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Lesson Plans


How to Fire an Electric Kiln- 8 Easy Steps

From: L Skeen (lpskeen@living-tree.net)
Date: Mon Mar 06 2000 - 17:14:13 PST

  • Next message: Rick: "Teacher eval"

    Having told someone to go look in the archives for my step-by-step
    instructions, I thought I'd follow my own advice. Geez, it took forever
    to find! So here I have copied said instructions and given it an easy
    to find title, in case someone needed to find it again.<GG> I should
    make this into a lesson plan.<GG>

    >>>Operating the electric kiln is very easy. Assuming you're firing a
    kiln w/out
    electronic computer, and with a kiln sitter, turn all switches to OFF
    and do
    the following:

    1. Place cone horizontally in the sitter, with the flat part of the cone
    on
    the 2 bottom "arms" and the center bar of the sitter on the point of the
    cone.
    On the outside of the kiln, raise the switch/latch into position. There
    will
    be a button in the center of the latch. Press this IN.

    2. Load your BONE DRY ware. Anything wet in the bisque kiln is an
    invitation
    for explosion.

    3. Close the lid and put in your peeps.***

    4. Turn all switches to LOW. If you have dial switches with numbers like
    1 -
    10 or so, turn them to 3.

    5. Turn on your envirovent or whatever ventilation system you use. Go
    away
    for 2 hours.

    6. Turn all switches to MEDIUM or about 6 if your dials have numbers. Go
    away
    for 2 hours.

    7. Turn all switches to HIGH or the last number on your dials. The
    temperature in the kiln will continue to climb until it reaches the temp
    that
    melts your cone, at which time, the cone will "break", releasing the
    switch/latch, and the kiln will shut off.

    8. Let that sucker cool down to the point you can stand to touch the
    outside
    w/ your bare hand before you open it. Crack the lid and prop it open w/
    a kiln
    post until all warm air stops pouring out the top, and you're ready to
    unload.

    *** Some people leave their peeps out until they turn up to High in
    order to
    let the nasties outgas. If you don't have a good ventilation system,
    plug the
    peeps from jump street.

    Another caveat: When you're waiting for a glaze firing to cool down, you

    really don't want to open the kiln too early for a couple of reasons. 1.
    Some
    glazes develop their color during the cooling process. I have a fabulous
    red
    glaze that is BROWN while still hot. 2. If you open the kiln and hear a
    lot
    of pinging, it could be because of cold air hitting hot pots and the
    glaze is
    crazing/crackling.

    If you open a cold kiln and hear a lot of pinging, it's probably due to
    a glaze
    fit problem between your glaze and clay - ie: the glaze shrunk more than
    the
    clay did, or vice/versa. This can cause shivering, which is where the
    glaze
    pops off the pot in razor sharp slivers, so watch out for that! :)

    If you have other questions, please lemme know. :)

    L 

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