Kiln Situation in Japan   

Zinc Silicate Crystalline Glaze Pottery

A chronicle of my recent progress and a way for me to keep it straight in my head!

 

This page started with an e-mail from Yoshiko Ratliff

with a link pointing to the Gokurakugama Co.

I met Yoshiko at The Crystalline Spectrum last September.

She saw results from the Fallonator and wrote to say that while visited her parents in Japan she saw some interesting electric kilns in Tokyo and I just want to let me know about them.

They are made with new ceramic which is used for the space shuttle, so it won't be so hot and you can place it anywhere.  The kilns I saw were placed in a room on the 3rd floor of a regular house. You can do reduction firing using wood, oil, charcoal and propane. The propane tank which is about 5"x6"x6" is sold separately. 

 

 

Here's a page from their website.  I'm not sure all of what it says. The words are in Japanese but the pictures and numbers are in American.

And translations of 3 pages provided by Avi Harriman.

 

Space shuttle tile is made of silica fiber and has a top end of around 1200C (2200F). I'm sure the "space shuttle ceramic technology" to which they refer is ceramic fiber material.  We have been making the type of heater they use for decades at work . It is based on alumina - silica containing refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) - basically high temperature fiberglass and alumina fiber insulation and APM wire. http://www.zircarceramics.com/pages/elements/specs/rdi.htm
 

This type of construction can offer some significant benefits over an IFB lined kiln , including low energy consumption and skin temperatures and fast heating rate. As their literature says there is no "Need to build a park to the front yard of the traditional kiln." I assume they mean a traditional gas kiln.

One problem from an artist's perspective is cost.

The Pro 50 model  (125 liter, ~ 6.4 cu. ft.) is listed at 892,500 yen (~ $7200). That's pretty pricey but hey....shipping to anywhere in Japan is included in the price.
Another disadvantage is that since the elements are an integral part of the hot face insulation, when the elements are shot you need to throw them and the hot face insulation out to replace them.
 

 

I think this page has links to some of their customer's pages. There is some pretty interesting information linked. Well pictures anyway.

One of them is to http://www5a.biglobe.ne.jp/~aneha/ which contains this look at some crystalline glazed work in before and after firing.

 

It seems many of them make dolls. Most appear to be Caucasian with few oriental. Some are very real looking. Others like these two are a little creepy.

I like the background music on this site: http://doll.mda.or.jp/~naruto/

 

 

 

 

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Phil Hamling

376 County Route 1

Warwick, NY, USA 10990

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