Francoise Melville on tue 18 jun 96
Kat,
You don't say what type of kiln you are using for raku (size,
burner, fiber or brick, etc.), so maybe this advice will not all apply to you.
I use a 20lb. barbecue-type tank of propane for my small
garbage-can, fiber-lined kiln, which is fired by a tiger torch. I quite
often take not-quite-empty tanks to be topped-up, making sure that I am not
charged for more gas than I take. When I change a tank in the middle of a
firing, I know beforehand that there is more or less enough to complete it
(by weight - I check out light tanks on the bathroom scales). However,
should it run out, this happens when the kiln is already at a good red heat.
I close and remove the empty tank, screw in the full one, open it up, open
up the burner and it automatically ignites from the heat already in the
kiln. No problems.
As I only use one small tank at a time, it does tend to frost over
when below half-full. If you allow this to happen you will lose pressure
and the temperature will not rise, however long you fire. My simple remedy
is to keep a garden hose dripping over the top of the tank throughout the
firing. If you don't have one handy, just pour pails of water over the tank
every time you see a mist forming. If you don't want to get everything
around you soaked, make sure to dig a small channel to lead the water away
from you to a convenient spot. Have fun!
Francoise
Port Edward, B.C.
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