Mel Jacobson on sun 24 aug 97
i agree with jonathan completely, it boils down to what you like, what you
can do,
and what you can afford.
i love the new sprung arch kilns at the northern clay center that donovan
and kevin
have put together. they are great kilns, fire perfectly, car kilns. they
are sights to
behold. you stand next to them and feel proud to be a potter.
but i repeat myself, if you can get your kiln to work properly, and it does
what
you want it to do.....even if you dig a hole in a hill side, line it with
brick like
the old chinese potters did, you will be a happy potter.
flat tops, arches, fibre they all fire the same in most cases. if they
are built properly.
if you have an 80 square inch flue, oversized stack that is loose, bad
burners,
and poor regulation of fuel you will hate your kiln.
the only real advantage that the lou flat top offers is, ease of
construction, and reduced
cost. if you follow the plan and do the double venturi system for the fire
box and flue you
will save a great deal of frustration, and save a great deal of money on
fuel. the kevin caufield kiln at northern is a classic car kiln, tall
arch, but he has a double venturi system for the flue and fire box, and
that kiln is perfect. it is a big baby, but 35 square inch flue.
it is very simple science, heat a box up til you are happy, and then turn
off the fuel. close it up til you can touch it. if your kiln will not
reach temp you have done something wrong.
if something does not work, change it. i have rules: more gas, less gas,
smaller flue, bigger flue, add to the stack, take off some stack, bigger
gas ports, smaller gas ports. if one thing does not work, do
something...don't keep firing a badly designed kiln the same way, over and
over hoping that one day it will work.
and if you are emotionally attached to old science, old ideas that have run
there course,
it will just cost you dollars. and if you can afford it, do it...
there are no police to monitor you. no teachers to spank your hands. you
are in charge
of yourself as a potter. do what you wish.
indoor kilns. not a reason in the world not to put one indoors. i have
had one in an attached
wooden structure for 35 years.... good baso valves and pilots, have a nice
vent fan in the roof. i have windows to bring in fresh air. have a
continuos vent along the ridge. about 30 inches around the kiln minimum.
i have flue liners in my stack and a nice tight mortared fire box.
45 cu foot flat top, side door on the narrow side, easy to load. i can
brick it up in about 7 minutes. i have added a kaowool blanket on the
roof of the kiln. just to keep the heat away from the ceiling, and ,oh
my god, i have a four by eight sheet of asbestos board
on the wall nearest the kiln...mounted so that it is about one inch from
the wall. if my building was larger, i would build a car. but i am very
happy with what i have...it works.
four sets of cones fall together. and i fire for 11 hours....i like 11
hours, could do it i suppose in 6, but what is the rush....it is not a
race, pots really like the kiln, all warm and good, leave them in there and
let them mature....heat work is time and temp in combination. you will not
get blue ribbons for fast firing... just crappy pots.
it gets very warm in the kiln room about 3 hours after i shut off the
kiln...but the heat
has to escape, so i just don't go in there til it is cool. that seems to
make sense.
and i do not stand around in there when the kiln is firing...what is there
to do anyway.
stare at a firing kiln? check the cones, check the rhythm and get the hell
out of there.
mel/
http://www.pclink.com/melpots
Dannon Rhudy on mon 25 aug 97
------------
i love the new sprung arch kilns at the northern clay center that
donovan
and kevin
have put together.......
-------------
These really are beautiful kilns, three in a row, delights to
the eye, and built with both skill and joy (they varied the
appearance of the brick stacks, all different, all wonderful-
one spiraling up - terrific).
...even if you dig a hole in a hill side, line it with
brick.......
The first one I ever did was just that; didn't get really hot,
but hot enough to pit fire- probably 1500 degrees at most. And a
good experience; I kept thinking that if people had been firing
pots for thousands of years, simple must be possible. Bricks and
a hillside were what I happened to have.
......it is very simple science, heat a box up til you are happy,
and then turn off the fuel...
if something does not work, change it.....
I really do like that part. It seems to cover just about whatever
needs covering.
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
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