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Kiln

I really appreciate the info some of this is actually starting to make sense. It seems I need to buy a few things before I start anyway. Will also look into to observing. These are all good suggestions.

I had an electrician wire the house and install a plug especially for the kiln -- it required a special outlet and wiring like that used for a dryer, so I am not worried about that. I have the kiln in the garage so I am also not worried to much about venting as I plan to leave door open as much as possible. I am worried about the bricks and/or elements if they were damaged but pottery place gave me name and card for something called a kiln doctor who comes to the kiln and fixes it -- just hope I can afford the doc.

Y'all have been great and I just hope I can find someone local who will let me watch and be as nice about it. Thanks again, will let you know how things go...

Reply to
trish
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I'd like to add one thing to the good advice others have given: Don't worry about kiln furniture yet... just focus on getting the kiln working correctly. The furniture allows you to load the kiln fully when you have many smaller pieces to fire (as opposed to one giant urn, say). You will of course want to do that once you get everything working properly, for the sake of time and energy efficiency. But you do *not* want to start off with a full load until you are sure the kiln is OK and you know how to use it. Use a few test pieces that you don't really care about.

Having said that, note that firing a near-empty kiln will not be the same as a full one. It will almost surely reach its cone faster, for one thing. (If you had all the kiln posts, you could put in a typical arrangement of shelves and posts, but still only fire a few tet pieces.) But at least you will know that it works, before you make a really big offering to the kiln goddess!

Best regards,

Bob Masta DAQARTA v3.50 Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

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Reply to
Bob Masta

better yet, go down to the flooring sore and pick up a box of cheap unglazed tiles.

put your glaze on them, and test fire them in your kiln.

pourpose here is to put some working mass in the kiln, test your glazes

kill 2 bird w/ i stone as it were...

besure to get some kiln wash and apply it to any stilts you may use with the tiles...

--- also,

spend the 10$ and buy a full range of test cones. (I usally put in 3 cones one 1 cone low, one at my target temp, and one cone high,

though for a blind run, id put 010 to 10 stepping every 3 or 4 cones and then the 3 cones in the your target range.. (for firing to cone 5 blind, i would put in a 010,06,02,2,4,5,6 cones.

this way you can see where the kiln really is firing to . (set them up on those unglazed tiles, so the ones that puddle wont make a permanant mess...

good luck, welcome to the club

sam gueydan Moose Studios Pottery,clovis ca

Reply to
moose hunter

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