Today's first job ( after the@@**##!!! Housework!) was photographing pots, ready to go on Flickr.
The Carpenter has put the images chosen on a cd for the Eisteddfod. Fill the form in tonight, and off First Class Post in the morning.
I have a deep (but not large) porcelain bowl, cut foot, impressed decoration on the outside, highlighted with oxide, blue slip inside. Saltglazed.
Do I have the cheek to enter it (and me ) for the Welsh Artist of the Year competition?
I doubt that I would win...but it might get me noticed....yet another form to fill in.
Three orders have been boxed ready to go, another I can't send as I'm not happy with the pots. They are ok....but not good.
Most of this afternoon has been spent on this laptop computer, googling how to use the damper.
I think I understand a little more. A potting friend is calling past on Saturday and I shall pick her brains too!.
I'd love to put some pictures on here, but until The Carpenter lets me onto His computer, we will have to wait!!
At least I haven't wasted a good weather day on inside work! It is a cold, wet and windy day and has been all day, with the mountains being shrouded in cloud half the time.
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another Terry Pratchett fan brilliant!!
Enter it! It's worth a try and like you said, good promotion for your craft.
Good luck this weekend with your potting friend, hope you can solve the problem you're having.
S.
Do it! Enter. Only those who enter get a chance to win, and why shouldn't it be you?
And whilst it's being considered, does it get displayed? Do you get publicity?
Fill the form in, right away!
YEssss! ENTER! I'd give you the prize, best Welsh artist!
I was just musing on dampers, and thinking of ways to simplify, or indeed, automate them. I'm not an electronics buff, unfortunately, nor a programmer, but I suspect it could be done moderately easily by someone gifted in that direction.
By using the damper, you are controlling the effective size of the outlet to the kiln. The ability of gases to escape into the flue controls the amount of air drawn in to the kiln.
Fastest temperature rise is when just enough air to combine with the fuel gas is drawn in. This would give a neutral, or, in practice, usually a slightly reducing atmosphere. If you hold a smoking taper just below the spy-hole, the smoke would neither be drawn in, nor pushed away.
In the earlier part of the firing, a little greater damper opening will allow slightly more airflow, and carry away moisture and volatiles.
Reduction is where there is a slight shortage of air being drawn in, i.e, where the damper is more closed. The fuel in the kiln, in your case, gas, is not fully burned, it's very hot and reactive, but the kiln is short of free oxygen. That flame's greedy, so it pulls the oxygen it needs from the glaze and body
ingredients.
Be VERY aware that when a fuel-burning kiln is in reduction it is emitting carbon monoxide. Kiln room ventilation is vital, be sure you know the symptoms of CO poisoning. I have known potters to say that they get "giddy" in their kiln room. They think it's funny, and don't realise that carbon monoxide is bonding to their haemoglobin, denying their blood the ability to carry oxygen to their brains. That's why they're giddy. You don't go blue. Carboxy-haemoglobin is an even brighter red than oxyhaemoglobin, so your corpse is quite pink and healthy looking. Just dead.
Umm. that's it for now.
Take care, ventilate the room, don't breathe the fumes.
Some time ago, i came across a potter's blog where he'd made a dirt-cheap kiln atmosphere sensor, by trial and error. Using an oxygen sensor from the exhaust of a scrap car, connected to a multimeter.
Can't remember where it was, but he said it enabled him to de quite accuratel repeatable firings. I think he was doing sang-de-boeuf reds.
http://www.r2d2u.net/kilntheory/kilnstheoryandpracticedowndraftkilns.html
Frank Colson, author of Kiln-Building With Space age Materials... I bought the book in about 1976!
Go for it.
Exhibition entries done, just waiting for the post office.
Thanks, soub for your, as ever invaluable advice.
I'd managed to find the book via our good friend Google! However having the exact bit I need in a form I can easily read is a massive help!
Ventilation?-the good point of having a draughty workshop!! Also I fire with the door and windows open as well.
Get this: I just dreamt I was visiting Britain and bumped into you on the street! You had a little baby, we all had dinner :)
@gr Sweet dreams!! Must have been a dream of a long time ago!!
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