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tips on being able to view the cones?

updated wed 16 jan 02

 

Ned Ludd on mon 14 jan 02


Connie Waring wrote:

> does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view your cones?
> I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard time seeing the cones
> when the kiln gets up around cone 10. Are there some tricks to make it
> easier?

Connie, I know what you mean: a clear sighting at cone ten is often
tricky. In reduction the view inside tends to be cloudy, so go into a
neutral or mild oxidation atmosphere just for the looksee. Bonus: you
will keep your eyebrows!

I've tried placing a vertical slab of clay with horizontal bands of
iron oxide wash painted on, behind the cones as a backdrop. It might
work in an electric kiln, but it made no difference in my gas kiln.
Seems to me that it's hardest to discern the cones when ware is close
behind. So what I do is pack the shelf with a long empty space or
channel behind the cones, as seen from the spy hole. It makes them a
little easier to distinguish, I find. If anyone has a better
solution, I'd welcome it!

best,

Ned

Connie Waring on mon 14 jan 02


does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view
your cones? I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.
Are there some tricks to make it easier?

thanks alot,

Connie


==============================================
Connie Waring - Systems Specialist Americas Technology Center
SGI, 11490 Westheimer, #100, Houston, TX 77077
281-493-8361 cwaring@sgi.com

Snail Scott on mon 14 jan 02


At 10:39 AM 1/14/02 -0600, you wrote:
I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
>time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.

Welders' goggles are kind of a pain; I only use them
for welding. Get hold of some glassblowers' goggles;
they will protect your eyes from the kiln, but aren't
dark in the visible spectrum. Welders' goggles are
designed to protect against brightness, which isn't
really our problem. The dark glass just makes it
tougher to see, not easier, IMHO, and the inconvenience
make people avoid using them, even when they're
available. Glassblowers' goggles are almost clear, but
still protect against hazardous non-visible wavelengths.
They don't really make it much easier to see, but you
can safely look longer than you could without them.

If I can't seen the cones, I usually blow through the
peephole. This will slightly cool the cones, and make
then more visible. (Don't suck in a big breath to do
this while you're standing in front of the kiln. No
need to be suckin' fumes!) ;)

Also, heavy reduction can make the kiln atmosphere
cloudy. Sometimes reducing the reduction (?) for a
minute will make things more visible.

-Snail

Jennifer F Boyer on mon 14 jan 02


find any small pieces of hard or soft brick and make little
_backdrops_ for your conepacks. Paint these with iron oxide
wash. This makes a dark background on which to view the
cones....I used stilts from my plate setters. They are 1/4 by 1
by 1 1/2 inches. I use 2 side by side behind each cone pack.
Jennifer

Connie Waring wrote:
>
> does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view
> your cones? I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
> time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.
> Are there some tricks to make it easier?
>
> thanks alot,
>
> Connie
>
> ==============================================
> Connie Waring - Systems Specialist Americas Technology Center
> SGI, 11490 Westheimer, #100, Houston, TX 77077
> 281-493-8361 cwaring@sgi.com
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

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Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
95 Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602 USA
802-223-8926
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/

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Craig Edwards on mon 14 jan 02


Hi Connie;
Sometimes I use a 1/4 metal rod. I stick it through the spy hole so that
it's about an inch away from the cones. It cools it off around the cones and
makes it much easier to see. Hope this Helps.

Craig Edwards
New London MN

>does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view
>your cones? I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
>time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.
>Are there some tricks to make it easier?
>
>thanks alot,
>
>Connie
>
>
>==============================================
>Connie Waring - Systems Specialist Americas Technology Center
>SGI, 11490 Westheimer, #100, Houston, TX 77077
>281-493-8361 cwaring@sgi.com
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.




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Michael C Hill on mon 14 jan 02


I use a 3ft piece of 1/2 inch steel rod. Side it slowley twoard the
cones, it will cool the area around it, and the cones stand out.

----- Original Message -----
From: Connie Waring
Date: Monday, January 14, 2002 8:39 am
Subject: tips on being able to view the cones?

> does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view
> your cones? I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
> time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.
> Are there some tricks to make it easier?
>
> thanks alot,
>
> Connie
>
>
> ==============================================
> Connie Waring - Systems Specialist Americas Technology Center
> SGI, 11490 Westheimer, #100, Houston, TX 77077
> 281-493-8361 cwaring@sgi.com
>
>
________________________________________________________________________
______
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.

Rikki Gill on mon 14 jan 02


Sometimes I reduce the gas pressure to barely on so I can see in dense
reduction. I also blow into the kiln, but be careful when you do this that
you don't burn yourself on flames coming out. I always am careful to place
the cones where they are easy to spot. Hope this helps. Rikki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Connie Waring"
To:
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 8:39 AM
Subject: tips on being able to view the cones?


> does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view
> your cones? I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard
> time seeing the cones when the kiln gets up around cone 10.
> Are there some tricks to make it easier?
>
> thanks alot,
>
> Connie
>
>
> ==============================================
> Connie Waring - Systems Specialist Americas Technology Center
> SGI, 11490 Westheimer, #100, Houston, TX 77077
> 281-493-8361 cwaring@sgi.com
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>

Bob Pulley on tue 15 jan 02


I haven't been following this thread so I don't know what others have =
said.
I try to blow in, but this doesn't always work if the pad is too far in =
and you have to be careful not to get scorched. Also, if you have a steel =
rod you can poke it in near the cones and it will enable you to see. I =
don't do this much because I have knocked the cone pad off its pedistal =
and that doesn't help at all.
Bob

>>> nludd@SHOCKING.COM 01/15/02 02:10AM >>>
Connie Waring wrote:

> does anyone have some good tips on making it easier to view your cones?
> I bought welders glasses, but I have a very hard time seeing the cones
> when the kiln gets up around cone 10. Are there some tricks to make it
> easier?

Connie, I know what you mean: a clear sighting at cone ten is often
tricky. In reduction the view inside tends to be cloudy, so go into a
neutral or mild oxidation atmosphere just for the looksee. Bonus: you
will keep your eyebrows!

I've tried placing a vertical slab of clay with horizontal bands of
iron oxide wash painted on, behind the cones as a backdrop. It might
work in an electric kiln, but it made no difference in my gas kiln.
Seems to me that it's hardest to discern the cones when ware is close
behind. So what I do is pack the shelf with a long empty space or
channel behind the cones, as seen from the spy hole. It makes them a
little easier to distinguish, I find. If anyone has a better
solution, I'd welcome it!

best,

Ned

___________________________________________________________________________=
___
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org=20

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/=20

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.=
com.

Linda Rosen on tue 15 jan 02


In an electric firing I find it helpful to place the cones with no ware
behind them. Leave a gap between pieces so that the element can be seen
behind the cone pack. At temperature the cone pack is a silhouette against
the bright glow of the element. I do use welder's glasses.

Linda Rosen

A tip given to me by Joyce Wheatley who got it from "Chiz"

Karen Sullivan on tue 15 jan 02


The technique I use to view cones is
in the cone pack...I form a circle in
the cone pack...on the right side closest
to the hottest cone...and so the cones fall away
from the circle...It gives me something to focus
on so I can count from the right end
and view backwards from there...
It seems to provide a silhouette that casts a shadow
of the circle form.
______0 is what the cone pack looks like 0_/_/_/_
from a reversed direction....
Does that make sense?
Hope that helps...
bamboo karen

Jeff Tsai on tue 15 jan 02


I learned long ago that it is hard to see your cones especially if there is a
pot or a piece right behind them. The piece is glowing with the same
intensity as the cones so the two blend together. I try to place my pieces in
the kiln so that there is a little gap of open air for at least three or four
inches behind the cones from my eyeline.

-jeff