Ruth Ballou on sat 21 jan 06
I used to have a orange plastic bucket that was just the right color
for a bisque firing. I also dispensed with cones for the bisque. And
I no longer put cones in my computer controlled electric kilns if I'm
using a tried and true schedule.
Potters of yore also used draw trials to judge the firing. Some still
do today if a very particular result is desired. It's difficult to do
with our commercially manufactured kilns with tiny peep holes.
Only using color of the fire is like using a pyrometer to fire the
kiln; with practice it can very accurately be used to tell what temp
the kiln has reached. But it still does not tell what is going on
with the pots and glazes inside. Potters who use color to fire to
glaze temp are using other factors, such as the rate and length of
the firing, to judge whether the firing is done. They are able to
judge the firing based on their total experience over a number of
firings.
Ruth Ballou
Belgium
On Jan 19, 2006, at 6:03 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
> think of the millions of firings done years back with no
> cones, pyrometers, oxyprobes.
>
> my god, how did they do it? get it right?
>
> go back in time. think like an old potter..the ancient one.
>
> he had to do everything by experience.
> his wife was looking over his shoulder...`not yet, not yet..one
> more hour`. `*#$$%#( hush` `remember last time, you turned
> it off too soon`... %&*(^%
>
> yes, experience.
> after a few years of firing a fuel kiln...you see color,
> kiln atmosphere far more importantly than cones.
>
> your sense of what is going on is very important, it is
> your key to success.
>
> that is what apprentices learned. the ancient ones experience.
> the stories, the firing, the wind and rain....
>
> now folks get in a panic if the kiln's program is off a quarter cone.
> call in...`my kiln is off a degree, what do i do?`
>
> i am sitting here with two books on my lap from japan...our
> `newyears` box
> just arrived.
> i got the most wonderful book of the work of kawai.
> 1924-1948.
> i wonder when he turned off the kiln? what did he do in 1924?
> who did he confer with?
>
> the other book is arakawa. about 150 images. drop dead wonderful.
> shino. my god this is shino. no question about it. you don't have
> to add a name like american, malcolm. this is shino. arakawa shino.
>
> i wish you could all see the husband and wife team, japan, firing a
> wood
> fired kiln. just the two of them. the wood is all stacked, split
> and ready. they just take turns, one sleeps on a matt, the other
> loads wood.
> their heads together, looking in the kiln....discussing the final
> stokes. the master potter all nervous....waiting. then he enters
> the discussion...but i bet the little old man with the sticks in his
> hand makes all the final decisions. experience.
>
> anyway.
> fire with color. look in your kiln, see what is going on.
> learn to know. memorize. think what happens when the
> wind starts to howl, the temp drops...what would you do?
> nice thoughts.
> mel
>
>
> from mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
> website: http://my.pclink.com/~melpots3
>
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