Lili Krakowski on sun 8 aug 04
There are so many possible reasons!
Some I will eliminate in your case, Linda., because you say these things =
did not happen in your previous studio.
But:
As suggested by another Clayarter you could be joining your attachments =
poorly. The only reason I can imagine you would have done it ok in =
your friend's studio but not your own, is that you were using a =
different and more forgiving clay body.
Your friend may have had an old kiln that took its own sweet time =
getting to temp. You say you have a new kiln. I have no idea whether a =
digital kiln would necessarily go faster from stone cold to orange, but =
that might be a factor. Emmanuel Cooper makes a point that new elements =
fire quicker. In fact, FYI, one of the ways of knowing one's elements =
are gettting old is when the time needed to get to desired temp. gets =
longer. As I said I do not know how this applies to digital kilns.
Your friend's studio may have been plain warmer and drier. DO NOT think =
of extremes. Sometimes a studio, because of the way it is built or =
where it is situated, retains heat more at night; warms up earlier in =
the day. Sometimes although there are no whirlwinds (thank the good =
Lord!) there just is a tidge more air movement around the pots there =
than here. =20
My first guess in your case is that the handles etc already are loose =
when they get into the kiln. You just cannot see it. So suggestion 1 =
is: make some tests. Dry 3 pots with handles inside a styrofoam picnic =
cooler, or inside a plastic bag; and three others as you have been =
doing. See if the slower drying of the covered pots solves the problem.
Second guess: as you suggest the pots are not 100% dry. Remember: =
your pots remain/are as humid as the room.
As also suggested by someone else build a hot box, or hot cupboard. =
Or, once your pots are officially dry, place them in the sun for an hour =
or two.
Ah, but how to test! I like newspaper. Just place the pots you think =
are dry on several sheets of newspaper. Leave. If the pots are not =
100% dry they will leave a damp ring on the paper after a few hours, or =
overnight stay. =20
If you can, put the pots in sunlight place a piece of glass over the =
opening of one. Check every 15 m or so if there is a steam mark on the =
underside of the glass. That will tell you if the pot was totally dry =
before exposure.
Last. But again, someone with digital kiln knowldege will have to tell =
you how to do it--"candle" your bisque well, and longer.
On a non-digital kiln that means leaving lid propped open a few inches, =
plugs out, and one element turned on low for several hours=20
(depends on how full, big, kiln is.) The way I check is : close lid, =
plug peepholes except one, hold cool glass jar (old mayo jar) with its =
opening around open peephole. If the jar steams up, go on candling. =
(Re-open, prop lid; reopen peepholes.) When no steaming up, close lid, =
start bisquing.
And lettuce know what happens
Lili
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