Anagama Type Kiln Temperature Control

[Seasoned Warrior]

For all of you who fire anagama type kilns, and I suspect that there maybe a few here, do you use Orton type cones or do you use traditional draw rings or perhaps some other method? If you use draw rings do you quench them when you take them out of the kiln? Do you find that the draw rings have any advantage over the cones?

 

Regards,

Charles

[OffCenter]

Lots of Orton cones and a couple of pyrometers.

[Guest JBaymore]

Noborigama kiln. Orton cones, accurate multiprobe pyrometer system (Omega Engineering).

 

In Japan I have used drawrings occasionally. Drawrings are typically use in Japan to check the melt of a glaze. Typically they are not quenched but simply air cooled.

 

best,

 

................john

[Seasoned Warrior]

Thanks for the information. I couldn't live without my pyrometers and I have used Omega for temperature control for years: good company, excellent products. I was curious about the quenching which I encountered the other day in an online article regarding draw rings and I found it odd. I thought quenching would cause thermal stresses that would make the end results difficult to interpret.

 

Best regards,

Charles

[Deb Evans]

Quenching draw rings from high fire firing ===== breakage.

Had a student do that 1 time w/ a salt firing. Blew straight out of a little pail of water.. dangerouse!!!No worries, no one hurt and always had a several rings per port hole.

Still able to tell surface result from the fractured pieces. but much better when air cooled.