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firing unknown clay in a bowl

updated wed 19 jan 05

 

Joanne D. Phillips on tue 18 jan 05


If I fire a small tea bowl of unknown clay type inside of an (already fired
to cone 6) bowl that I'm willing to trash, that should prevent damage to the
kiln if it is actually low fire clay and melts. Correct? Just double-checking.
Joanne

Snail Scott on tue 18 jan 05


At 06:16 AM 1/18/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>If I fire a small tea bowl of unknown clay type inside of an (already fired
>to cone 6) bowl that I'm willing to trash, that should prevent damage to the
>kiln if it is actually low fire clay and melts. Correct? Just
double-checking.


Yep. You could just use an unfired bowl made
of known clay, too. Just be sure they don't
nest tightly.

-Snail

Ann Brink on tue 18 jan 05


Only one more thing...if it's a low fire talc body, at a certain stage it
will foam and take up lots of space. Allow room around it and above it. I
couldn't believe my eyes when, several years ago I had a mixup and several
low fire pieces got in my cone 7 glaze firing. Just happened to turn the
kiln off at the foamy stage, so they cooled that way. Yes, new elements.

Ann Brink in Lompoc CA


Subject: Firing Unknown Clay in a bowl


> If I fire a small tea bowl of unknown clay type inside of an (already
fired
> to cone 6) bowl that I'm willing to trash, that should prevent damage to
the
> kiln if it is actually low fire clay and melts. Correct? Just
double-checking.
> Joanne
>
>.

pdp1@EARTHLINK.NET on tue 18 jan 05


Hi Joanne,


Yes, this is a good method, in fact, if you intend to go out
and find Natural clays, and wish to test them, it is good to
make a lot of these small Bowls to do so in.


Sometimes you get a nice little glassy puddle, and or find
you are on your way to a really cool Glaze. A few more easy
tests sometimes and a Glaze is arrived at impirically for
the cone in question, from Natural Clays which themselves
would not stand the cone...

But no matter, it protects the Shelves of course, and limits
the spread of whatever an unknown Clay may do at some Cone.

Phil
el ve


----- Original Message -----
From: "Joanne D. Phillips"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 3:16 AM
Subject: Firing Unknown Clay in a bowl


> If I fire a small tea bowl of unknown clay type inside of
an (already fired
> to cone 6) bowl that I'm willing to trash, that should
prevent damage to the
> kiln if it is actually low fire clay and melts. Correct?
Just double-checking.
> Joanne
>
>
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