Bonnie Staffel on mon 18 oct 04
Back in the 70's I purchased the Reduction Production Kiln because I really
wanted to do reduction firing without a gas kiln. This one had extra thick
large
electric coils, a sealed lid and poured IFB in a sealed heavy metal
container. In the bottom was a drawer where one added charcoal after the
ware reached temperature so the reduction occurred on the cooling I believe
when the temp reached 2000 deg. I
experimented with many glazes but was never successful in getting a good
reduction glaze. I returned to my low fire copper reduction glaze so
that the purchase of the kiln was not wasted. Here I got beautiful copper
reds without fail. Oh, if I had that kiln now with all you Clayarters to
help me through these problems.
I often wondered why I was not able to achieve a good high fire reduction.
The smoke was there, the kiln was sealed but most of the glazes came out
rather gray, if I remember correctly. Perhaps there should have been a
little reoxidation done at some point to clear the glaze. With that kiln in
mind, when I taught in Denmark, they had a large electric kiln with the same
type of heavy 1" coiled elements with two 1-1/2" diameter tunnels under the
floor of the kiln. There were also tiny holes up into the chamber. On top
there was a half brick sized opening that one could cover with a brick. I
tried my low fire copper reduction glaze, finding a frit that was close to
the one I used in the US. I had a whole kiln load of beautiful copper red
decorated pots really much brighter than I achieved with my own kiln. The
photo on the Gallery page on the upper left, except for the big bowl, were
fired in my RP kiln. These were from my early experiments.
I wish that I had had time to experiment with the kiln in Denmark to do high
fire reduction. when I visited some other potters they had the same kiln
and added wood in these holes and got beautiful stoneware reduction. Seems
like this concept could be adapted here instead of introducing gas or liquid
fuel with resulting flames. Just a thought. The concept is so simple. For
my low fire reduction, I just inserted four used candle tapers in the
tunnels at the proper time. So simple, clean and direct. Just had to put
plugs in the openings of the tunnels. It really is a no brainer if maybe
some of you could look into this concept. No fancy gas controls or lines.
I have been experimenting off and on with low fire copper reds almost my
whole career. I believe I ran into some formulas that one of the old timers
were doing. Maybe Carlton Ball, but I am not sure. First ones tried were
with moth balls thrown in through the peep hole. Then I tried paraffin
wrapped in foil. I didn't like the flash on ignition these materials
created as it crazed the glaze. Recent experiments just for fun were done
in an ancient
Revelation kerosene kiln with some success. Then I put a sealed flower pot
behind the lowest peep hole to contain the flash from the foil wrapped
paraffin. I had read about other types of fuels added to an electric
firing, but I was not able to build these myself. Looked like a Rube
Goldberg contraption.
I have brushed the interior of my electric kiln with ITC but did not coat
the new coils before installing them. Seemed like the age of the previous
coils at
the time I brushed on the ITC did not save them from further deterioration
from oxidation firing. Had to change them after about a year as the kiln
slowed down quite a bit. Often wondered if brushing on the ITC
was too thickly applied. I would like to brush some on but am unable to
reach all of them in my large L&L. I also toyed with the idea of drilling
tunnels under the floor of the kiln to emulate the Danish kilns, but at this
point in my life must get back to basics and stick to pit firing for fun and
experimentation.
Regards,
Bonnie Staffel, Charlevoix, MI.
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