New Video – Shortening the Firing Time
I recently taught a 4-day class in Waltham, MA. There were 12 people in the class and one of them was kind enough to bring in a double-burner camping stove. We did all our pre-firing (first phase – binder burnout) on the stove. The second phase was done in three front-loading kilns. If you have ever taken one of my workshops, you know how many pieces can be created in the course of 4 days. However, while at my previous classes people had typically waited for their pieces to be fired, this time the kilns were waiting for them. We fired twice a day, sometimes three times. We ended up firing almost all the pieces before the class was over.
This photo was taken by Nicki Piaget:
And these beautiful pieces are the creations of Maggie Bokor:
As I wrote in an earlier posting and follow-up, firing the first phase over a stove top can save hours of firing time! Here is a video showing the whole quick process from beginning to end. Enjoy!
November 6th, 2011 at 8:07 am
Hi Hadar-
Thanks for the new video on firing. Would you post a picure of the front and back of the flower in the beginning of the video. What clays were used?
Again. thanks for all that you do for the metal clay community.
November 6th, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Hadar, do you always have to start with a cold kiln for the second phase? Or is it possible to do second phases one right after another since the first phase will be on the burner???
November 6th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Susi, The back is just a backing of copper. I used copper, bronze, steel and white bronze.
November 6th, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Monte, If you do the first phase on the burner you don’t need to start the second phase with a cold kiln.
November 7th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
How long is the second firing time and at what ramp and temp?
November 7th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
Dyanne, The second firing is 2 hours, ramp at full speed. The temp depends on what clay you are using. No need to cool down after the first phase.
November 7th, 2011 at 4:41 pm
I must have missed it, but where is the
information for the second phase firing?
Appearently it is shortened but to what?
At what Temperatures? Is there a place to
find the new schedules to reflect this?
Thank You so Much!
November 7th, 2011 at 5:07 pm
Coral,
The full information is in the instruction manual on my blog, at http://www.artinsilver.com/blog, on the right pane. This 26-page manual is regularly updated as new information flows in (next update at the beginning of the year).
November 8th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
You Rock Hadar!!
This new process has reved up my creative juices. I have been using it since you announced it. The video, very cute BTW, has shown me that I can take my stailess bowl right to the kiln. I had been tranferring them into my whool box. I have noticed hairline cracks in my pieces since I started the new process first firing. It may be from the moving of the fragile pieces.
Again, Thank You!
Virginia
South Louisiana
November 8th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Virginia, The cracks can be caused by the movement but also because of burning to fast. Remember to turn the flame to minimum, once start to smell and see the smoke.
May 26th, 2012 at 8:59 am
After using the first phase on the camp stove my pieces do not change color. I am waiting until all smoke is gone. Does this mean the process has not finished?
May 26th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Sharon, Probably not. A light breath can lower the temperature and the smoke will stop because there is not enough heat. How long did the process take? It is safe to fire up to 40 minutes.
May 26th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Yes it was a little breezy so I will look for the darkening of the pieces next time. I definitely think I did not leave it in long enough. I guess I was afraid of pieces cracking if it got too hot. Learning 🙂
Thanks!