There is asaying that experience isthe best teacher bul she charges a ler! Experienced pullers sometimes feel a bil smug whout their ability to build and control a gas kiln because they paid a high price to leam- Firing our pottery kilns is a preity personal and even emotional thing and industrial lining seems a coldly uncreative way bo make pood glare and body surfaces. For example, redwetion is not used in industry, even flashing is simulated with stains! However this gap between the worlds of industnal kiln technology and pottery kalns 18 Quite educational.

Consider: We are just discovering elec- tronic temperature controllers on electric kilns whereas industry has had devices that contral atmosphere, pressure, [ow, volume, and temperature for many dec- ades. Burmers with 250mph nozzle veloc- ity and Sire lanes over, around, and under the toad don't impinge the ware and yet produce an active almosphere that distrib- utes and transfers heat to and from ware

TECHNO TIP Better Glazes in Gas Firing

Tony Hansen very efficiently. Interlocking kiln fum- ture creates a stable load and spotlessly clean settings assure defect free ware.

We adjust the proportions af gas wath primary and secondary air using damper and burners according localourand length of flame. In industry they do the apposite; they muntain a constant volume of input air-gas. All gir entering the kiln passes through the bumer module which meters fas in a precise stocheometne 101 mho (justcnough oxypen to burn all the gas and maintain 1.5% oxygen atmosphere; mor- mal pipe burners are about 7:1). Motor- ized dampers and exhaust fans maintain a constantiniemal pressure al approximately one inch water column.

They can fast-fire, often in one hour, and prxduce defect free ware with very low loss, Maybe we can learn something from them after all.

Related Websites

hetp://digitalfire.com Calculation/Data- hase Software for Cemamec Industry

http: /‘ceramicsearch.com Search engine for the Ceramic Industry

Help to Convert Glaze Recipes

Ron Roy <ronrey @astral. magic.ca>

The inforeion in tis article fas been pre- pared by Tory Hansen with the pemerogs sup port of Plativaan Clays Limied in Alberta, Greenbara in the Fraser Valley ana Island Pattery Warehouse of Vancouver {sland are afi lanes.

[fvou fave queries or commend, please cell or email the editer or the Guild office (see back

page).

available through:

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A complete line of products is

Greenbarn Potters Supply Surrey, 8.C. Phone: 604-888-3411 Vancouver Island Pottery Nanaimo, B.C. Phone: 250-716-9966 Warehouse Inc.

May 2000

Potters Guild of Bush Columbia