KERAMIC STUDIO 
199 
Vase — Decorated Porcelain, Mrs. McDermott 
CHICAGO ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHIBITION 
HELPFUL HINTS 
I WOULD suggest the use of World's Fair tooth picks with 
cotton swab for cleaning out design in tinting. This is the 
longest round tooth pick I have found and is easier to use than 
a brush handle. I also find that it is better to have the cotton 
pad loose in the silk, so that the pad may be easily slipped to a 
new spot in the silk and also that I may pull off the wet outer 
layer of cotton from time to time. 
I like a Spencerian No. 1 pen for outlining much better 
than a croquill pen. The former gives more character to the 
line. Orilla E. Miner 
* * 
In using the Keramic gauge first rub the china over with 
the finger dipped in turpentine, and it will be found to write, 
but should it be placed where you cannot do this, dip the 
lead in the turpentine and wipe off any excess amount. I have 
found this very helpful in placing lines through or near an out- 
lined design. 
To make a perfectly straight line in places when it is not 
convenient to use the banding wheel, for instance, to make a 
line around the top of a cup, fill your pen with your outlining 
paint, moisten the tip of the third finger and place it on the 
edge of the cup and slide it along with the pen, hold the china 
firmly. A little practice will enable one to make a perfectly 
straight line. Mrs. H. G. Huffman 
* * 
HOW TO PREVENT CARBON ACCUMULATION IN A 
REVELATION OIL KILN. 
In regard to the accumulation of carbon in the combus- 
tion chamber of an oil kiln, will say that we have never tried 
zinc ourselves, but are told by people who are using it to put 
a small piece of it in the burner pan, which will prevent the 
carbon from clogging. However, I doubt if this will clear away 
carbon that has already formed. The cause of this trouble 
comes from insufficient chimney draught. 
We find that frequently in the summer season we have 
trouble, when kilns are attached to chimney flues which also 
accommodate other heating devices, and which are not in 
operation in the summer, and we have found that a dead heat- 
ing furnace or stove is pretty sure death to a china kiln when 
it is connected to the same flue, and when the heating appara- 
tus is not being used in the summer it should be tightly 
dampered off, so as to give the kiln a chance. If your kiln is 
stopped so that you cannot start it, the best way is to dig out 
the cement in the seams of the bottom plate, and raise the 
plate, and, from that point, you can get at the combustion 
chamber, and clean all the carbon away. You might run a 
stiff copper wire up some of the tubes. This should have a 
rag fastened to the end of it, so as to clean the tubes out thor- 
oughly. All it requires is enough tubes open to be able to 
start your fire. Then, in starting the fire, take great care not 
to feed too much oil on the start. Work it up very gradually, 
Poppy Vase — Lenore Asbury, Rook wood Pottery, 
CHICAGO ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHIBITION 
