reflections

Firing Log

Starting a new thread with this: a way to keep track of what I am doing when I fire my electric kiln. It is firing right now so, I will have to make two entries. One to say what I am trying to do and the other to say how it turned out. Maybe the discipline of wirting it down will make me do a better job.

Kiln description: (for the record).

Skutt 1027-KM. 3 Phase, 240 Volt. Interior has been sprayed with ITC-100.

I fire to cone 8 using a ramp / hold profile on the computer controller. This is the profile:

Segment	Rate Deg/Hr	End Temp. F	Hold
1	150	200	Variable
2	150	900	0
3	100	1100	0
4	135	2100	0
5	108	2120	0
6	9999	1960	0
7	150	1550	0

The hold time for the first segment is just a judgement as to whether I need to "candle" the load to drive out excess moisture. It has been rainy so I programmed 4 hrs. today.

Note that I single fire a stoneware rated to cone 10. Therefore, the temperature climb rate may seem quite slow, but that allows gasses released by high temperature reactions to escape. The rate also has two other effects. Given the slow temperature climb, I have found that programming a hold on reaching max temperature has the effect of getting dropping another cone, at least half way. I also find that the temperature at which a code will be down (tip toughing the shelf) is much lower than if I had fired more quickly. - Update: I used "Skip Step" to go to a slow cool down when cone 7 touched. This is a test to see what my glazes to at 7 vs. the more normal 8. The termperature at that time read 2063. Total firing time. 24:18 including the 4 hr. hold at 200. I can open in the morning. Posted by Wes at February 28, 2005 07:49 AM | TrackBack