Rae Reich
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Posts posted by Rae Reich
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Do the members of your studio make their own glazes and/or clay bodies? If not, the materials could be donated to a local school with a ceramics department.
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A Soft brick damper is easier to slide, but can drop debris onto pots on the top shelf (speaking from experience). Keep top of kiln as clean as possible.
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Hard to imagine a flue-plus-damper situation for that kiln. Think you’ll find that even minuscule adjustments of a damper will make a difference. Patience required in your observations and note taking. Not sure about your Venturi design, but mine do have a threaded section at the bottom to adjust primary air. Again, minor adjustments and patient observation. Try just the damper first.
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I don’t know how much of the colored porcelain you have, but it’s clear you don’t want to waste it.
Is it a small enough amount that wedging the whole batch seems doable?
If not, do you have access to a pugger?
Definitely, tests of the proportions of clays, colors, firing and shrinkage can be measured and assessed. At the least, you’ll have a small batch of special clay or your tests could result in a formula for your own blend.
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I think I got my red silicone at the auto parts store
- Bill Kielb and cadenrank
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12 hours ago, Mudfish1 said:
Anyway, thanks to Rae! I will ask my plumber what is the maximum CF/hr that my gas meter can provide, and see if I need some kind of upgrade to my meter.
Chuckling at the idea of your family huddled around the kiln - they do put out a lot of heat, even well insulated.
After we calculated what we’d need, my plumber called the Gas Co and told them we needed a million btuh and they decided what size of meter was needed. They will take into account what your home has been using.
We also have the kiln line running from the meter separate from the house supply so they can run individually without affecting each other. Kiln line can be shut off by itself if necessary for line service, etc. Just to be prepared, though we’ve never needed it yet (earthquake country), we hung a wrench on the meter for emergency shut-off.
Best wishes!
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I think it’s better to overbuild than squeak by barely. When we built my original large catenary - 8 Venturis- we told the gas company our plans to possibly add a raku and we wanted no gaps in flow. They installed a massive meter (at no charge here in residential Orange, CA, ymmv.) and we ran 55’ of a separate 2” line to the kiln area. The Gas company still sent a man out during the first firing to see what the large increase in gas consumption was about, then they added a note to my meter reading information
Theoretically, I could fire the big cat, the raku and the small Geil simultaneously with no loss of pressure. The Gas Company was very helpful. (Note: here, kilns require no extraordinary permitting and are classed by the Fire Department with barbecues.) We did the digging, wrapping and installation of the pipe which was inspected and approved by the Gas Co. and the City.
Additionally, I invited the local Fire Station crew to see a firing and inform them and Dispatch that there might some reports of flames and possibly smoke. Also invited neighbors to see and be reassured.
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With that prep and bisque you probably won’t have to worry about explosions
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For my slab roller I use Sunbrella fabric, separate ones for each clay color. It has minimal texture and is very durable and flexible but doesn’t stretch out. Absorbs very little moisture.
I like the reverse fabric side of vinyl idea - no absorption but probably doesn’t stick to the clay so much because of the weave. -
@Hands On, if you’re going to fire a solid cube that size mixed with other inorganics without demonstrating its explosive propensities, I’d suggest cutting it apart to hollow out and reassembling it, or coring it in several/many places from the bottom. If you want to make a Process Piece to demonstrate firing effects on a solid with inclusions, you really must be certain that it is dry, dry, dry! And possibly isolated from other pieces.
Is there something I don’t understand about your intention?
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Vermiculite makes a nice inclusion, with flecks of pyrites and burn-out voids. Also is lightweight and clay can take quite a lot of it wedged in. Look for it in garden centers, used to aerate soil. I still have a bag of it saved from when it was used as packing material for Orton cones and wedge it into my cone pads.
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A dremel diamond bit will take out tiny bits. Try to avoid scratching the surrounding area. Dot on a tiny amount of glaze and refire. It will probably be noticeable to you and anyone who examines it closely. @Denice is right that your energy would probably be better spent starting over, but I understand how hard it is to let go without trying to fix it!
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I am assuming you want to make a silkscreen by using a photo sensitive process and then to screen the image onto your clay slab(s).
You might look into china painting techniques with silkscreen. On non-porous surfaces (also wet clay slabs) the oil, used in tiny amounts mixed with the powdered pigment (Mason Stains in your case) will be tacky enough to stick to the non-porous surface without being absorbed into it. Then, the oil will be burned out at firing (provide adequate ventilation).
Linseed oil used by oil painters as a thinner will be the type you want.
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Carpet tape is wide and sticky on both sides. It can stick to carpet, so bisque should be no problem. I think it’s removable (if done soon and has not had a heavy weight applied for a generous period of time
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Question: Why does it need to be sticky on both sides?
@Babs do you mean contact paper? Good suggestion!
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Carpet tape sticks to carpets as well as floors and is wide. Probably removable.
Question: why double-sided? Hard for me to imagine why you want the upper side to be sticky too.
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Compacting the rim with a scrap of clay-bag plastic is a trick I learned to give you a dense enough surface at the rim to absorb more glaze. Sometimes a clay is just so rough, with high shrinkage, that the bigger particles still poke out here and there. A judicious use of a bit of silicon carbide shelf, or other fine-grained grinding stone will take off burrs.
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@Pyewackette, seems like you’re doing most things that I would advise. One more thing, though - speed. You are indicating that you want to throw your porcelain forms faster. That’s something to work on after you have successfully produced the forms consistently.
Struggling with the reclaim probably has made you a better thrower. When I started throwing I spent a summer on a Lockerbie kickwheel with earthenware. That’s when I learned my most useful throwing skill - matching my movements to the speed of the wheel.
When past the raising stage, in order to get the most from my energy spent kicking up that wheel, I began moving more slowly as the momentum of the kick slowed. I found I had much more control over the shapes and they distorted less from excess torque.
Electric wheels encourage us to go fast. Students often don’t learn to ease up on the pedal as the shape is refined. The kickwheel teaches that by its nature. A smoothly working foot pedal can allow the thrower the same control, it just takes more attention.
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Throw with little water to reduce flopping. Avoid making thick/thin areas. When it starts going ‘off’, you’ve probably lost it, so be attentive to tiny corrections. Never leave water in the bottom.
Artificial drying must be done very carefully since differences inside-to-out will make further throwing uneven. Better to use the rib to scrape wet surfaces up, I think, than a sponge.
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@Pyewackette, pool noodle prices in Nowhere are better than here!
Love your bucket-filling noodle!
off topic: I use pool noodles to keep my boots standing up in the closet
Is this Kyoto bowl safe for making matcha and food?
in Clay and Glaze Chemistry
Posted
As long as you only make matcha it will be fine. The seepage of tea into the cracks enhances the pattern. However, don’t use with beverages that contain sugar or milk as these tend to encourage bacteria.
I’m guessing the price was lower because of the cobalt smudge in your first photo, which would make it a second.