[Clayart] crash cooling and funny story

[mel jacobson]

kurt, nils and our group looked into crash cooling years back.
it works to a degree, but is, in our opinion, a rather silly way to
deal with pots.  down firing is the answer to the entire story.
(ask me for my book if you do not have it...pdf file, free of charge)

as we have talked about all winter, i am speed firing and speed
cooling my new clay and glaze.
but, it is natural cooling...whatever the kiln will tolerate.
and that three hour down firing is very gentle and
fits with the schedule.  i do not open the kiln at all
during cooling.  watch the pyrometer go down slowly.
but, the kiln can easily cool to 500 in about four hours.
i do not lift the lid til it is at 150F. 

the pots have no ill effect.  they ring true, have no dunting, shivers
or other awful problems.  there has not been a crack in the two hundred
or more pots i have fired with my electric kiln.

as happens in industry, the warm up to cone is gradual but with controlled
speed.  the pots are in the cone area for about ten minutes or less.
the cooling again is gradual and controlled.  no shocks, ever.
climb to the top, and let it cool the same way.  perfect bell curve.

if you open a kiln in that thousand degree range, the pots
will be ruined.  we had a dork at the farm open our big
stoneware kiln at 1200 and snatch his pots and went home.
the entire kiln of pots was ruined..like 80 pieces.
some could be saved, but most had baby cracks.

if you are working for speed, you had better chart what you are doing
and keep to a strict schedule.

my study is not about rushing to get things done.
we all can wait. never ruin pots.
my tests are about what the clay and glaze will tolerate.
it is about testing limits.  that has always been the study
of mine, kurts and nils.  how far can you push, then back off.
find the prefect system for  timing, fuel saving and  great pots
that sing.  i have reached that point in my new firing schedule.

funny story,.  i stopped at a garage sale yesterday, had a
five dollar bill that i keep in my glove box....was looking for new
stuffed toys for my golden...she loves new toys. 1$  each
got 5.
but, as i parked ,a lady with a big black bentley  car pulled next to 
me. (like 125 thousand dollar car) ?? who knows.
i helped her out of the car, you know on a little hill and grass. she 
was like
70...lovely looking, great clothes.  she was old enough to appreciate a 
gentleman.
we walked over to the tables and she was snatching a few things.
i said to her.
`it is really nice to be shopping at a garage sale with a lady that
parks her bentley  and looks for bargains.` ` said the old line.
`how do you think i can afford a bentley...?  ```  she wanted to
buy my gold teddy bear, offered me two bucks...but, i could not
sell saffron's gold bear,  there are limits to making money.
mel

-- 
Mel's Website:  www.melpots.com
CLAYART PAGE:
http://www.melpots.com/CLAYART.HTML

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