Craig Dunn Clark on thu 5 feb 04
Don't wear shots. Quite dangerous
Susan, I was happy to stay out of this one until I read the sentence
about shorts somehow being OK when firing raku depending upon the type of
kiln that is being used. This is an INANE statement. If one wants to engage
in foolish activities on ones own personal time in ones own personal studio
so be it. I have personally done so. Openly admit how DUMB it was and is.
However, the public realm is an entirely different place.
To suggest to a beginner that somehow shorts are OK for firing raku is
irresponsible at best! It is foolish! Why on earth would someone not want to
protect their skin when handling pots with molten glaze on them? If the
molten glaze comes in contact with exposed skin the skin is PEELED away.
OUCH!!!!
I've often stated that ignorance is bliss. But when it comes to safety
with 1800 degree pots it is just plain dangerous. The type of kiln will
indeed affect how much heat an individual is exposed to when the door or lid
is opened or the cylinder/whatever shape is raised. A critically dangerous
point is when the pot is in the air held by tongs prior to going into post
firing reduction. Folks who aren't that experienced don't have much skill
with tongs. Group firings are inherently more dangerous, not less, than
those conducted by the lone potter who knows what she is doing.
Since you mentioned one anectdotal example I will site my own. At a
small university in my neck of the woods the adjunct clay instructor was
running free and loose with safety when firing raku. Somehow the idea of
using the proper protective clothing ran against his macho. I complained to
him to no avail so I then informed the department chair who instructed the
man to make sure that safety gear was worn. He started making the students
wear protective clothing, head to toe, but still resisted wearing them
himself. He mumbled some drivel about it being to hot and uncomfortable.
One day while demostrating a firing the knucklehead ended up slipping,
still don't know how that happened, lost his grip of the tongs which
subsequently landed across the upper part of his chest and lower neck as he
fell onto his back. That happened about fifteen years ago. To this day the
man has a scar to remind him of the poor example that he was setting. Hurt
like hell to.
Rant Over
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 st
Houston,Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Susan Setley"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: Â Â Â Re: â? â? â? Re: Raku Newbie Question
> In a message dated 2/4/04 5:49:36 PM, lkneppel@ROCKYRAKU.COM writes:
>
>
> > Excellent suggestions from Susan! I might add:
> >
> > Heavy jacket of non-flammable material (murder on a hot summer day, but
> > better than getting burned)
> >
> >
>
> Honestly I don't think they're necessary. I fire at a public facility and
> they have to be insurance conscious. No one has ever been burned anywhere
that a
> jacket would have protected.
>
> "Shoes not sandals or bare feet."
>
>
> That's a REALLY good point. We don't let people help with the firing in
any
> way (including handling lids for the cans) in sandals. Depending on the
type of
> kiln you have, long pants might be a good idea. Our kiln has a door that
> raises and lowers (not the whole kiln raising and lowering), so it's like
a blast
> furnace when it's opened.
>
>
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