mel jacobson on thu 12 jan 06
this question comes up time and again.
some of us have answered it often.
bill has strong opinions on turning it off.
i am a bit more cavalier.
but, and the big butttt.
each has to make decisions based on your own
pottery.
each has a trust level of your own kiln and environment.
it all depends.
if i was firing in a concrete block building. had good vents.
had switches instead of a computer...i would just turn
two sets of coils to medium (top and bottom set)
and run the errand..make sure to get right back.
let someone in the house know i was scooting.
then turn it back to high when i returned.
others would never do that.
it all depends.
i would not leave a controller kiln and hope that is shuts
down.
as i have said many times.
start your kilns in the early a.m.
make sure your day is clear.
turn off your phone. and let the answering machine
do its thing.
make time for firing. never have a play or social event
about the time your kiln will finish. it never works out.
i have a hard and fast rule.
rule number one:
nothing is planned that needs my attention
on firing days. period.
the day is mine. i start my gas kiln at 5 a.m. or earlier.
it is in full power/full of energy by 8 a.m. then i can relax
and set my oven timer that i carry in my underwear. when
that timer zings me...i check the kiln. at least every 45 minutes.
(i love that zing.)
i feel the walls, ceiling of my kiln room. check the stack for leaks.
i use a garden sprayer with cool water and soak the area around
the kiln about 4 times during the firing. i time the drying.
i have 5 fans blowing on the ceiling and walls.
move air. i slowly turn up my big exhaust fan as the kiln gets hotter
and hotter.
you just cannot be too careful.
but, it depends.
if the kiln was outdoors...away from buildings...like at our farm.
i think nothing of running the tractor on top of the hill and doing
some mowing. if the kiln is at red heat...it will continue to fire.
half hour of mowing is not a big deal.
(tony....we have four tractors at the farm.) mine is a rebuilt 1949 case
vac, we have a new john deere four wheel drive, and a 1948 ford 8N.
tim frederich keeps his 1960 big case at our farm.
(i just read tony's around the fire box story in claytimes.) a person
just cannot have enough tractors. and of course chainsaws.
well, tools.
mel
from mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
Tom at Hutchtel.net on thu 12 jan 06
If I might, Mel, I'm going to add an item. We learned the hard way. Not
only do you watch the kiln and surroundings as you outlined in your post
during the firing...but check carefully around at the end of the firing, and
maybe an hour or 2 later. Betsy shut the kiln down at about 7 pm. We both
went into town for meetings...came back at 9:30 to flames and a good
neighbor trying to control them (the fire department had been called by
another good deed neighbor). The moral is, if you're going to leave that
kiln, have good neighbors and a quick response fire dept.
Tom Wirt
Hutchinson, MN
twirt@hutchtel.net
www.claycoyote.com
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