Lisa E on wed 13 dec 06
Another question. I have a manual kiln (with pyrometer) so I have been
using the cone plaques which I purchased for $0.85 to hold my large cones.
My cones have now fused themselves to the cone plaque.
Is there a way to make my own holders otherwise my cone plaques are going to
get expensive. Someone I know (she is on vacation otherwise I would contact
her too) makes her own and one of the ingredients is vermiculite???
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
--
Lisa E
Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
Squamish, BC
Snail Scott on thu 14 dec 06
At 09:42 AM 12/13/2006 -0800, Lisa E wrote:
>Another question. I have a manual kiln (with pyrometer) so I have been
>using the cone plaques which I purchased for $0.85 to hold my large cones.
>My cones have now fused themselves to the cone plaque.
>
>Is there a way to make my own holders otherwise my cone plaques are going to
>get expensive.
Most people I know just use a lump of clay
to hold their cones. The essential factor
when using clay is to get the angle of the
cones just right. A more slanted cone will
'read' at a lower heat-work, and a more
vertical one will read 'hotter' or not at
all.
The cones are manufactured with the perfect
bevel angle on the bottom surface. If you
aren't sure you got it right, hold a cone
against the work surface right in front of
the cone pack and compare angles. Also
check from the other direction, to be sure
they aren't leaning side-to-side.
Any clay will do, but if you are loading
the kiln with still-wet cone packs, you
might want to perforate them well with a
needle tool. Personally (at least for bisque)
I figure if I'm firing fast enough to blow up
a wet cone pack, I'm firing too fast, period.
Don't use lots of clay; just enough to hold
the cones in place. If you use a low 'guide'
cone(s), smush the clay wider on the side
that the cones will fall, to make a 'landing
pad' and keep the melted cone off your shelves.
For single-firing, I use a low bisque cone to
jusge the early stages by, which of course
becomes a molten puddle by stoneware temps.
So, I make a little 'swimming pool' to catch
the melt at that end of the pack. This sounds
like it's getting fancy, but a deep thumbprint
pit will do the job.
If I'm making a cone pack for a temperature
I commonly use, I'll make up a half-dozen at
once. They'll be waiting for me the next time
I fire, all nice and dry.
Naturally, clay cone packs are a one-time-use
item, but making clay cone packs takes only
a few seconds longer than using those pre-made
plaques, and you never run out or lose them.
-Snail
Bruce Girrell on thu 14 dec 06
Snail Scott wrote:
> Personally (at least for bisque)
> I figure if I'm firing fast enough to blow up
> a wet cone pack, I'm firing too fast, period.
Bless you, Snail.
I see people do all sorts of strange things - special concoctions, poke
little holes all over, etc. - to make cone packs, probably because that's
what their teacher did. I have never done anything but roll out a 1/4" thick
ribbon of clay and insert the cones, using a fettling knife to push a little
extra clay around the base of each cone to give it additional support. Most
often I make the packs just prior to loading the kiln. I have never blown up
a single cone pack, bisque or glaze.
Bruce Girrell
John Rodgers on fri 15 dec 06
Lisa,
I make these by rolling out a coil of clay about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in
diameter, then I flatten it a bit, top and bottom. Next I cut the coil
into three inch or so sections. I push three cones down into the clay
and I set the angle of the cones to the same angle that is on the bottom
of the cones. That ensures the fall or bending of the cones properly. I
place my target temp cone in the center, and cones of lower and higher
temps at each end so the cones all in ascending order - as in cones
4,5,6. with the target cone being 5 in this case. The cones on the ends
are called guard cones.
When making the coil, I always like to add an acrylic material to give
strength to the clay. It burns out on firing. This material helps
prevent the cone pack from breaking and prevents the cones from coming
loose. I will usually make a bunch o these and sit them on a shelf
somewhere to be available when needed.
Regards,
John Rodgers
Chelsea, AL
Lisa E wrote:
> Another question. I have a manual kiln (with pyrometer) so I have been
> using the cone plaques which I purchased for $0.85 to hold my large
> cones.
> My cones have now fused themselves to the cone plaque.
>
> Is there a way to make my own holders otherwise my cone plaques are
> going to
> get expensive. Someone I know (she is on vacation otherwise I would
> contact
> her too) makes her own and one of the ingredients is vermiculite???
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> --
> Lisa E
> Sunny Daze Design Pottery Studio
> Squamish, BC
>
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Lee Love on fri 15 dec 06
At Shimaoka's work shop, the cones in the gas kiln were set in a
carved out piece of soft brick. A wad of clay was put in the holder
and then the cone into the wad. The shape of the holder hole flaired
out, so when the cone was fired, the cone and wad was easily pulled
out, so the next cone could be put in.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
"When we all do better. We ALL do better." -Paul Wellstone
Marcia Selsor on fri 15 dec 06
I just use clay.
I use a minimal amount, just enough to hold the cones. I make a dozen
at a time so they dry out.
I put 3 big cones and 2 smal for body reduction and make a catch pool
for the
small ones..sometimes I break big cones in half for the body
reduction cones
because I don't want them dripping in the kiln.
When I have them all standing in rows, I punch pinholes throughout
each pack
so the steam can come out..especially if I need them right away.
Marcia Selsor
http://marciaselsor.com
Jean on fri 15 dec 06
Dear Lee,
It always amazes me to see something that seems like it would have occurred
to me many years ago. I would never in a million years have thought this
up. Thank you for this message.
Jean Wadsworth Cochran
www.foxhollowpottery.com
At Shimaoka's work shop, the cones in the gas kiln were set in a
carved out piece of soft brick. A wad of clay was put in the holder
and then the cone into the wad. The shape of the holder hole flaired
out, so when the cone was fired, the cone and wad was easily pulled
out, so the next cone could be put in.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
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