Paul Herman on mon 21 feb 05
Hi Bruce,
We use draw rings in the salt chamber here at Great Basin Pottery. I'll
try to give you some answers below, amidst.
----------
>From: Bruce Girrell
> 1) Since a peep hole is a very restricted access, how do you get something
> in there, successfully nab something off of a shelf, and get it back out
> through the hole? Raku tongs aren't going to fit, that's for sure. Do you
> use a long crochet hook sort of thing?
We have a peephole 2.5" X 2.5". The draw rings are about 1.5" X 1.5".
They are placed in the kiln along with the setting of pots.
> 2) Is the retrieval tool made of any particular material that helps prevent
> it from stucking to the molten glaze?
No, it's a 4'-5' length of 1/2 inch 'rebar'.
> 3) How do you actually make the draw rings? How big would one have to be to
> get a meaningful result? How do you keep from knocking the whole lot of them
> over when it's hard to see anything at cone 10?
They're made from a coil of clay, shaped like a stirrup, so it stands on
it's own. We set them in a staggered line so you can hook them out one
after another. To see better, wear welding goggles or a facemask.
> 4) What is the best way to arrange the samples near the port? In an arc
> shape or in a straight line? Something else?
Usually we do five rings, 'staggered' back and forth seems to work. We
hook one out and drop it into a bucket of water. Then examine the salt
glaze, and proceed.
> 5) Do you make any attempt to control the cooling? Do they tend to shatter?
No and no.
> 6) What have you learned _not_ to do?
This one's taken me a long time to figure out. Don't sacrifice your
artistic aesthetics or vision for the sake of the marketplace.
good firings,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
http://www.greatbasinpottery.com/
>
> Bruce Girrell in snowy northern Michigan
> Still working on iron saturated glazes
Bruce Girrell on mon 21 feb 05
So, like the title says, how do you actually _do_ it? Basically, you have to
get your samples close to an access port, such as a peep hole and then, at
certain points, you reach in and pull one out. Sounds good on paper but...
1) Since a peep hole is a very restricted access, how do you get something
in there, successfully nab something off of a shelf, and get it back out
through the hole? Raku tongs aren't going to fit, that's for sure. Do you
use a long crochet hook sort of thing?
2) Is the retrieval tool made of any particular material that helps prevent
it from stucking to the molten glaze?
3) How do you actually make the draw rings? How big would one have to be to
get a meaningful result? How do you keep from knocking the whole lot of them
over when it's hard to see anything at cone 10?
4) What is the best way to arrange the samples near the port? In an arc
shape or in a straight line? Something else?
5) Do you make any attempt to control the cooling? Do they tend to shatter?
6) What have you learned _not_ to do?
Bruce Girrell in snowy northern Michigan
Still working on iron saturated glazes
John Britt on mon 21 feb 05
Bruce,
I have made many types depending on the size of the spy hole. Sounds like
you may want a small coil pinched in a loop. That way you can use a metal
rod that is pointed to "pull" it out. Simply put it in the middle of the
ring and lift and pull it out. It is difficult but with a bit of practice
you get good at it.
You can also extrude hollow tubes and cut them.
Hope it helps,
John Britt
www.johnbrittpottery.com
Vince Pitelka on mon 21 feb 05
> So, like the title says, how do you actually _do_ it? Basically, you have
> to
> get your samples close to an access port, such as a peep hole and then, at
> certain points, you reach in and pull one out. Sounds good on paper but...
Bruce -
Generally, when draw rings are used, a larger port is provided to simplify
removal.
The retrieval tool is just a steel rod, 1/4" or 3/8", with a slight upturn
on the end very end to minimize the chance of the draw ring slipping off
after you have snagged it.
Since the rod is inserted cold, it doesn't stick to the glaze.
I like to bend a loop in the other end of the rod to provide a handle. Make
the loop line up with the hook in the business end, but make it bend in the
opposite direction, so you always know what the business end is doing.
I make draw rings out of a 3/8" coil of clay bent in a loop with about a
1/2" hole in the center, and where the two ends overlap at the bottom I
press down to provide a stable base so that the ring stands up straight.
You don't want them falling over when you try to snag them.
The best thing is to arrange them in one row front to back, or if the port
is large enough, you can arrange two parallel rows front to back, so you
snag the front one first, then the next one, etc. Space them apart just
enough that you can snag a ring without knocking over the next one. As long
as you are careful, and as long as you make them so that they are stable,
there generally isn't any problem.
They do not shatter. You can drop them in cold water as soon as you pull
them. You must realize that they only offer a measure of the degree of
gloss at that moment of the firing, and lilttle indication of what the
glazes will look like on the wares when the kiln cools. But they are
generally used for determining salt or soda deposition, and they are the
best indicator for that. You will quickly get used to using them.
I have heard people talk about using draw rings to determine the maturity of
cone 10 glazes, but that could be pretty fickle, since it doesn't take into
consideration the reoxidation and crystal growth that normally take place
during cooling.
Assuming that you are using these draw rings for salt or soda firing, be
sure to place them on a freshly shelf-washed area, and apply shelf wash to
the bottoms of the draw rings as well. Some people put their draw rings in
green, but I always bisque-fire them to ensure that they don't pop during
quick heat climb.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Rod Wuetherick on mon 21 feb 05
Bruce,
Draw rings are very easy.
Just make a ring that stands say 1" high and perhaps 1/2" thick. flatten it
on the bottom so that it stands up. You can bisque or once glaze them
depending on what you want.
All you do is line them up in front of a spy hole and hook them out with a
metal poker.
I always just dropped them in a bucket of warm'ish water.
Peace,
Rod
Hank Murrow on mon 21 feb 05
On Feb 21, 2005, at 2:09 PM, Bruce Girrell wrote:
> So, like the title says, how do you actually _do_ it? Basically, you
> have to
> get your samples close to an access port, such as a peep hole and
> then, at
> certain points, you reach in and pull one out. Sounds good on paper
> but...
>
> 1) Since a peep hole is a very restricted access, how do you get
> something
> in there, successfully nab something off of a shelf, and get it back
> out
> through the hole? Raku tongs aren't going to fit, that's for sure. Do
> you
> use a long crochet hook sort of thing?
Dear Bruce;
I use a piece of stainless steel, 1/4" diameter that reaches in through
a smallish spy (1.5" diameter) to hook small rings which I give a
texture to to see variations in how the glaze breaks.
> 2) Is the retrieval tool made of any particular material that helps
> prevent
> it from stucking to the molten glaze?
Sometimes (hardly ever) it sticks, but not a problem.
> 3) How do you actually make the draw rings? How big would one have to
> be to
> get a meaningful result?
I roll out a smallish coil (3/8" diameter) on a cord-covered paddle
(for texture) and then roll the coil around my finger and press onto
the canvas-covered table to join and flatten the bottom.
> How do you keep from knocking the whole lot of them
> over when it's hard to see anything at cone 10?
> 4) What is the best way to arrange the samples near the port? In an arc
> shape or in a straight line? Something else?
I line them up in front of the cones in a row on the diagonal, so I can
hook just one at a time.
Like so..... __
__
__
__
__
__
__ etc.
^
> 5) Do you make any attempt to control the cooling? Do they tend to
> shatter?
No, but if it were desirable, one could pop them into a toaster oven on
high. Stoneware or porcelain, mine do not shatter.
> 6) What have you learned _not_ to do?
Pull them past the spy hole too fast, thereby losing it.
>
> Bruce Girrell in snowy northern Michigan
> Still working on iron saturated glazes
You will love what draw rings will reveal about these glazes!
Cheers, Hank in Eugene........ see you at NCECA?
>
www.murrow.biz/hank
Lee Love on wed 23 feb 05
My teacher used small tiles, about a half inch by an inch square.
They are cut out of a bisqued yunomi body. A hole is drilled in the
center. A rod is used to draw them. On end, it is bent at a 45*
angle and comes to a point on the end. The hook is placed in the hole
and then the rod is turned. The tile is picked up with the turn, with
the hook pointing up. The rod and tile are brought to a kiln shelf
and then the rod is turned over and the tile falls off. If it is
sticking, the rod point is tapped on the kiln shelf and the tile usually
falls off.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!
Steve Mills on wed 23 feb 05
In message <4213561000002936@mercury.acers>, Automatic digest processor
writes
>1) Since a peep hole is a very restricted access, how do you get something
>in there, successfully nab something off of a shelf, and get it back out
>through the hole? Raku tongs aren't going to fit, that's for sure. Do you
>use a long crochet hook sort of thing?
Yes; 12 ins long minimum
>2) Is the retrieval tool made of any particular material that helps prevent
>it from stucking to the molten glaze?
I have always used a thin steel rod
>3) How do you actually make the draw rings? How big would one have to be to
>get a meaningful result? How do you keep from knocking the whole lot of them
>over when it's hard to see anything at cone 10?
roll a thinnish sausage of clay, stick one end onto the other to make a
ring (that goes through the spy) and flatten so that it stands up,
bisque fire.
>4) What is the best way to arrange the samples near the port? In an arc
>shape or in a straight line? Something else?
stagger them in a zigzag so that you don't get 2 at once
>5) Do you make any attempt to control the cooling? Do they tend to shatter?
No and No (sanded clay anyway)
>6) What have you learned _not_ to do?
touch them when they're hot!
>
>Bruce Girrell in snowy northern Michigan
>Still working on iron saturated glazes
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
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