Patrick Veerkamp on sun 28 jul 96
As if I don't have enough to do...I'm sorta getting the urge to build a
small soda kiln so I can use my salt kiln for just that, salt
exclusively. I'm considering casting a smallish catenary arch. Since I
haven't got much $ I'm considering using some stoneware clay for the
castable that I have had around here for a long time and have been
looking for something to do with it. The problem is that it's a local
clay and it has a small amount of lime in it. Not a lot but just enough
to cause a few of those nasty little lime pops and therefore I can't use
it to make pots. So the question is: should I use it to make the
castable? Will the lime just keep on popping and rain down on the pots in
the kiln for the next few years? Will it stop popping after the first
firing or two? Suppose I could seal the interior with something (maybe
some kind of high alumina refractory)? Will the soda vapor eventually seal
the surface enough to prevent the popping?
Patrick Veerkamp
Southwestern University
veerkamp@southwestern.edu
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