The nice thing about ceramics is that so little changes over time. This is the 1999 edition of a book I wrote in 1975, first published by others. Everything in the book is still valid. We still place clay into a box and apply enough heat to transform the clay into a ceramic. It is a science, but with some kilns it is an art, bordering on a miracle.
So, what is all the mystery? Some people can fire successfully and some can’t. Some kilns fire easily and some are stubborn or seem to ruin most of what is placed in them. All of this can be explained if you understand the firing process.
That is what this book is all about. Its purpose its to replace mystery with understanding. No more never-ending firings, or puzzles about something strange and unexplained happening.
This book gives the beginner a starting point. By following the recommended procedure, a successful firing is likely. It can be changed once you know what you are doing. The old hand will also find the book valuable because it will answer a lot of firing questions. The technology in this book will enhance the background of any ceramist.
The other reason for the book is to conserve energy. Do not get upset. By conserving energy, we make the craft affordable in this time of high energy prices, and thereby we prolong the craft and craftsperson. Conservation of energy also means less pollution because more or most of the fuel is burned and not belched into the atmosphere. With an ever increasing population, we all eat, breathe, smell, and live with someone else’s pollution. We cannot afford this.
In a single, focused book, we can learn what it takes to fire a kiln without mysteries, with far less firing cost, and with less rejects.
For two years before I started this book, I advertised myself for kiln repair. I learned plenty. The primary shortcoming was that most people did not know how to fire a kiln. Kiln safety was unheard of. You would hardly believe the stories of performance that I could tell. Just about anyone can put clay in a box, heat it, and retrieve a ceramic. Just as anyone can stroke a violin string with a bow, but does that produce music?
The book refines the practice of firing; reduces air pollution by more efficient firing, makes an effort to prolong the craft, and reduces artist frustration when opening a kiln reveals more than a new pile of gravel.
Foreword.
Preface.
Introduction.
Glossary.
Ch.1 Firing. Basis For Firing Procedure. Minimum Essentials for firing A Gas Kiln. Firing Schedules. Cone Firing Rate. Kiln Loading and Stacking. Bisque Firing. A Firing Procedure. The Firing. Mechanism of Reduction. Reduction Atmosphere. How To Create A Reducing Atmosphere. Conclusion. Kiln Heating and Cooling. Kiln Firing. Downdraft Kilns. Adjusting For Even Temperature In Updraft Kilns. Summary.
Ch. 2 Logging A Kiln Firing. Justification For Logging. Mapping. Discussion of Sample Firing Logs. Explanation of The Firing Log. How The Log Provides Working Data. Peculiar Notes. Reduction Firing Schedule. Summary. Reading A Gas Meter.
Ch. 3 Burners. Burners For Propane and Butane. Forced Air Burner Maintenance. Clogging. Alignment. Burner Operation.
Ch 4. Plumbing. Supplying Gas To Burners. Propane and Butane. Gas Feed Piping. Testing Your Plumbing. Summary.
Ch. 5 Pressure Gauges and Pyrometers. Pressure Gauges. Manometers. To Make A Manometer. Pyrometers and Thermocouples. Summary.
Ch. 6 Automatic Kiln Controls Automatic Controls. Automatic Kiln Protective Devices. Temperature Limit Sensor. Open Thermocouple Protection. Loss of Combustion Air- control. Pilot Burners. Flame Sensor. Burner control.
Ch 7. Ecology and Firing Reduction Firing. Reducing Pollution. Downdraft Firing. Updraft Firing. Afterburners. Test Your Pollution Control System. Salt Glazing. Firing Economy of Fuel.
Ch. 8. Gas Combustion. The Best Air Fuel Ratio. Combustion Environment. Combustion By Products. Range of Gas Air Mixtures.
Ch. 9. Kiln Characteristics. Factors Which Affect Firing. Heat Storage. Kiln surface Losses. Outside Surface Temperature. Contained Load. Summary.
Ch. 10. Firing and Gas Safety. Be Alert. Automatic Gas Cutoff. Pilots. Torch Lighting. Flameout. Ventilation. Gas Leaks. Kiln Watching. Exterior Temperature. Fire Extinguishers. Peekholes. Hot Objects Policy. Safety Glasses. Gas Explosions. Propane and Butane. Propane Flameout. Never Complete.
Ch. 11. Summary Any Kiln Will Fire If..... Rules for Kiln Care.
Appendix. Kiln Firing. Troubles. Orifice Sizes. Cone End Points- Large Cones. Cone end Points- Small Cones. Temperature Conversion Tables. Footnotes.
Bibliography. Books For Further Reading.
ISBN 0-939656-47-7, $27.95,
Complete the order
Ceramics Series Page
December 13, 2008