mel jacobson on thu 14 oct 04
all i can tell folks is:
it is better thin than thick.
it is a thin, consistent coat over everything...like an
egg shell.
it encapsulates the entire inside of the kiln.
on fibre you can give it a heavy, multi coat. but on soft brick
thin and consistent . never spray it on hard brick. makes no sense.
what itc does is, makes a hard brick surface to a soft brick or fibre.
the most wonderful thing you can do for your health is seal a fibre
kiln in itc 100...then top coat it with 256a/porcelain top coat.
you will know a great deal more about it after you have tried
it once. (again, like sex.) it takes experience of seeing, doing.
no one can teach this over the net.
get the air gun/spray.
it will not hurt anything. it does not come off.
it will not spall.
as to removing the coils if one breaks.
first and foremost, if a coil fails with an itc coated kiln
it will probably break/outside the kiln...at the connection.
often you can just cut off the break, re/attach. it may
take two connectors, but it will be fixable.
if you have to remove the coils...no big deal.
when folks coat the kiln with
gobs of itc...it will fill the channels. if this is the case.
first, you did it wrong..did not follow simple instructions, and
you get slapped...hard, with a ruler. damn nuns.
but, all you can do is pull out the coils, let the old itc pull off.
(a small bit of kiln brick will come with it.) but, what is the big deal?
you replace the coil, re/spray. it may be a bit of a cosmetic deal,
but will not affect the kiln.
far too many people think that a pristine, no cracks, not a blem
kiln is what they must have. the pots don't care.
it is not furniture. it is a tool. a few cracks, a blem or two just
gives the kiln character. it shows you use the damn thing.
i can't tell you how much time has been wasted in my life from
folks asking me how to repair blems in a kiln. screw it. fire the
damn thing. make pots, fire them. sell them.
that is the point.
we want to take good care of tools. clean them, defrag them.
but, i don't put my tools on the table in the living room with
my treasure pots.
they are all alone, in the dark, in a tool box. they like it in there.
all cozy and together. the ultimate tool in your studio is the kiln.
it should be used, look used and be like a tough lumberjack. sorta
tough, heater in the mouth, high boots, plaid shirt. (my god, i just
described phil.) never let a kiln wear `pink lamai`.
(damn wayne would try...)
so, the bottom line.
use common sense. figure it out for yourself, try it.
and you will become our next itc teacher.
mel
here is the information on building a gas/electric kiln
gas/electric kiln.
take one electric kiln.
take it allapart...clean it very well.
brush out all the debris, and wash it.
yes, wash it....brush and water. rinse with a hose.
hard.
drill an inch and a half hole in the bottom center of the kiln and the
lid of the kiln.
order new coils, (euclids would be easy) or the originals.
clean them well with bleach, use a toothbrush.
coat the coils with itc 213 metal coat.
follow itc instructions.. i used a tray for sheet rock mud...long and narrow.
hang them to dry.
wet the inside of the kiln with water..use your sprayer.
spray the entire inside of the electric kiln and the channels for
the coils with an even coat of itc 100.
let it dry.
install coils as to original instructions that came with the kiln.
re/install and check all kiln sitter parts.
make sure the fittings are tight and clean...sandpaper the connections.
make them shine.
spray the entire kiln, coils and all with a coat of itc100...make sure
it is all covered....well.
dry, then fire the kiln to cone 08 or so.
i then sprayed the entire kiln with a coat of itc296a top coat.
let it dry....make sure you spray the holes full that carry the
coils to the outside of the kiln...don't want reduction leaking
out the coils into the electrical.
buy a nice bunsen burner( propane) order from Frey Scientific.
connect it to a 25 pound propane cyl. rubber hose to a propane
connection (pol), then a clamp on the bunsen burner connection.
we installed a regulator.
load and start kiln...we staggered the pots on half shelves.
fire with electric only until you reach 1750F.
turn on the gas, light and place the bunsen burner under the
kiln so that the flame goes up the hole in the bottom.
place a piece of kiln shelf over the top hole a small way, move until
you get an inch or more flame from your spy hole on the side of
the kiln. fire this way til the sitter drops.
we fired to cone 10.
about 5 hours...the gas kicks it up fast...really works well.
turn off gas.
button up kiln...kaowool plugs in the top and bottom holes.
we fired back up at about 1750...as we had a great many
reds in the kiln.
open kiln.
nice red, shino, good body color.
typical stoneware reduction firing.
and a very easy project to make...took about two hours one day.
maybe two hours second day.
mel
perhaps nils will correct or comment on this method.
for the cheapos out there...do not try and itc coat old coils..it
will not work. buy new.
i would not do this with a beat out kiln....try and find a decent
used body....repair cracks and stuff first. you want a clean, tight
soft brick surface to coat with itc.
we used some thin sheets of kaowool as a gasket on the top
rim of the kiln...want that tight.
we fired in the barn, with great cross venting.
you should be able to use standard electric kiln venting.
but, take care, use your head....it will fire hotter than
you are used to...and the reduction must me vented.
we put a piece of kaowool over the hose under the kiln
just so it would not be heat affected. and we protected
the main electric cable of the kiln.
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
Vania Setti on fri 15 oct 04
Mel
It is a great contribution. I have a very old electric Stoker kiln with =
a chamber to introduce gas or coal for reduction. I would like to try =
some reduction in that kiln that can operate to cone 10. I have tried =
cone 11 successfully.
Your tip about coating will help me of course. But where can I buy those =
ITC products? How much I need to buy and How much could they cost?
Thanks.
Vania
----- Original Message -----=20
From: mel jacobson=20
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=20
Sent: quinta-feira, 14 de outubro de 2004 06:18
Subject: itc/3/ questions/gaselectric inst.
all i can tell folks is:
it is better thin than thick.
it is a thin, consistent coat over everything...like an
egg shell.
it encapsulates the entire inside of the kiln.
on fibre you can give it a heavy, multi coat. but on soft brick
thin and consistent . never spray it on hard brick. makes no sense.
what itc does is, makes a hard brick surface to a soft brick or fibre.
the most wonderful thing you can do for your health is seal a fibre
kiln in itc 100...then top coat it with 256a/porcelain top coat.
you will know a great deal more about it after you have tried
it once. (again, like sex.) it takes experience of seeing, doing.
no one can teach this over the net.
get the air gun/spray.
it will not hurt anything. it does not come off.
it will not spall.
as to removing the coils if one breaks.
first and foremost, if a coil fails with an itc coated kiln
it will probably break/outside the kiln...at the connection.
often you can just cut off the break, re/attach. it may
take two connectors, but it will be fixable.
if you have to remove the coils...no big deal.
when folks coat the kiln with
gobs of itc...it will fill the channels. if this is the case.
first, you did it wrong..did not follow simple instructions, and
you get slapped...hard, with a ruler. damn nuns.
but, all you can do is pull out the coils, let the old itc pull off.
(a small bit of kiln brick will come with it.) but, what is the big =
deal?
you replace the coil, re/spray. it may be a bit of a cosmetic deal,
but will not affect the kiln.
far too many people think that a pristine, no cracks, not a blem
kiln is what they must have. the pots don't care.
it is not furniture. it is a tool. a few cracks, a blem or two just
gives the kiln character. it shows you use the damn thing.
i can't tell you how much time has been wasted in my life from
folks asking me how to repair blems in a kiln. screw it. fire the
damn thing. make pots, fire them. sell them.
that is the point.
we want to take good care of tools. clean them, defrag them.
but, i don't put my tools on the table in the living room with
my treasure pots.
they are all alone, in the dark, in a tool box. they like it in =
there.
all cozy and together. the ultimate tool in your studio is the kiln.
it should be used, look used and be like a tough lumberjack. sorta
tough, heater in the mouth, high boots, plaid shirt. (my god, i just
described phil.) never let a kiln wear `pink lamai`.
(damn wayne would try...)
so, the bottom line.
use common sense. figure it out for yourself, try it.
and you will become our next itc teacher.
mel
here is the information on building a gas/electric kiln
gas/electric kiln.
take one electric kiln.
take it allapart...clean it very well.
brush out all the debris, and wash it.
yes, wash it....brush and water. rinse with a hose.
hard.
drill an inch and a half hole in the bottom center of the kiln and the
lid of the kiln.
order new coils, (euclids would be easy) or the originals.
clean them well with bleach, use a toothbrush.
coat the coils with itc 213 metal coat.
follow itc instructions.. i used a tray for sheet rock mud...long and =
narrow.
hang them to dry.
wet the inside of the kiln with water..use your sprayer.
spray the entire inside of the electric kiln and the channels for
the coils with an even coat of itc 100.
let it dry.
install coils as to original instructions that came with the kiln.
re/install and check all kiln sitter parts.
make sure the fittings are tight and clean...sandpaper the =
connections.
make them shine.
spray the entire kiln, coils and all with a coat of itc100...make sure
it is all covered....well.
dry, then fire the kiln to cone 08 or so.
i then sprayed the entire kiln with a coat of itc296a top coat.
let it dry....make sure you spray the holes full that carry the
coils to the outside of the kiln...don't want reduction leaking
out the coils into the electrical.
buy a nice bunsen burner( propane) order from Frey Scientific.
connect it to a 25 pound propane cyl. rubber hose to a propane
connection (pol), then a clamp on the bunsen burner connection.
we installed a regulator.
load and start kiln...we staggered the pots on half shelves.
fire with electric only until you reach 1750F.
turn on the gas, light and place the bunsen burner under the
kiln so that the flame goes up the hole in the bottom.
place a piece of kiln shelf over the top hole a small way, move until
you get an inch or more flame from your spy hole on the side of
the kiln. fire this way til the sitter drops.
we fired to cone 10.
about 5 hours...the gas kicks it up fast...really works well.
turn off gas.
button up kiln...kaowool plugs in the top and bottom holes.
we fired back up at about 1750...as we had a great many
reds in the kiln.
open kiln.
nice red, shino, good body color.
typical stoneware reduction firing.
and a very easy project to make...took about two hours one day.
maybe two hours second day.
mel
perhaps nils will correct or comment on this method.
for the cheapos out there...do not try and itc coat old coils..it
will not work. buy new.
i would not do this with a beat out kiln....try and find a decent
used body....repair cracks and stuff first. you want a clean, tight
soft brick surface to coat with itc.
we used some thin sheets of kaowool as a gasket on the top
rim of the kiln...want that tight.
we fired in the barn, with great cross venting.
you should be able to use standard electric kiln venting.
but, take care, use your head....it will fire hotter than
you are used to...and the reduction must me vented.
we put a piece of kaowool over the hose under the kiln
just so it would not be heat affected. and we protected
the main electric cable of the kiln.
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
=
_________________________________________________________________________=
_____
Send postings to =
clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from =
http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at =
melpots@pclink.com.
| |
|
