Gail Dapogny on sat 11 aug 07
I've sent JT's pot photographs to be shown via the Flickr method that
Maurice Weitman kindly sent me. Anyway, after (and if) they manage
to make it into print so that others can view them, I will follow up
with photos of our JT kiln at the Potters' Guild in Ann Arbor (of
which JT is a member).
I am very familiar with this kiln as I fire it frequently. It is 95
cub feet, has 9 inch walls (which currently need rebuilding), and
four burners, two in front -- low -- and two higher in the back.
Accompanying these are venturi "warmups" which we turn on the night
before the firing. The blower (forced air) functions only when the
main burners go on. We brick the door (sigh) after loading. We have
four bricks which we leave out during the warming up period, two are
close to the bottom of the door, and two others are ten rows above.
There is also a low two-brick opening (opened when the main burners
go on and left open until the end of the firing) through which we
view the reduction flame (reduction starts at cone 012).
The kiln is located in a closed room within the building, and JT
always tells me that that room is the chimney.
JT has a fairly laid-back attitude toward his kilns. Once (long ago)
I was lighting the back warmups, and was having a problem getting the
burners to burn into the kiln (the aperture housing the burner was
not right). I blew hard on the flame to try to correct the problem,
and it exploded, -- bigtime -- blowing out the bricks in the door
and, of course, scaring me mightily. I was in a tiny space in the
corner behind the kiln, and got out of there fast, though did manage
to get the gas turned off. This happened even with thermocouples
attached and working.
When JT was later questioning me about just what happened, and I
described it, he muttered, "Well that shouldn't have happened."
No s---.
Anyway, I'll try to include some photos soon.
Gail in Ann Arbor
> On Aug 11, 2007, at 4:40 PM, Linda - Pacifica wrote:
>
>> So how did that chimney-less kiln work? How about a sketch?
>>
>> Linda
mel jacobson on sat 11 aug 07
i have seen the kiln, and i was privy to a great deal
of his history...i did a story about him for cm.
it was a great interview.
i have a one hour audio tape/sealed and archived.
he is a bit older than me, but i have known about him,
seen his pots, and been aware of his knowledge and importance
in the world of ceramics for many years.
i first met him in ann arbor about 1956-7. but, i was not
into serious clay at the time..
he is, without doubt, one of the great characters of
all time. and, he is smart as hell.
mel
from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Linda - Pacifica on sat 11 aug 07
So how did that chimney-less kiln work? How about a sketch?
Linda
On Aug 11, 2007, at 1:33 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
> i have seen the kiln, and i was privy to a great deal
> of his history...i did a story about him for cm.
KATHI LESUEUR on sat 11 aug 07
On Aug 11, 2007, at 4:40 PM, Linda - Pacifica wrote:
> So how did that chimney-less kiln work? How about a sketch?
>
> Linda
> On Aug 11, 2007, at 1:33 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
>
>> i have seen the kiln, and i was privy to a great deal
>> of his history...i did a story about him for cm.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ________
Mel,
A number of people have asked me about this kiln design. Since I
don't subscribe to Ceramics Monthly, I don't know what issue I.B.
Remsen's article was in. If you know, could you post it here so
people could look it up.
I have a small variation of this kiln. What I can tell you is that it
is just a box built with brick. It has seven inches of clearance
inside between the walls and shelves. It uses four forced air
burners. Two in the front at the bottom, and two mid-high at the
back. Three bricks are left out of the door during firing. They are
located in the middle of the bottom three rows of the door brick.
Reduction and oxidation is controlled at the burner by increasing or
decreasing the air. This is an extremely even kiln. One-half cone
difference between the dead middle and top or bottom. Easy to fire. I
built mine and made my burners in 1982.,
Kathi
Lee Love on sat 11 aug 07
On 8/11/07, KATHI LESUEUR wrote:
> Mel,
>
> A number of people have asked me about this kiln design. Since I
> don't subscribe to Ceramics Monthly, I don't know what issue I.B.
> Remsen's article was in. If you know, could you post it here so
> people could look it up.
Here is a page dedicated to "The Perfect Urban Kiln":
http://www.ibremsen-potter.com/abernathy.html
Includes five diagrams.
--
Lee in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
discussion on Beauty:
http://journals.fotki.com/togeika/beauty/
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
KATHI LESUEUR on sun 12 aug 07
On Aug 11, 2007, at 10:56 PM, Lee Love wrote:
> On 8/11/07, KATHI LESUEUR wrote:
>
>> Mel,
>>
>> A number of people have asked me about this kiln design. Since I
>> don't subscribe to Ceramics Monthly, I don't know what issue I.B.
>> Remsen's article was in. If you know, could you post it here so
>> people could look it up.
>
> Here is a page dedicated to "The Perfect Urban Kiln":
>
> http://www.ibremsen-potter.com/abernathy.html
>
> Includes five diagrams.
There are many variations on this design. In I.B.'s the lower burners
are in the back and the upper in the front. Mine is just the
opposite. I also use four single forced air burners made with pipe
and squirrel cage blowers rather than the single blower at the back.
I felt this gave me more control.
Kathi
>
| |
|
