Introduction and advices | Crystalline Glaze Forum

gustavo
New Member

Posts: 2

Introduction and advices May 7, 2018 11:09:20 GMT -6

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Post by gustavo on May 7, 2018 11:09:20 GMT -6

Hi to everyone, I´m Gustavo from Brazil and I´m a starting potter studio, have been practicing for 7 years in a high school and home.Ihave practice with glazes, I know the materials, and have many tests in book and recipies, and for a time I have been collecting informations about crystalline glazes here and the internet and noting all that I can.

Well,I have some recipies to cone 6 and cone 8. I have acess to all materials, but my problem starts since I don´t have a Kiln, just a gas kiln who reaches only 1100C. ( - Can I make cristalls in this temprature? )

- I have acess to a eletric high fire kiln, from my teacher, but her kiln does not controls the time down temperature, but is a very long time to cool at all. ( is that good? )It only controls the time, temperature/hour and holding time. maximum 1300C.

- How can I make crystalls with the tools I have. can I turn off the kiln and then turn on back. And how this ramp works on the crystalls, how much time do I hold the temperature?

- it´s possible to get crystalls in low temperatures?

Thanks to everyone in this group who help us with informations and sharing the day a day work. It´s very cool.

Hugs from Brazil..

Gustavo

wmcampbell
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Posts: 12

Introduction and advices May 7, 2018 11:30:52 GMT -6

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Post by wmcampbell on May 7, 2018 11:30:52 GMT -6

Gustavo

I have no experience with firing crystal glazes at low temperatures.
Firing your crystal glazes without a controller is difficult, however it can be done if you have a pyrometer, and some cones.

When I first learned about crystals form a well known potter he told me how he controlled his kiln.
He put cones in his kiln that would melt at the temperatures that he wanted to use as a "HOLD".
He would record the temperature that the pyrometer said when they bent on the way up. When he was cooling and holding he would have a pyrometer reading to refer to from the numbers he wrote down.

He did advise me that "If I wanted a life, I should avoid crystalline glazes" It takes a lot of watching without a controller.

If you can afford a controller to add to your teacher's kiln, and he/she would let you then you could make it work. If you do make sure that it is set up with an "S" type thermocouple ."K" couples do not hold up in high firings and drift away from being very accurate.

If you are going to fire in a gas kiln make sure that it is not in a reducing atmosphere when it is getting to its high temperatue. You will get blisters if it is reducing on the way up.

Bill C

gustavo
New Member

Posts: 2

Introduction and advices May 7, 2018 12:58:58 GMT -6

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Post by gustavo on May 7, 2018 12:58:58 GMT -6

Hi dear, thanks for the answer.

The kiln have a pyrometer, and ten I can make a "watched firing" rsrs. maybe I try it. But if you can tell me the time. the Schedule. How much time the way up to the glaze temperature, how much time do I hold in this temperature? How much in the lower temperature? I think it´s about more or less 7 hours one firing.. right?

and how much this controller can be? do you know?

I need to buy all the books indicated. rs

Gustavo

jfox
Senior Member

Posts: 266

Introduction and advices May 7, 2018 14:28:27 GMT -6

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Post by jfox on May 7, 2018 14:28:27 GMT -6

I fire crystal glaze manually in a gas kiln I used to do them around cone 6 or 7 but i get the best results at cone 10+ it takes alot of vigilance to avoid disaster . keeping it in oxidation and not letting it cool too much till the crystals are grown . what is limiting your gas kiln to 1100?
perhaps adding a fiber lining or some forced air burners would help

Jim
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