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Kiln Pointers
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The Signature on Your Fired Art |
CONTENTS The Signature on Your Fired Art Reader Response: another jewelry adhesive Recent Q&As: adjusting the side elements on a GL-24ADTSD glass kiln ------------ THE SIGNATURE ON YOUR FIRED ART At a trade show this year in Louisville, Kentucky, I displayed several Tim Frederick pots along with a Paragon kiln. Tim had fired the pots in his Paragon Dragon. A potter stopped at the booth, admired Tim’s pots, and picked one up. He turned it over and saw the Tim Frederick stamp pressed into the bottom. “We should have a stamp made for our pots,” his female companion said. I told them that some potters also include a code with their signature stamp that indicates date of production, glaze formula, kiln notes, or other pertinent information. They can look at the bottom of any pot they’ve made, find the code in a spiral notebook, and read about that batch of pots. This is useful if a pot is every returned with a problem. The potter, still holding the Frederick piece, agreed that it was easy to forget important details. “I’m doing well if I can even remember to sign my pots.” He said that recently he visited a friend’s house and saw a small bowl on display. It had a beautiful green glaze that he didn’t recognize. “Where did you find that amazing bowl?” the potter asked his friend. Then the potter turned the piece over and found his own signature. The friend said, “You’re kidding, right? I bought that bowl from you 15 years ago.” A production code can be a simple letter-number combination placed in an obscure area. This may work for other types of fired art besides pottery. (This idea came from potter Mel Jacobson. You can listen to an interview with him: Click here for Mel’s interview) READER RESPONSE Last week’s Kiln Pointer was a discussion of jewelry adhesives. Paul White of Santa Fe, New Mexico wrote, “I use silicone as a glass adhesive. GE window and door brand clear works great. It works especially well if you have small holes for the silicone to ooze through.” RECENT Q&A Q. I have a Paragon GL-24ADTSD glass kiln with side, door, and roof elements. I keep the side elements turned off. How can I make the kiln fire faster? A. Turn up the switches that control the side and door elements. This will increase the amperage and make the kiln fire faster. ------------ What would you like to see in a kiln instruction manual? I ask because I am revising one of ours. I welcome your ideas. When I was 19, I spent days in my parents’ garage rebuilding the engine from my Volkswagen Bug. That’s when I learned to appreciate an instruction manual. I still have my tattered VW manual. Seeing it takes me back to the wintry evenings in that dimly lit garage. Thank you, With best wishes, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P. – Better Designed Kilns 2011 South Town East Blvd. Mesquite, TX 75149-1122 Voice: 972-288-7557 & 800-876-4328 / Fax: 972-222-0646 ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com PRIVACY NOTICE: Under no circumstance do we share or sell your email address. Copyright 2007, by Paragon Industries, L.P. |
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“Custom and standard Kilns and Industrial Furnaces for ceramics, pottery, heat treating, enameling, |
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