mel jacobson on sat 9 apr 05
i am of the mind set that each potter
sorta picks a temp/heat work that suits
them. period. then matches clay and glaze and a
kiln...to that temp.
it matters not what temp/heat work you pick..
it is that you study it. work it.
understand it. and then get the tools to do the job.
if you are doing high temp electric...great.
just be aware that your tools (kiln) will take
a beating. so what? replace it when it wears
out. that is a part of doing business. same for
coils. replace them. coat them with itc 213/100.
do what it takes.
i just sold my 12 year old pickup truck. i need a new
one. just part of doing business. why is it so many
people will buy a new car/spend 25,000 bucks and whine
about their kiln wearing out.? silly. keep the car/get a kiln.
the kiln is more important. it is your life.
place a kaowool blanket on the bottom inside of the
kiln. attach a blanket inside the cover with itc 100.
spray that. don't think outside, think inside.
it you are doing salt firing...the kiln takes huge whacks.
salt kills a kiln. so what? make a new one. it is the affect
you want...salt. soda/salt///hard on kilns...it does not mean
we do not use it.
we are going to build a salt/soda kiln for
marta this summer. it will be soft brick. we are going to dip
the bricks in itc100 use it as mortar, and veneer the inside of the kiln with
kaowool dipped in itc 100. nils has been working on this problem
too. dipping the entire brick in itc 100. we know people will
say...`god that is expensive.`. so what? what is the cost of
building a new salt kiln? every three years.
short term thinkers...they never win the race.
same for high temp electric. you go in with your eyes open.
in fact, i would use the K-blanket after the firing is over. slow
down the cooling. down fire the kiln...turn it back on at
1900, 1700, 1200F. an hour each. it will cost what it costs to fire.
but fast cooling is the killer of the glazes
cone ten electric costs a great deal more than cone 6.
so what? you pay the bill, get on with it. you cannot have
it both ways. and that is what i often hear on clayart.
`how can i do it, without paying the price?` can't be done.
it is a part of doing business. if wes wants to fire to cone 13 electric
that is his business. go for it wes.
if you want reduction affects in an electric kiln...make better
glazes. but, why have that affect? buy and fire a gas kiln.
make a hybrid.
each kiln has a style of its own. don't make one do what the
other does best. do and make your kiln the best at what you do.
it drives me crazy....`oh, mel....tell me how to get your glazes
in my old skutt 181`. i don't fire a skutt 181 for glaze...i fire
a 45 cubic foot gas kiln. `well, tell me anyway how i can do it.`
time for the 2x4.
the finest compliment i have received about the cone 13/ox
chinese glazes came from nils. he said....`the best thing here
is that mel has the courage to fire to cone 13...he did it`.
and, that is the key. it was the temp i thought we had to go to...to
get what we wanted...and there it was. it is the heat work
area that i need to achieve what i want...joe wants. so, a few
kiln shelves get plastered with glaze...runny temmoku. so what?
clean it up..get on with it. the three hundred pots that made
the grade at cone 13 are stunners. we solved the problem.
gold temmoku. those that have held those pots know what i
am talking about. those pots tell the whole story. heat work,
a temp that was needed.
the tools can be replaced, fixed, paid for. the pots
are here now...they exist. they have tremendous value.
and, my itc coated soft brick flat top kiln has not moved
a 1/32 of an inch. it is like new. it loves cone 13. and will
for a long time to come. about 300 firings so far. that kiln
was made for high temp. that has always been my thing...cone
11+. i like heat work. i like glazes that move, blend...i love
layers. that is why joe and i blend so well. it is what i have
been doing for 30 years. it was not a new thing at all. he just
found the right guy at the right time.
(a hare's fur teabowl/chinese/1150 sold for $25,000 bucks
last week in tokyo. there is a huge collectors stampede for
this glaze. nice time to be doing it. )
mel
the iron saga show opens at the AMOCA/LOS ANGELES tonight.
they have 25 of our small bowls/spaced around the show of mr.
wang along with 25 old chinese pieces.
samples of what will come may 14th. we are pumped.
(joe and i gave the first 25 pots in this study to the AMOCA as
a gift. a fund raiser....a starter. as it should be.)
mel jacobson/minnetonka/minnesota/usa
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
http://www.rid-a-tick.com
luckisprepaid
Fred Hagen on sat 9 apr 05
Mel, Well said , inside all of your great artistic ability you have a successful businessman's mind . Use the best equipment and materials you can possibly afford and you are more likely to get the results you want--don't skimp on the things that will make you money--its what allows you to make money. If the equipment wears out replace it with even better equipment ( or elements) I am an ex banker and have worked with thousands of businesses in my career --Mel's philosophy is right on target for those that are most successful.
Fred Hagen
mel jacobson wrote:
i am of the mind set that each potter
sorta picks a temp/heat work that suits
them. period. then matches clay and glaze and a
kiln...to that temp.
it matters not what temp/heat work you pick..
it is that you study it. work it.
understand it. and then get the tools to do the job.
if you are doing high temp electric...great.
just be aware that your tools (kiln) will take
a beating. so what? replace it when it wears
out. that is a part of doing business. same for
coils. replace them. coat them with itc 213/100.
do what it takes.
i just sold my 12 year old pickup truck. i need a new
one. just part of doing business. why is it so many
people will buy a new car/spend 25,000 bucks and whine
about their kiln wearing out.? silly. keep the car/get a kiln.
the kiln is more important. it is your life.
place a kaowool blanket on the bottom inside of the
kiln. attach a blanket inside the cover with itc 100.
spray that. don't think outside, think inside.
it you are doing salt firing...the kiln takes huge whacks.
salt kills a kiln. so what? make a new one. it is the affect
you want...salt. soda/salt///hard on kilns...it does not mean
we do not use it.
we are going to build a salt/soda kiln for
marta this summer. it will be soft brick. we are going to dip
the bricks in itc100 use it as mortar, and veneer the inside of the kiln with
kaowool dipped in itc 100. nils has been working on this problem
too. dipping the entire brick in itc 100. we know people will
say...`god that is expensive.`. so what? what is the cost of
building a new salt kiln? every three years.
short term thinkers...they never win the race.
same for high temp electric. you go in with your eyes open.
in fact, i would use the K-blanket after the firing is over. slow
down the cooling. down fire the kiln...turn it back on at
1900, 1700, 1200F. an hour each. it will cost what it costs to fire.
but fast cooling is the killer of the glazes
cone ten electric costs a great deal more than cone 6.
so what? you pay the bill, get on with it. you cannot have
it both ways. and that is what i often hear on clayart.
`how can i do it, without paying the price?` can't be done.
it is a part of doing business. if wes wants to fire to cone 13 electric
that is his business. go for it wes.
if you want reduction affects in an electric kiln...make better
glazes. but, why have that affect? buy and fire a gas kiln.
make a hybrid.
each kiln has a style of its own. don't make one do what the
other does best. do and make your kiln the best at what you do.
it drives me crazy....`oh, mel....tell me how to get your glazes
in my old skutt 181`. i don't fire a skutt 181 for glaze...i fire
a 45 cubic foot gas kiln. `well, tell me anyway how i can do it.`
time for the 2x4.
the finest compliment i have received about the cone 13/ox
chinese glazes came from nils. he said....`the best thing here
is that mel has the courage to fire to cone 13...he did it`.
and, that is the key. it was the temp i thought we had to go to...to
get what we wanted...and there it was. it is the heat work
area that i need to achieve what i want...joe wants. so, a few
kiln shelves get plastered with glaze...runny temmoku. so what?
clean it up..get on with it. the three hundred pots that made
the grade at cone 13 are stunners. we solved the problem.
gold temmoku. those that have held those pots know what i
am talking about. those pots tell the whole story. heat work,
a temp that was needed.
the tools can be replaced, fixed, paid for. the pots
are here now...they exist. they have tremendous value.
and, my itc coated soft brick flat top kiln has not moved
a 1/32 of an inch. it is like new. it loves cone 13. and will
for a long time to come. about 300 firings so far. that kiln
was made for high temp. that has always been my thing...cone
11+. i like heat work. i like glazes that move, blend...i love
layers. that is why joe and i blend so well. it is what i have
been doing for 30 years. it was not a new thing at all. he just
found the right guy at the right time.
(a hare's fur teabowl/chinese/1150 sold for $25,000 bucks
last week in tokyo. there is a huge collectors stampede for
this glaze. nice time to be doing it. )
mel
the iron saga show opens at the AMOCA/LOS ANGELES tonight.
they have 25 of our small bowls/spaced around the show of mr.
wang along with 25 old chinese pieces.
samples of what will come may 14th. we are pumped.
(joe and i gave the first 25 pots in this study to the AMOCA as
a gift. a fund raiser....a starter. as it should be.)
mel jacobson/minnetonka/minnesota/usa
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
http://www.rid-a-tick.com
luckisprepaid
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