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carol tripp, glaze firing ramp

updated fri 12 apr 02

 

Alisa og Claus Clausen on thu 11 apr 02


Dear Carol,
Sorry but I zapped my mail with your email address, so I will send this
over the list.

My firing schedule before this last firing of tests, was different.

It was 100c p/h to 600c
150c to 1100c
150c to 1220c
hold 15 minutes
down max to 800c
hold one hour
shut off

Now I fired slower up from 1100c to 1220c, with the same hold.
The major change was slowly down from the hold at the top
to 800c, by only 80c per hour.

I cannot see that this has made any difference in the glazes that were in
with the tests, that
I have fired before on the old schedule. However, I will continue this new
schedule as I use more and more semimattes and mattes. John had told me a
long time ago to slow down the cooling. I tested the Charcoal Satin Matte
that appeared in CM and I shut off my kiln at the top. I got a gloss and
John said I need to slow it down to get the crystals to form for a matte
surface.

There has been a definite improvement in the smoothness and mattness of the
glazes surfaces with this slower cool down. I can see it very clearly in
the Dolomite white I use a lot. I do not think I will go any slower,
because I think 14 hours is long enough for the glaze firing and I am
getting good results.

Hope this was the answer to your question!
regards from Alisa