wayneinkeywest wrote:

Monika:
Technically, I suppose, it is more harmful to the kiln electric
heating elements to fire with combustibles as oposed to a
gas or wood kiln. However, many people here (US) regularly
do so. With that, a qualifying statement:

I did NOT say it was ok to load the kiln with pots, wood, paper
or anything else, and turn the elements on high to simulate
pit firing :) Yes, it's been tried. Burned down someone's garage
in the process.

A bit of combustible material in or on a pot is not going to
do much except create some smoke (and a reduction atmosphere).
Since most electric kilns are located _indoors_, that
could pose a serious health problem, or, as I found out,
a problem with the neighbors calling the
fire department thinking my house was on fire.

When I fire with combustibles (usually grasses or leaves
impressed into clay during the bisque) I always make sure to vacuum the kiln
completely afterward, so that it's clean again. Wait until it's
completely cool of course, no sense in having the vacuum
burst into flames (...oh the stories I could tell you g)

You might also check to see that no contamination of the
brick occurs, as it can with some more "exotic" elements
(like synthetic fabrics, plastic sequins etc.)

Some people pick up a "well-used" kiln, and use that one
exclusively for combustible experiments, leaving the "good"
kiln for pure electric firing.

Once in a while won't hurt the elements... much.

Thanks Wayne and Steve, this is good news. I was always tempted to put something
or other combustible into the clay, but was always afraid to do in the elements.
As long as i keep this away from my 22 potters kids, there won't be any harm
done. I think Steve Graber's idea with alphabet soup letters is also grand!
Another thing that comes to my mind in this connection: i have some rubber
alphabet stamps, about 1 cm tall, which look very good imprinted in the clay and
the kids love them. Unfortunately they are slowly deteriorating, (they are about
30 years old, still from the time when my own kids were little in the US) and i
have been looking everywhere to replace them. They are just not to be had in
Austria. Do any of you know of a source for rubber stamp letters about that
size?

Monika
--
Monika Schleidt

www.schleidt.org/mskeramik