JohnnyK
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Posts posted by JohnnyK
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I just replaced the elements, which was an interesting task. The coils were about 3" too long, so I had to straighten and shorten the overall length. Man, I didn't realize how strong that coil wire is. It took quite an effort to do the straightening, Anyway, I got it done. I installed 4 shelves with posts and 2 cone sets, one near the bottom peephole and one near the top. It seems to me that the bottom of the kiln is running slightly cooler than the top and the top set (which is in the front) is dead on for cone 6. The firing was the pre-programmed ^6...
The next run is going to be a bisque firing, then on to glaze firing. Comments anyone?
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Great news here regarding the Amaco Ancient Copper! Check out this new article by Tony Hansen at Digitalfire!
You can make your own Ancient Copper brushing glaze (digitalfire.com)
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45 minutes ago, neilestrick said:
Yes, an empty firing will build build up a layer of oxidation on the surface of the elements, which will help protect the metal from fumes in future firings. The hotter the better, but generally a bisque firing will do the job. It's also a good idea to put some cones in the kiln to make sure everything's working properly with the new elements.
SO would it be a good idea to put 3 or 4 shelves in with cones at each level to check the heat distribution? How about firing to ^6 where I usually glaze fire to?
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I'm in the process of installing new kiln elements in my old Cress kiln and I've seen previous mentions of doing an empty kiln firing to break-in the new elements. I would guess that @neilestrickwould be the one most appropriate to chime in on the topic of a first-time firing process.
Thanks in advance for your input!
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I do ALL my own work. Having been a remodeling contractor for almost 40 years, I've become skilled in almost all the building trades. On top of that, I have an innate skill for using my hands and mind to do pretty much anything. I just ordered a set of coils from Euclids for my old Cress FX23P and will be installing them as soon as I get them. I've also created a splash pan for my old CI wheel and have built an extruder for which I will soon be designing and adding an expansion box. I've also fabricated many tools that I had a need for like trimming and carving tools, banding wheels from old ceiling fans, etc. I also thought about making my own burnishing tools by creating useful shapes and glazing them as opposed to using random shaped polished rocks.
I guess I'm in the same boat with @Mark C., knowing how to do most everything necessary to make it as a potter
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If it similar to mine, the foot pedal can be taken apart by removing the pin that holds the top part of the assembly as shown in the photo below. That will give you access to the guts of the pedal. Your problem is probably with the way the white lever is acting with the gear on the potentiometer. Before you try to take it apart, MAKE SURE YOU UNPLUG THE WHEEL! These pix are of the guts of my pedal before I cleaned it up and got it working right.
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On 11/10/2023 at 8:56 AM, Mark C. said:
As a Laguna distributor and with lots of full timer Potter friends I hear things.
Right now custard feldspar due to supply issues is now at 200#s per customer (including me) with Laguna clay
I'm in the ordering mode this week so I found out about the 200# limit per customer on Custar
.There are rumors Custar may be going aways but they are just rumors at this point.So thats a heads up. If I where able to by a lifetime supply right now I would .Just saying
The other news is Kemper tools may not be around for long as the owners are selling the property they have been on for many decades in fact at least since 1947
Now someone could set up and buy the equipment and supplies and move the business but I would not hold my breath on this. The tool business has been defuzed in the past 20 years with so many other tool makes as well. So I ordered what kemper tools i like and there are only a few like the pro needle tool thinking its my last kemper order. So if you use kemper tools just beaware they may go away soon or not if its bought up.
Well sorry to have such bad news but thats what I have heard all in the past few days after being away on a long trip and just returned.
So, Mark, if you really need it, how about others ordering it and having it drop-shipped to your studio?
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What would be the best source for new elements should they have to be replaced?
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I appreciate all of your input! I've had the feeling that my elements may be fading and will make the time to check their resistance and, if necessary, replace them. Then I will move on to doing the testing necessary to re-establish a firing pattern.
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The firing schedule was:
Ramp1: 100*/hr to 200*
“ 2: 350* to 1045*
“ 3: 50* to 1100*
“ 4: 325*to 1976*
“ 5: 200* to 2200*
Hold: 20 min
Normal cooldown
Total firing time was 9 hours and 25 minutes which was consistent with previous firings of this schedule.
The kiln is a Cress FX-23-P, which is a ^10 kiln that has never been fired above ^6. It has an Orton Auto Fire AF4000 digital timer.
As for packing...the bottom and middle shelves had some large bowls and mugs, while the top shelf was fairly tightly packed with lotion bottles. The only real difference here was that I had mistakenly punched in ^4 for the bisque firing instead of ^04. I wonder if that would affect the final outcome of the glaze firing.
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I've got a waterproof heavy vinyl tile that is glued together. I installed it in the summer heat and in the winter it buckled on me in a few places. That's unusual because I would expect the opposite. When the summer came again, the floor flattened out. On the plus side, it is very easy to keep clean and mopping it is a breeze!
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I have used this firing program before without problems, but for some reason, the glazes on most of the pieces were darker than usual and the cones shown in the photo give me the sense that instead of ^6 I'm looking closer to ^7. Can you give me any insight?
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I am a brusher...that's how I first learned to glaze, and I've been doing so ever since. I don't produce enough to warrant the expense of the dipping glazes, nor do I have the space to store all the buckets. Granted, the brushing process is tedious and time consuming, but I couldn't get the Glaze FX that I produce by dipping. I primarily use Amaco's Potters Choice and Celadon glazes, and for the colors I use the most, I buy gallons, but I am starting to venture into mixing my own glazes. While buying glazes by the pint is relatively expensive, it gives me the opportunity to experiment with colors and layering to determine if buying gallons is feasible. Amaco has an excellent collection of layering outcomes with virtually all of their glazes and I use the works of other potters to help with layering endeavors. If I see something I like, I try to reproduce it initially with glazes I have in stock. If I find it particularly intriguing, and I don't have stock, I'll buy what I need to experiment., usually with positive outcomes...
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17 hours ago, neilestrick said:
I use the cheapest stick/hand/immersion blender I can find. They tend to wear out faster than with kitchen use due to the abrasiveness of the glaze materials, but they work great.
I have 2 of those that I picked up at a thrift store for $5 apiece. I also use a small coffee grinder for turning hardened glazed into powder, also around $5...
- Pyewackette, neilestrick and Bam2015
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Well...try as I might, there was no way to remove the wheel head without doing major damage to the assembly. Since the wheel head is some sort of plastic (almost like Bakelite), I took a sander to the high spots and attached a Corian bat to it. Now the wheel head runs true.
- Hulk, Bill Kielb and neilestrick
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Just when I was getting really interested in working more with Ancient Copper...I have about a 1/2 pint left, so I will be using it judiciously. This is my latest foray with Ancient Copper and Ancient Jasper:
sm.jpg.25a281bb467cb21bd93dc7d7822f30d9.jpg)
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On 10/15/2023 at 8:27 AM, Pres said:
My firing experiences over the years have been limited in some ways, and yet extensive in others. While in college undergrad and grad, I was involved with reduction firing to some degree, loading and unloading, helping with firing and firing a salt kiln with a partner. All of this was done with cones and rings for the salt. Lots of fun, but not much use for someone living in an urban environment. I started firing Ox electric with an old square Amaco kiln in my first year of HS teaching. It had a setter, and would reach ^06 for glaze. . .just barely! Then I was involved with planning for a new building where there would be a Jewelry & Metalcraft/Ceramics classroom. We ordered a new L&L stacking octagonal kiln with setter/timer rated to ^10. We changed clay bodies from buying from an art supply house to Standard Ceramics just south of us by 2 hrs in Pittsburgh, clay bodies were ^6. We fired lots of pots for the kids, and liked the setter. However, when it came to buying a new kiln for myself, the same L&L, but with a special order no setter or timer! I had wanted complete control over the firing much like the firings with the gas reduction kilns. I wanted to be able to set a slow cool down to 1000F. and to choose a hard ^6 or a soft one. In this manner I would baby sit the kiln til all times of the day and night until fired. Lucky for me I was younger! Then @36 years later the old L&: was worn out. My wife bought me a new L&L kiln with all the bells and whistles, and not I fire a program that allows for all of the particulars I liked in my manual firings without the constant baby sitting.
QotW: Do you fire your own kiln, is it manual by cones, setter, or program? Do you fire Ox or Reduction, and to what cone?
best,
Pres
Check to see if your new digital timer has the capability to develop User Programs. My after-market Orton does, and I've set up a couple of John Britt's programs as well as a couple of my own. You should be able to do so with yours and incorporate all the steps that you used in your manual firings...
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Welcome to the forum, Art...This can be accomplished by using a basecoat of an off-white glaze and speckling it with toothbrush splatter of a brown glaze. It will take a little practice with the toothbrush, but is easily done. Practice the toothbrush action on a piece of plain paper until you get the technique down before working on an actual pot...
- ARTteacher and Hulk
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For me, it depends on how I feel at the time I'm trimming each piece. Here are 3 pots with 3 different foot applications: one is stepped. one is "standard" with a shallow bottom, and the Jug has just a bevel.
Occasionally I'll use a shaped credit card tool to form the foot while I'm throwing...
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On 8/11/2023 at 8:21 AM, Piedmont Pottery said:
Instead of using a lubricant we put the clay to be extruded into a thin plastic bag open at the die end. Clean up is just the die and the last few centimeters of the extruder tube.
I've gotten to using plastic bags in the extruder as well as using reclaimed clay where I find the consistency of the overall slug to be less critical than when I'm throwing...
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16 hours ago, Jodie Parry said:
Hi all,
I am a keen potter [having studied at school, taught at camp and now engaging with pottery at home]. For my masters thesis in UX Psychology , I am looking at how I could develop a digital interface to enhance the pottery experience at home. [emphasis on enhance, not replace nor distract from the physical experience]If you engage with pottery at home, I'd love to know:
- how did you start? [e.g did you take a class, see it online etc] Took a basic class which led to taking 3 college courses.
- what are you using [e.g store bought materials, pottery kits] Store bought materials
- what are the challenges you face doing pottery at home? Making enough time to spend in the studio
- do you think integrating a digital element, such as an app, with your practise could improve the pottery experience? how do you see a digital element aiding you while you practise pottery at home? Nope...it's kind of hard to mess with a phone or tablet when my hands are covered in slip!Your input is so appreciated.
Thank you! -
On 9/15/2023 at 7:53 AM, neilestrick said:
That's good news. I'm surprised they were willing to help. In the past I've always heard that they won't do anything with the old CI wheels.
Actually, it will cost about $100 for the modified wheelhead, which I think is a reasonable price, and the instructions for the removal of the old head are straightforward. Turnaround time for the new head is about 2 weeks.
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6 hours ago, JohnnyK said:
Is there anyone out there that knows how to remove the wheel head from a CI- MP? Mine has a slight crack and a warp that has gotten a little annoying and I'd like to get a replacement or have one fabricated out of aluminum. My next email is going to Speedball to see if there's anyone over there that can help me.
I contacted Speedball and they gave instructions to remove the head and said they could modify the head from a different wheel to fit...It just depends on the cost whether I'll go that route.
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Occasionally I'll use a shaped credit card tool to form the foot while I'm throwing...
Breaking-in new kiln elements
in Equipment Use and Repair
Posted
I learn something every day... Is there any way to salvage the single wire portion? It is too stiff to twist another wire to it like from the factory. What about tying another piece of wire to the singleton with some finer nichrome? The difference in resistance is about 0.2 Ohms, which calculates to about a 1 Amp increase in current...