PurpleLama@aol.com on tue 7 may 96
I would love to buy a raku kiln, but don't know whether I'll get arrested for
using it (in the city of Baltimore). As a less conspicuous alternative, I've
been thinking about buying a relatively large test kiln and using it out on
our concrete patio. I saw one in the Axner catalog that has chamber
dimensions of 9" high X 7" X 11.25". What about this for an alternative? I
assume that the kiln would heat up faster than the "full-size" raku kiln at
Baltimore Clayworks. Would the glazes turn out different? It would limit the
size of my pots, but are there other down sides to using an electric test
kiln ?
TIA
Shula
jpyle@hs.gettysburg.edu on tue 7 may 96
The major down side of using an electric kiln for raku is if you touch an
element with the tongs while the kiln is plugged in: electrocution!!!
Please remember to turn off kiln, unplug, then take out piece with tongs.
I have a friend who did raku firing in her third floor classroom using an
electric kiln. She had a garbage can on the window ledge for the
reduction. She got great pots.
Judy Pyle
Gettysburg PA
ret on tue 7 may 96
If you live in a neighbourhood where gas barbecues are permitted, you
might build yourself a firebrick (hard) structure that looks like it
might be a barbecue facility. Line the box with soft firebricks and fire
it with a propane sureflame burner. (Try burning a hotdog to make it smell
right...It certainly has fooled my neighbours.) And you can build a fairly
large kiln that way. It is not as obvious as a garbage can kiln.
Make sure you provide really airtight reduction containers. Usually, the
firing itself goes unnoticed; it is all the smoke that alerts others.
ELKE BLODGETT email: eiblodge@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
12 Grantham Place
St. Albert, AB T8N 0W8
403 (458-3445); 403 (727-2395)
On Tue, 7 May 1996 PurpleLama@aol.com wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I would love to buy a raku kiln, but don't know whether I'll get arrested for
> using it (in the city of Baltimore). As a less conspicuous alternative, I've
> been thinking about buying a relatively large test kiln and using it out on
> our concrete patio. I saw one in the Axner catalog that has chamber
> dimensions of 9" high X 7" X 11.25". What about this for an alternative? I
> assume that the kiln would heat up faster than the "full-size" raku kiln at
> Baltimore Clayworks. Would the glazes turn out different? It would limit the
> size of my pots, but are there other down sides to using an electric test
> kiln ?
>
> TIA
>
> Shula
>
Marcia Selsor on tue 7 may 96
Dear Shula,
To raku with an electric kiln is very damaging to your elements-shock!
I think smokeless reduction is a better thing to worry about.
Marcia in Montana signing off for two weeks while in Scotland. Bye
Cliff De Witt on tue 7 may 96
I remember reading somewhere that Very hot air is also electrically
conductive another reason to unplug the kiln.
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> The major down side of using an electric kiln for raku is if you touch an
> element with the tongs while the kiln is plugged in: electrocution!!!
> Please remember to turn off kiln, unplug, then take out piece with tongs.
mgiles@Onramp.NET on wed 8 may 96
Six years ago, our craft guild lost it's lease, and was closed for a
year. I fired 300 raku christmas ornaments in an 8" x 8" x8" test
kiln that year. With my husbands help, I fired up to twelve ornaments
at at time, pulled them, put them in individual cans (small gift tins
with tight lids), and then put the small cans into a larger metal
container to keep the smoke contained. No complaints from neighbors or
management. We worked on the 10'x10' patio of our apartment. It took
about three hours for the first firing, and about 1 and 1/2 hours
once the kiln was hot. We turned the kiln off and put insulating tape
on the raku tongs just in case. Working in a kiln that small takes
practice. The kiln, a thirty year old paragon, still has its original
elemnts and still fires to 06-05 in about three hours.
Kristen Giles
mgiles@onramp.net
http://rampages.onramp.net/~mgiles/
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