Elizabeth Priddy on mon 11 apr 05
I finally "discovered" something I can't do in an electric kiln after
20 YEARS of firing in them.
It was always a challenge for me when a student would come in and
be under the spell of some gassy reduction or wood fired piece and
say something disparaging like "oh...you only use electric...".
It was fun to offer them a pot a few weeks later and they wonder where
I 'bought' it and whose kiln it was fired in...and the response is
"that kiln over there in the corner"....only wood eluded me but eventually
I got it, too. Post firing colorants and surfaces. Truly a Faux finish.
I got a perverse pleasure when the "wow" result they oohed and ahhed over
was a bought jar of glaze from a catalog.
I know the real differences between the pots I made and the real deal. but the funny
part was that the ignorant blowhards that inspired me for the most part in this quest
could not tell the difference. They were spouting off about how insignificant and useless
my electric kiln was with just the knowledge gleaned by hearsay, no experience with
firing anything, no skills making as evidenced by their work in class. that's why teaching
children was so much more satisfying. They start with no assumptions and move forward.
They reached skill levels equalling the adults quickly and with soooo much less bs along
the way. The trouble with the kids is that they don't have the life experience to bring an
intellectual/emotional ooomph factor to their hand work. If only the adults could embrace
their technical ignorance and open themselves to the stuff in front of them instead of the
inevitable focus on what they don't have.
But then if frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their ass a hoppin....
I am messing with above ground alternative firing and will put some pics
up on the website soon. I wanted to explore and experiment while I have
a couple of years laid out before me with a built-in time clock, the baby.
I can fire the pit in two hours and then unload it later the same day. I read books
to decide what kind of small kiln to make and now I am really having fun with
household chemicals and other things that can be found at the hardware store.
It take "housewife/potter" to a different place. As you are scrubbing up the
daily muck what you are thinking about is "what color would this comet make when
I fire it onto a pot tomorrow...hmmmmm".
Some truly beautiful results. And as per the usual route of life, the experimental results
make me think of forms that would really show off the marks and colors produced. No
two things of an artist's life are unconnected, no two moments unrelated.
the next step is to find the time to put together the raku kiln that is sitting there in parts.
And to get the right ideas in place to build a tiny wood fired kiln. I want to build one that
has a two by two foot chamber to be used for small interesting things. I have read the flat top
design specs and it is really much too big. And the fast freddy also is too big. I am considering winging it like I did with my little chimney kiln. But if anyone has any ideas, I would really love to hear from you. Think very small. Big just isn't where I am right now.
I am actually looking at a modification of a bread oven...anyone ever done this?
mel jacobson wrote:
just a reminder:
this has been stated on clayart many times, but
bears repeating.
most of the kilns in japan are electric.
my guess...90 percent.
there are some rural kilns fired with wood etc, but
most all the kyoto kilns are electric. as with any large
city in japan...electricity would be the major utility.
and pollution laws would keep gas or wood kilns from
being fired in a city.
they are made with huge coils..thick as a pencil.
many are fired to cone 10.
but my point is:
the variety of quality pots made every day japan is
varied and amazing. every color, every surface, every
style. all well crafted and fired with electricity.
there are also millions of average pots fired each year
in japan with electricity.. hand made for daily consumption. so, it should
inspire any potter living in the western world that if the
wonderful pots of japan are fired in electric kilns...why
can't we do it. just because a half dozen good old boys
have said...`shit, home potters firing with electric kilns
are crap...they need cone 10 reduction like us.`.
and, some of you actually believe that b.s.
actually i am rather proud of my new pots fired in
oxidation. and i was damn proud of the work of hopkins
students for over thirty years...firing in three skutt 1027's.
it is not the kiln, the materials, or the fuel that is sacred.
it is the quality of the work of the potter using those tools.
start believing.
especially in yourself.
use what you have, use it well and advance every day.
art is often like lightning and electricity...craft is like an
all day soft rain. it just keeps coming...and things grow.
mel
mel jacobson/minnetonka/minnesota/usa
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
http://www.rid-a-tick.com
luckisprepaid
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Elizabeth Priddy
252-504-2622
1273 Hwy 101
Beaufort, NC 28516
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
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URL Krueger on mon 11 apr 05
On Monday 11 April 2005 05:39 am, Elizabeth Priddy wrote:
> I have read the flat top design specs and it is really
> much too big.
Elizabeth,
I still classify myself as being in the puttering hobby
category so I think the kiln, as presented in the PMI
plans, is a little too big for me; both in space and $$$.
My thought is to remove one row of bricks from around the
outside of the base and three rows from the height. This
would reduce the inside dimensions to 27 X 27 X 27. That's
just about right for me.
Another option I have considered is to take two rows off
from around the outside of the base and build the walls
only one brick thick. This would result in the same inside
dimensions but would require quite a few less brick.
So, what would happen if instead of using gas burners you
built wood burning fireboxes at the inlet ports? What
other modifications would you need to make?
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
Brian Haviland on tue 12 apr 05
Hello Everyone
Just wanted to add to this from recent trip. Most of the kilns i saw in
Tokaname were electric fired kilns with side stokes for reduction work and
vents for the results of burning the combustibles. You could not tell if a
piece had been fired in electric or wood for the most part. When you are
faced with ecological fences you can evolve and overcome the boundaries.
They proved that to me with the breathtaking work they fired.
Just my two pence...Brian
>Mel jacobson wrote:
>just a reminder:
>
>this has been stated on clayart many times, but
>bears repeating.
>
>most of the kilns in japan are electric.
>my guess...90 percent.
>
>there are some rural kilns fired with wood etc, but
>most all the kyoto kilns are electric. as with any large
>city in japan...electricity would be the major utility.
>and pollution laws would keep gas or wood kilns from
>being fired in a city.
>
>they are made with huge coils..thick as a pencil.
>many are fired to cone 10.
>
>but my point is:
>
>the variety of quality pots made every day japan is
>varied and amazing. every color, every surface, every
>style. all well crafted and fired with electricity.
>
>there are also millions of average pots fired each year
>in japan with electricity.. hand made for daily consumption. so, it should
>inspire any potter living in the western world that if the
>wonderful pots of japan are fired in electric kilns...why
>can't we do it. just because a half dozen good old boys
>have said...`shit, home potters firing with electric kilns
>are crap...they need cone 10 reduction like us.`.
>and, some of you actually believe that b.s.
>
>
>
>mel jacobson/minnetonka/minnesota/usa
>http://www.pclink.com/melpots
>http://www.rid-a-tick.com
>luckisprepaid
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
>Elizabeth Priddy
>
>252-504-2622
>1273 Hwy 101
>Beaufort, NC 28516
>http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
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URL Krueger on tue 12 apr 05
On Tuesday 12 April 2005 03:48 am, Brian Haviland wrote:
> Most of the kilns i saw in Tokaname were electric fired
> kilns with side stokes for reduction work
Brian, et. al.
Any idea how they protect the electric elements from the
reduction? Or do they use a different kind of heating
element that isn't deteriorated by reduction?
What happens if Kanthal elements are encased in an
impermeable ceramic protection tube? Would they just burn
out quicker because they run hotter?
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
URL Krueger on wed 13 apr 05
Hank, et.al.
There was a discussion a little while back about SiC shelves
conducting electricity and the fact that they showed high
resistance when measured with a meter. I found on the
Globar site off of Kanthal's home page an explanation for
this and how they measure the resistance of a SiC element
while under voltage at temperature. Quite interesting.
--
Earl K...
Bothell WA, USA
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