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cone viewing tips?

updated wed 25 nov 09

 

Sue Beach on sun 22 nov 09


Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help make it easier to
see them during a firing?

During yesterday's firing, I could see them all at the beginning, but by th=
e
time the kiln was almost to temp, I could not see any of them.

Thanks.

Sue Beach
Muncie, IN

Lee Love on sun 22 nov 09


On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 8:32 AM, Sue Beach wrote:
> Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help make it easier =
=3D
to
> see them during a firing?
>
> During yesterday's firing, I could see them all at the beginning, but by =
=3D
the
> time the kiln was almost to temp, I could not see any of them.

You can temporarity let off the back pressure to clear the atmopshere.

Are you using welder's eye protection?

--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/

"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

William & Susan Schran User on sun 22 nov 09


On 11/22/09 9:32 AM, "Sue Beach" wrote:

> Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help make it easier =
to
> see them during a firing?
>
> During yesterday's firing, I could see them all at the beginning, but by =
the
> time the kiln was almost to temp, I could not see any of them.

Hey Sue,

I'm sure if you do a search of the archives you'll find multiple "tricks" t=
o
view the cones in different kilns and temperatures.

I do two things that work for me and these work ^6 oxidation or reduction
and ^10 reduction.

Have NO pots positioned behind the cones you are trying to view.
I know this may leave some empty space you'd like to use, but I've found
with a pot right behind the cones, it becomes more difficult to see them.
In an electric, if you can position the cones so there is a glowing element
behind them, that's even better. The least would have the line formed by th=
e
space between two bricks behind the cones - I do this in the gas fired kiln
- this space forms a dark line behind the cones allowing you to see which
cones have bent or are still standing.

You need the contrast of something cooler or something hotter than the cone=
s
behind them to see the cones better. With a pot at the same temperature as
the cones sitting behind them, it is almost impossible to see them.

I also blow on my cones, which cools their edges, allowing me to see them.
Yes, I know folks state this cools the cones and will give false readings,
but it works for me.

Other folks have different methods, this is what I do and it works for me a=
t
all temperatures.

Be certain that you wear appropriate eye protection anytime you look in the
hot kiln.

Bill

--
William "Bill" Schran
wschran@cox.net
wschran@nvcc.edu
http://www.creativecreekartisans.com

Brandon Phillips on sun 22 nov 09


I use a 3ft. piece of rebar, stick it in the spyhole and when it gets near
the cones it temporarily cools them enough to see them clearly...at least
this is what I think is happening. It works though, just don't knock them
over!

Brandon Phillips
www.supportyourlocalpotter.com

> Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help make it easier
> to
> see them during a firing?

Lee Love on sun 22 nov 09


On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 3:46 PM, Des & Jan Howard wro=
=3D
te:
> Lee
> Whatever for? Clear plastic lenses are adequate.

To protect your vision from Infrared and Ultraviolet light (IR and UV.)

--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/

"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

Des & Jan Howard on mon 23 nov 09


Lee
My polycarbonate prescription lenses will protect my
eyes from infrared, of any consequence. As far as any
harmful ultraviolet is concerned, are you running your
kiln with an electric arc?
Des

Lee Love wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 3:46 PM, Des & Jan Howard w=
rote:
>> Lee
>> Whatever for? Clear plastic lenses are adequate.
>
> To protect your vision from Infrared and Ultraviolet light (IR and UV.)

--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624

Lee Love on mon 23 nov 09


On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 11:49 PM, Des & Jan Howard wr=
=3D
ote:
> Lee
> My polycarbonate prescription lenses will protect my
> eyes from infrared, of any consequence. As far as any
> harmful ultraviolet is concerned, are you running your
> kiln with an electric arc?


Did you know that many people don't have or need
prescription glasses?

Eye protection should be worn when looking in the kiln.
Any responsible potter will tell you this. An obviously, they help
you see into the kiln if you fire at white heat. You can better
judge the surface condition in a wood kiln, which is important if you
don't have to glaze all your pots and want to see how they are taking
ash.

I gave up my bifocal welding glasses to a friend who was
visiting from Cornwall. Need to get another pair. I still have
bifocal clear safety glasses I wear when grinding or sawing. You can
buy both types here:

http://www.safetyglasses.com/


--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/

"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue

David Finkelnburg on mon 23 nov 09


Des,
You will probably get a lot of responses to this. To add to what Lee
wrote very correctly, any clear lens blocks "most" UV. It is relatively
short wavelength and runs into the atoms in the clear lens, just like it
hits the cornea in our eye and eventually causes cataracts if we get too
much UV exposure without protection. IR is long wavelength, however, and
it hits the back of the eyeball, potentially damaging the cones and rods in
the eye that sense light, hence the reason pilots wear heavy grey tinted
sun glasses. A pair of welding glasses for gas welding, rated 5 here, are
recommended for cone viewing by my optometrist. Welding glass rated 10, fo=
r
arc welding, is too dense to see cones through and, while it does block all
IR, is much more than is necessary anyway. Keep the welding glasses by the
peep hole and protect your eyes!
Good potting,
Dave Finkelnburg
www.mattanddavesclays.com

-----------------------------
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:46:19 +1100
From: Des & Jan Howard
Whatever for? Clear plastic lenses are adequate.
Des

Lee Love wrote:
> Are you using welder's eye protection?

Arnold Howard on mon 23 nov 09


From: "Sue Beach"
> Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help
> make it easier to
> see them during a firing?
-------------
Cones disappear as they bend if they are placed too close to
a peephole. They also disappear if the top section of the
cone is silhouetted by an kiln element. As the cones bend,
they are no longer silhouetted.

Click here for an article on viewing witness cones. It
includes a photo of a bent cone as seen through a peephole
at cone 7:

http://www.paragonweb.com/Kiln_Pointer.cfm?PID=3D291

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com

Des & Jan Howard on mon 23 nov 09


Sue
The present alpha gas kiln has one small spyhole.
Two cones, in a setter, are placed just in front of
this spyhole. At temp the only way to see the cones is
to insert, (verrry carefully!), a pencil thick
stainless steel rod & pick up on the reflection.
Works for me!
Des

Sue Beach wrote:
> Can anyone give me some tips about cone placement to help make it easier =
to
> see them during a firing?
>
> During yesterday's firing, I could see them all at the beginning, but by =
the
> time the kiln was almost to temp, I could not see any of them.

--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624

Des & Jan Howard on mon 23 nov 09


Lee
Whatever for? Clear plastic lenses are adequate.
Des

Lee Love wrote:
> Are you using welder's eye protection?

--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624

Des & Jan Howard on tue 24 nov 09


Dave
Flying planes, sunbaking, gas welding & hot glass work
entail a fair bit of time in high glare conditions.
Looking at cones doesn't. I don't wear sunnies outside.
Unless I'm at the rhyolite mine or white painting the
roofs, (current task).
Des

David Finkelnburg wrote:
> Des,
> You will probably get a lot of responses to this. To add to what Le=
e
> wrote very correctly, any clear lens blocks "most" UV. It is relatively
> short wavelength and runs into the atoms in the clear lens, just like it
> hits the cornea in our eye and eventually causes cataracts if we get too
> much UV exposure without protection. IR is long wavelength, however, and
> it hits the back of the eyeball, potentially damaging the cones and rods =
in
> the eye that sense light, hence the reason pilots wear heavy grey tinted
> sun glasses. A pair of welding glasses for gas welding, rated 5 here, ar=
e
> recommended for cone viewing by my optometrist. Welding glass rated 10, =
for
> arc welding, is too dense to see cones through and, while it does block a=
ll
> IR, is much more than is necessary anyway. Keep the welding glasses by t=
he
> peep hole and protect your eyes!


--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850

02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624