[Clayart] fast firing

[Paul Randall]

Hi Mel,
I’m curious about what you said on down firing. You said “  I down fire for about 20 minutes at 1800F or so three times.” What does that actually look like? Do you free fall to 1800 and then back up to what temp? Or is it free fall down to 1700 and then up to 1800 for 20 minutes?

Would that same technique work for Shaners Red? There is some magic to get Shaners Red to go red. 

Thanks for your wisdom
Paul Randall

Sent from my iPad

> On Feb 11, 2025, at 6:58 PM, mel jacobson via Clayart <clayart at lists.clayartforum.com> wrote:
> 
> 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
>