The Shelfords on sun 5 oct 97
Hi folks - I'm forwarding this for Joan Warren on Saltspring Island, whose
server has been devouring her attempts to send it directly to clayart.
Apologies for the time lag, but when technology messes up, it does it big
time!
Hi fast-fire clayarters,
My internet server was down for a month, and I didn't see the original request
for fast-fire information, so will just share the experiences I've had with
mine
which may or may not be useful. I used Olsen's original plan in his first
book
when I built the kiln 12 years ago, only modified it to accomodate my bad
knees
and rainy winters. I raised the whole thing a foot and a-half by building
it on
a cement pad with two courses of 9 inch concrete blocks. (I'm now a
grandmother, and can still fire it alone using a low wheeled chair, flying
back
and forth between the two fireboxes.)
I wanted a more permanent , and better insulated kiln, so I used block
insulation and red brick exterior a la Daniel Rhodes kiln book, and extended
the red brick up a foot and a-half higher than the arch, like a box, to hold
vermiculite for insulation and a metal roof. I also covered the mullite
shelving with insulation brick for the floor of the kiln and added one more
course in the chamber height to maintain the same dimensions.
Because I fire in a chair, I use one foot by 2 to 3 in. pieces of cedar and
fir
mixed, (cedar to gain heat, fir to maintain the temp or soak.) I use raku
tongues, and actually "place" the wood at the back of the firebox. I found
that
I get a better burn, have a better draft and breathe less smoke using short
wood. I also use less wood!--six wheelbarrow loads for cone 8, seven to eight
for cone 10. I chucked the pyrometer on the 5th firing. It gave me no
information as to the actual work heat and just made me uptight watching it
jump
up and down. I feel I have more control listening to the chimney draft, and
watching the color and guide cones. After 50 firings, it's almost
predictable.
My biggest enemy is over -reduction resulting in muddy ware, so the
challenge is
in manipulating the damper to maintain a neutral atmosphere.
This kiln CAN reach cone 10 in two and a half to three hours , but I much
prefer
7 to 8 hours at a nice relaxed pace. More ash, more melt, and more time to
read
my book. And if Fred Olsen is on Clayart, or if anyone knows him, would you
thank him for me for a great kiln design, and a fun, challenging 12 years.
Hope this is some help to the person starting this thread.
Joan Warren
katepwa@raven.bc.ca
sent via UUCP from: Raven Net, Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
____________________________________________________________________________
Veronica Shelford
e-mail: shelford@island.net
s-mail: P.O. Box 6-15
Thetis Island, BC V0R 2Y0
Tel: (250) 246-1509
____________________________________________________________________________
David Hendley on mon 6 oct 97
Joan,
I've been smiling all day picturing you wheeling back
and forth to the fireboxes of your kiln.
I like your gumption.
My fast-fire is 1 1/2 times larger than the plans, 9" walls
throughout. I fire in 7 or 8 hours, don't think I could
do it much faster even if I wanted to.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
See David Hendley's Pottery Page at
http://www.sosis.com/hendley/david/
At 12:12 PM 10/5/97 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi folks - I'm forwarding this for Joan Warren on Saltspring Island, whose
>server has been devouring her attempts to send it directly to clayart.
>Apologies for the time lag, but when technology messes up, it does it big
>time!
>
>Hi fast-fire clayarters,
>My internet server was down for a month, and I didn't see the original
request
>for fast-fire information, so will just share the experiences I've had with
>mine
>which may or may not be useful. I used Olsen's original plan in his first
>book
>when I built the kiln 12 years ago, only modified it to accomodate my bad
>knees
>and rainy winters. I raised the whole thing a foot and a-half by building
>it on
>a cement pad with two courses of 9 inch concrete blocks. (I'm now a
>grandmother, and can still fire it alone using a low wheeled chair, flying
>back
>and forth between the two fireboxes.)
>I wanted a more permanent , and better insulated kiln, so I used block
>insulation and red brick exterior a la Daniel Rhodes kiln book, and extended
>the red brick up a foot and a-half higher than the arch, like a box, to hold
>vermiculite for insulation and a metal roof. I also covered the mullite
>shelving with insulation brick for the floor of the kiln and added one more
>course in the chamber height to maintain the same dimensions.
>Because I fire in a chair, I use one foot by 2 to 3 in. pieces of cedar and
>fir
>mixed, (cedar to gain heat, fir to maintain the temp or soak.) I use raku
>tongues, and actually "place" the wood at the back of the firebox. I found
>that
>I get a better burn, have a better draft and breathe less smoke using short
>wood. I also use less wood!--six wheelbarrow loads for cone 8, seven to
eight
>for cone 10. I chucked the pyrometer on the 5th firing. It gave me no
>information as to the actual work heat and just made me uptight watching it
>jump
>up and down. I feel I have more control listening to the chimney draft, and
>watching the color and guide cones. After 50 firings, it's almost
>predictable.
>My biggest enemy is over -reduction resulting in muddy ware, so the
>challenge is
>in manipulating the damper to maintain a neutral atmosphere.
>This kiln CAN reach cone 10 in two and a half to three hours , but I much
>prefer
>7 to 8 hours at a nice relaxed pace. More ash, more melt, and more time to
>read
>my book. And if Fred Olsen is on Clayart, or if anyone knows him, would you
>thank him for me for a great kiln design, and a fun, challenging 12 years.
>Hope this is some help to the person starting this thread.
>
> Joan Warren
> katepwa@raven.bc.ca
>sent via UUCP from: Raven Net, Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
>
>
>____________________________________________________________________________
>Veronica Shelford
>e-mail: shelford@island.net
>s-mail: P.O. Box 6-15
> Thetis Island, BC V0R 2Y0
>Tel: (250) 246-1509
>____________________________________________________________________________
>
>
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
See David Hendley's Pottery Page at
http://www.sosis.com/hendley/david/
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