds it makes.
I have a riding lawn mower that has gotten heavy
use for 7 years now. Last summer, while mowing,
I became nervous. Couldn't figure out what was
wrong. Listened carefully and noticed a slight
tick-tick-tick. Checked the mower over thoroughly
and discovered a crack in the belt. New belt, no
tick-tick-tick.
This is why I don't play the radio when I'm driving.
Earl...
Bothell, WA, USA
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