Heidi Haugen on fri 3 dec 04
I believe that several of us are coming at this comparison from
different angles.
For me it is not as much about safety/fire as it is about my
relationship with my kiln, my pots and my process. I agree with Wayne
that this is not a craft for those who wish to turn it on and expect to
come back to an automatically shut off kiln, ready to open with a load
of spectacular pots.
I imagine that I take more offense to the comparison of kilns and
dishwashers because I've worked very hard to understand the way my kiln
functions and fires and all it's quirks and whatnot. My pots/glazes
work because I work at them. I really believe that witness cones are
the only way to go... there is about 0% chance of an over/under fire if
you're present at the end and checking the cones.
I don't babysit my kiln every 15 minutes but I do get up in the middle
of the night, several nights a week to turn it up. I always complete a
firing in the a.m. and am always there. I soak and slow cool. I know
this machine.
I just don't enjoy a flippant attitude about kilns..so the fact that
some of you view it as just another appliance makes me sad I guess.
Heidi Haugen West Glacier. USA
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