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In Topic: First Kiln Advice
Posted 22 May 2013
perkolator, on 22 May 2013 - 02:11 PM, said:All my Skutt stands are 8" tall. A 1227 kiln sits around 30" to the top of the 3rd ring (under the lid). I believe this is standard size across many brands.
Getting to the bottom of a kiln is hard even for a 6ft tall person. Downside to shorter kiln is not being able to fit much inside obviously. Usually when you get shorter, wider kilns, they have to add in floor/wall elements to compensate for getting heat to penetrate the center of the stack.
I know some artists getting older who struggle reaching the bottom of their kiln, so when I was helping them research the replacement kiln I suggested looking at a front-loading electric (like the new Skutt, Hercules, L&L, Paragon, etc. -- or even one with a "Bell-Lift" system (like those fancy raku kilns where the walls lift up with the cantilever system)
I've been looking into front loading kilns, for my classroom, sometime down the road. I don't have a problem, lifting things in there now, but my parkour loading routine, hanging off the kiln stand, isn't something I'll be able to do forever. The downside is, that those front loading kilns are a bit pricey. -
In Topic: What Do You Pug?
Posted 22 May 2013
OffCenter, on 22 May 2013 - 01:02 PM, said:I may have figured out why my pugmill ruins clay. My question is for those who love the way their reclaimed clay comes out of the pugmill. What exactly do you pug? Is it mostly scraps from the splashpan (if you're primitive enough to use one), pots that never make it off the wheel, etc. or is it mostly finished pots that have dried and were ready to be bisqued but you scrapped because they cracked or broke or it didn't pass the fresh eyes test?
Jim
I always meant to ask you, about your problems with pugged clay, and why you thought you had an issue.
I don't currently use, or even have, a pug mill. When I did use one, I put pretty much everything in the mill; slaked down clay, splash pan slop (I am that primitive, I basically create projects by beating them with a stick, while grunting), borderline leatherhard clay, that was starting to crack when molded. I would toss all that together, found that I got a fairly consistent result. I honestly didn't use it much for throwing, mostly hand building projects, so maybe that's why I didn't notice an issue. -
In Topic: Increasing strength of small pieces
Posted 22 May 2013
The paper will indeed just burn out.
As for the glaze, you want to fire it, to the recommended temperature, or it won't fully mature. Under fired glazes, harden, but may not change to the correct color, or become glossy, if it is supposed to become glossy that is. -
In Topic: First Kiln Advice
Posted 22 May 2013
neilestrick, on 22 May 2013 - 09:29 AM, said:Benzine, on 22 May 2013 - 07:21 AM, said:neilestrick, on 21 May 2013 - 08:10 PM, said:If you need to put the kiln in a shed, make sure it is weather tight. If it has a wood floor, put down two layers of cement tile backer board under the kiln that extends about a foot beyond the kiln. You need about 18" clearance from all flammable materials, like the walls of the shed. A shed is a very small space for a kiln. You'll need good ventilation of both fumes and heat. That may mean leaving the door open on nice days, but with bad weather that means vent fans in the wall or roof. I could see it getting up to 150 degrees inside with the shed closed up without venting. If the circuit board on the kiln controller gets too hot, it will shut down.
If you have any questions about L&L Kilns, feel free to contact me.
I've got a question about L&L Kilns!!!!
I was going to ask Jim, in another thread, as he is a fan of L&L, but I'll just ask here.
Why do L&L Kilns tend to be so tall/ deep? I'm not a tall individual, and have to stand on the corner of the kiln stand, to place shelves and projects.
At the first two districts I taught at, I used different Skutt models. I had to lean a little bit to load them, but could stay at ground level. Then I got to my current classroom, and there was an L&L, which I hadn't previously heard of. My first thought was, "Dang this thing is tall!"
Don't get me wrong, it's a good kiln, and fires well. It's just a pain in the butt to load, at times, especially when I have larger, heavier, awkward shaped works.
L&L kilns are the same dimensions as all other brands of kilns. 8 sided kilns are 17/18" wide, 10 sided kilns are 22/23" wide, 12 sided kilns are 27/28" wide. Each ring is 9" tall. It could be that the stand is a bit taller, or you've shrunk. The L&L stand is about 8" tall. Anyone got a Skutt they can measure?
I actually do have a Skutt at home I could measure. It must just be the stand. I don't think I'm shrinking........yet. -
In Topic: What aspect of clay work gives you the most pleasure?|May 21, 2013
Posted 22 May 2013
Doing the smoothing/ finishing on my leatherhard pieces. I love the leatherhard stage. Everything looks smooth and flowing. It's almost a shame to fire it.
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TJR
10 Jan 2013 - 10:28I'm going to put you in as my friend, since we have so much in common as to high school arts education. Tom Roberts, high school art teacher.