Gene Arnold on wed 14 jul 04
I installed new elements in my kiln today. No problem with the =
installation, all went well.
What I am wondering is, I have heard it mentioned on clay art that one =
should fire the kiln empty the first time. Is this true??? If so why =
should you do this and at what temperature??? Seems like a waste of a =
firing to me unless you gain some element life out of it,
Gene & Latonna
mudduck@mudduckpottery.com
www.mudduckpottery.com
Arnold Howard on thu 15 jul 04
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Arnold"
What I am wondering is, I have heard it mentioned on clay art that one
should fire the kiln empty the first time. Is this true??? If so why should
you do this and at what temperature??? Seems like a waste of a firing to me
unless you gain some element life out of it,
----------------
My opinion: Firing the kiln empty after you have installed new elements is
not essential, especially if you use a downdraft kiln vent. Firing it empty,
though, doesn't hurt anything either.
The main reason we recommend firing the kiln empty after you have installed
elements is to make sure the kiln is firing properly. It gives you a chance
to observe the kiln.
Firing the kiln empty the first time is mainly for new kilns. It gives the
owner a chance to become familiar with the kiln, and it dries out moisture
in the firebricks. In the initial firing of a new kiln, position the empty
shelves evenly throughout the firing chamber as if they had ware on them.
The initial firing should be around cone 01. Before firing the kiln, make
sure the elements are seated properly in their grooves. Shipping can
dislodge the elements. The elements must be seated all the way into the back
of the corners. Cone 01 is hot enough to soften the elements to the point
where they will not support their own weight. Thus, they conform to the
shape of the grooves. This keeps the elements from sagging out of their
grooves later.
Sincerely,
Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
arnoldhoward@att.net / www.paragonweb.com
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