[Clayart] fast firing

[William Schran]

I fast fire my cone 6 glaze firings, program the kiln at 500f per hour
to 2000F, then slow down to 150F per hour to my cone 6 over at 2185F.
So, I reach top temperature in about 5 hours and then have programmed
controlled cooling with holds at various temperatures to prevent
pinholes & blisters and to encourage growth of micro crystals. The
cooling side of the firing takes nearly as long as the heating
side.When I do cone 6 crystalline glazes it is the same 500F per hour
heating, taking 5 hours to reach peak, but cooling takes 6-8 hours.
Bill

William Schranwschran at twc.com703-505-1617

	-----------------------------------------From: "mel jacobson via
Clayart" 
To: "clay clay"
Cc: "mel jacobson"
Sent: Tuesday February 11 2025 7:58:10PM
Subject: [Clayart] fast firing

 There is a standard idea when firing a gas kiln. Stack it full, pack
it full, get every pot in your studio crammed in the kiln and it will
take forever to fire, and the results will be poor.

 It is basic logic that a fuel kiln needs air movement through the
kiln. You cannot make dams that stop the flow of heat and air to get
to the stack.

 As I have stated, I fire glaze firings as fast as the kiln will
allow. Cone 7 in under five hours. The pots have a great deal of room,
pots are loaded to give air flow and a clean path to the stack. My
pots have never been better. And the number of rejects is almost nil.
Of course I do down fire. If doing bright copper red I down fire for
about 20 minutes at 1800F or so three times. Look at the last picture
on my website home page. A red teapot.

 I repeat for the hundredth time. Don't read literature written in
1930 about how to fire a kiln. It is 2025 and we know a great deal
more about firing.
 My pots are happy pots. Same for electric firing. leave space. Bad
ecology is bad pots thrown away.
 Mel

 website: www.melpots.com
 WWW.clayartarchives.com


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