Neon-Cat on tue 27 oct 09
Well, I was sold until I read that post about green crystals in the food.
So, how do you pack these wood kilns? Any old way or with an eye to
the various effects one gets with, say, a light ash dusting vs. a
heavy ash layer? How does mixed fuel, like lumps of coal, affect glaze
effects? Do you ever try for special wood-fired effects? Or bury pots
in ash or embers, then fire? If so, got photos?
Just curious...
Marian
On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 8:15 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
> we believe that every kiln is a multi-fuel kiln.
>
> this is 2009, not 1650.
> any kiln that i own can be converted to whatever i want.
> we fire gas,
> we fire wood,
> we can fire gas and wood, scrap corn cobs,
> or roll up newspaper and throw it in.
mel jacobson on tue 27 oct 09
we believe that every kiln is a multi-fuel kiln.
this is 2009, not 1650.
any kiln that i own can be converted to whatever i want.
we fire gas,
we fire wood,
we can fire gas and wood, scrap corn cobs,
or roll up newspaper and throw it in.
i never apologize that i use, whatever i want.
i have several gas kilns,
natural and propane.
we fire a salt kiln.
we have a dominant wood fired kiln, and we
use gas to warm it.
no sin. so what?
it is an opinion, that we can use multi-fuel.
i burn wood sticks in my gas kiln. is that a sin?
if i want to throw coal in my wood fired kiln...great.
i may fire it with ethanol.
mel
from: minnetonka, mn
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
new book: http://www.21stcenturykilns.com
Philip Poburka on tue 27 oct 09
Well...afterall...a Wood Kiln IS a 'Gas firing Kiln', generating it's own
Wood Gas, as it goes...
'Elegant'...
Phil
Lv
----- Original Message -----
From: "mel jacobson"
> we believe that every kiln is a multi-fuel kiln.
>
> this is 2009, not 1650.
> any kiln that i own can be converted to whatever i want.
> we fire gas,
> we fire wood,
> we can fire gas and wood, scrap corn cobs,
> or roll up newspaper and throw it in.
>
> i never apologize that i use, whatever i want.
> i have several gas kilns,
> natural and propane.
> we fire a salt kiln.
> we have a dominant wood fired kiln, and we
> use gas to warm it.
> no sin. so what?
>
> it is an opinion, that we can use multi-fuel.
> i burn wood sticks in my gas kiln. is that a sin?
>
> if i want to throw coal in my wood fired kiln...great.
> i may fire it with ethanol.
> mel
Lee Love on wed 28 oct 09
On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Neon-Cat wrote=
=3D
:
> Well, I was sold until I read that post about green crystals in the food.
> So, how do you pack these wood kilns? Any old way or with an eye to
> the various effects one gets with, say, a light ash dusting vs. a
> heavy ash layer? How does mixed fuel, like lumps of coal, affect glaze
> effects? Do you ever try for special wood-fired effects? Or bury pots
> in ash or embers, then fire? If so, got photos?
> Just curious...
Marian, there are Wood Firers and folks who sometimes dabble in
wood firing. In kilns that don't require you glaze all the pots, the
placement of the pots in the kiln is critical. It is an art all by
itself.
You don't learn the nuances of a large wood kiln until you
have fired it for some time. If you think you can "master it", you
are barking up the wrong tree. Unlike a gas kiln or electric kiln,
you have to listen to the kiln. You develop a relationship to it.
It isn't for everybody.
And modern wood firing IS a 21st century technique. Wood,
unilke gas, oil and coal, is a sustainable fuel when used with the
environment in mind. The only fuel more friendly to the environment
is electricity created by wind or solar power.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Brandon Phillips on wed 28 oct 09
> And modern wood firing IS a 21st century technique. Wood,
> unilke gas, oil and coal, is a sustainable fuel when used with the
> environment in mind. The only fuel more friendly to the environment
> is electricity created by wind or solar power.
It is indeed sustainable. Sustainable tree plantations for construction
use are becoming more and more common. I use scrap lumber from home
building sites. Builders have to pay to have it hauled off so most are
happy to let me take as much as I need. Someone gets a house, wood stays
out of the landfill and I get to fire my kiln with no out of pocket
expense and no expense to the enviornment other than a little CO2. I fire
fast, less than 8 hours and nothing fires better than kiln dried pine, oh
baby!
Brandon Phillips
www.supportyourlocalpotter.com
Neon-Cat on wed 28 oct 09
Lee wrote regarding wood firing that it can be "an art all by itself".
Thanks Lee -- I've read clayart posts by our wood-firers, and looked
at photos they put up. I don't recall much talk about special effects
amid talk of kiln construction, size of kilns, types of wood to fire,
fuel costs, temperatures reached, etc.
I asked Mel (anyone else feel free to chime in) because I'm reading
and enjoying "Japanese Wood-Fired Ceramics" by Masakazu Kusakabe and
Marc Lancet (KP Books, 2005). Their book goes through beautiful
special effects that all have names (in Japanese). I love the works,
the photos and the processes and the explanations that are in an
easy-to-read text. For many of us who have never seen a wood kiln,
much less fired in a wood kiln, it remains a potter goal to do so at
least once -- a symbol of kiln magic at its best. And now the two
potters who wrote the book I'm reading are showing me some of the
magic is reproducible art. So I was wondering how much American
potters were into the more subtle nuances and aesthetics of wood
firing.
Just me being a curious and sincere newbie.
Women have wood kilns or access to a wood kiln, why not me?
Marian
Lee Love on wed 28 oct 09
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 12:53 PM, Brandon Phillips
wrote:
> out of the landfill and I get to fire my kiln with no out of pocket
> expense and no expense to the enviornment other than a little CO2. =3DA0I=
f=3D
ire
> fast, less than 8 hours and nothing fires better than kiln dried pine, oh
> baby!
Brandon, scrapwood that is going to otherwise be burnt puts ZERO extra
CO2 in the air. Wood that is grown specifically for fuel, actually
takes CO2 out of the air.
When I arrived in Mashiko in 1999, I only knew one person
burning scrap wood, Aussie Euan Craig. But there are many folks
using it now. One big reason is the rocketing cost of propane. I
remember watching a newscast in Mashiko at the beginning of the fuel
pric increases, and they visited two small businesses: A hot springs
Onsen and a potter who fired with LPG. The increase costs were
putting a strain on both business's bottom line.
The other reason is that the Red Pine traditionally used to
fire kilns, because of global climate change, are all dying from a
blight. Only the cooler north is protecting the pine from this
disease.
--=3D20
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Lee Love on wed 28 oct 09
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 1:29 PM, Neon-Cat wrote:
> Just me being a curious and sincere newbie.
> Women have wood kilns or access to a wood kiln, why not me?
Marian,
Yes, I know Kusababe and he is a kiln wizard. The
electric company has studied his kilns to help them create wood fired
plants that are smoke free. Kusakabe and Lancet's book is a good
reference, especially for the nomenclature related to the different
kinds of effects you can get out of a woodkiln.
There are many people who dabble in woodfire and they might not know
the nuances of firing in wood. But there are also serious Wood Firers
in the USA and they know the nuances and aesthetics.
Check out these links:
http://homepage.eircom.net/~thelogbook/log_eds.html
http://www.anagama-west.com/
http://craigedwardspottery.com/
http://www.anagama.co.uk/7-1_links.html
I visited Kanzaki as a part of my graduation trip to the Kansai, after
finishing my apprenticeship:
http://www.the-anagama.com/En/index.html
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Elizabeth Priddy on wed 28 oct 09
We are firing our wood kiln on halloween.
We will start at dawn, finish at dusk, and then go with the 5 yr old for ca=
ndy.
My treat will be opening the kiln the next morning.
I start it with gas on small wood to ignite and get it all hot inside.
Then it is all wood all the way, otherwise, why would I do this?
I have that book and some pots that have those effects!
- ePriddy
Elizabeth Priddy
Beaufort, NC - USA
http://www.elizabethpriddy.com
--- On Wed, 10/28/09, Neon-Cat wrote:
> From: Neon-Cat
> Subject: Re: multi-fuel kilns
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 2:29 PM
> Lee wrote regarding wood firing that
> it can be "an art all by itself".
>
> Thanks Lee -- I've read clayart posts by our wood-firers,
> and looked
> at photos they put up. I don't recall much talk about
> special effects
> amid talk of kiln construction, size of kilns, types of
> wood to fire,
> fuel costs, temperatures reached, etc.
>
> I asked Mel (anyone else feel free to chime in) because I'm
> reading
> and enjoying "Japanese Wood-Fired Ceramics" by Masakazu
> Kusakabe and
> Marc Lancet (KP Books, 2005). Their book goes through
> beautiful
> special effects that all have names (in Japanese). I love
> the works,
> the photos and the processes and the explanations that are
> in an
> easy-to-read text. For many of us who have never seen a
> wood kiln,
> much less fired in a wood kiln, it remains a potter goal to
> do so at
> least once -- a symbol of kiln magic at its best. And now
> the two
> potters who wrote the book I'm reading are showing me some
> of the
> magic is reproducible art. So I was wondering how much
> American
> potters were into the more subtle nuances and aesthetics of
> wood
> firing.
>
> Just me being a curious and sincere newbie.
> Women have wood kilns or access to a wood kiln, why not
> me?
>
> Marian
>
Lee Love on wed 28 oct 09
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 6:17 PM, Des & Jan Howard wro=
=3D
te:
> Pass the maple syrup please, waffles are being served.
> Every form of pottery & firing method has its own
> characteristics, benefits & limitations. The results
> are the measuring stick, not the method. Woodfiring is
> A way, not THE way.
Why do folks assume an alternative way is
the only way? Is is a lack of confidence in what they are doing?
Sustainable is certainly the future. Be it bio-fuels,
solar, wind or geothermal. There is nothing "unmodern" about the new
ways folks use wood for fuel.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
Craig Edwards on thu 29 oct 09
Hello Marian: I missed the post about green crystals, so I can't comment o=
n
that.
You can pack your kiln "Any old way or with an eye to
the various effects one gets with, say, a light ash dusting vs. a
heavy ash layer", it's your kiln and your pots.
The question to ask is probably why? Why fire with wood?
--
Make Good Pots
~Craig
New London MN
http://woodfiredpottery.blogspot.com/
On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 10:13 PM, Neon-Cat wrote=
:
> Well, I was sold until I read that post about green crystals in the food.
> So, how do you pack these wood kilns? Any old way or with an eye to
> the various effects one gets with, say, a light ash dusting vs. a
> heavy ash layer? How does mixed fuel, like lumps of coal, affect glaze
> effects? Do you ever try for special wood-fired effects? Or bury pots
> in ash or embers, then fire? If so, got photos?
> Just curious...
>
> Marian
>
>
Paul Haigh on thu 29 oct 09
I fire my wood kiln on slab lumber (the side trimmings from a lumber mill w=
hen they square up logs for sawing), pallets (they are 48"x40"- my firebox =
is 40.5" wide :), storm damaged trees, pines that I take off my property (a=
nd replant native nutbearing trees that were here "originally"), non-pressu=
re treated/painted/laminated construction scrap.
The slab lumber is my fave- $50 a cord delivered for pine ($100 for hardwoo=
d)- it's thin pieces, and mostly dry already. Pallets work well- just cut t=
hem up and burn nails and all- but the nails form awesome welded sculptures=
with black FeO crystals on them- however they eat into (flux) the firebox =
floor if you aren't careful.
If you want to reduce smoke- have a collection box before the chimney with =
passive dampers in it. This mixes some fresh air with unburned fuel (smoke)=
more efficiently so that it "reburns" before exiting. If I control flow wi=
th an active damper- I get smoke. Same flow with passive dampers- no smoke.=
However- I use the active to make some nice fire out the chimney for fun. =
I'm thinking about using waste oil for bisque fires.
I go for a mix of woodfired effect, but know my kiln (it does surprise me o=
n occasion :) Some places are good for glazed work, up front and under side=
stoke holes gets blasted with ash (ya!), and there are gradients between. I=
like it that way!
-pH
http://wileyhill.com
Chris Campbell on thu 29 oct 09
> For many of us who have never
> seen a wood kiln, much less fired
> in a wood kiln, it remains a potter
> goal to do so at least once --
> a symbol of kiln magic at its best.
I agree 100%
You do not have to build your own
to get in on the fun. You can volunteer
to help someone else fire theirs.
Free help is often welcomed.
The most amazing part for me was
just listening to the kiln ... as the firing
progressed you could hear the changes
in temperature and the fire inside ...
my electric kiln hardly ever talks to me ...
whirr, click.
Chris Campbell - in North Carolina
Chris Campbell Pottery LLC
Designs in Colored Porcelain
9417 Koupela Drive
Raleigh NC 27615-2233
919-215-8644
Fax: 919-676-2062
www.ccpottery.com
http://neriagechris.blogspot.com/
Paul Herman on thu 29 oct 09
Hi Marian,
Stacking the wood fired kiln here is a job that we have to do very
carefully. We climb in there and have to think about the way the
flames move through the setting, and try to take advantage of all the
different effects that are available to us. It is something that takes
a while to understand. In the front of our kiln near the firebox, the
pots receive a heavy coating of ash, and many of the pots placed there
are unglazed. In the middle and back of the chamber there is less ash,
and and most ware has some glaze on it.
Different kinds of wood will produce markedly different ash glaze
effects. When our pine fueled firings were producing a light and wimpy
ash glaze, and we wanted more, it came to my attention that poplar
produced copious amounts of ash, so now we add about one half of a
cord of poplar to the six cords of pine we burn. That makes a much
more satisfactory coating of ash on our pots.
We have a zone in front of the side stoking area in which charcoal
piles up, and use that to produce special effects on a few pots. Some
potters design their kilns so as to use charcoal in larger amounts,
and add scoops of it during the firing, burying their pots and getting
interesting results.
Wood firing as we do it takes some time to learn, and my personal
belief is that you never really "master" wood firing. You do get
better with time, hopefully.
We used to pre-heat the kiln the first night with propane, but now we
have young potters who stay up the first night and feed the kiln on
wood. It's better that way for us.
Last night we finished our twentieth firing of the big kiln here,
doing one every six months for the last nine and a half years. It has
been difficult, and one hell of a lot of hard work, but I am much more
content as a wood firer than as a gas firer. Now I get to rest for
three days, then we unload on Sunday.
Best wishes,
Paul Herman
Great Basin Pottery
Doyle, California US
www.greatbasinpottery.com/
On Oct 27, 2009, at 8:13 PM, Neon-Cat wrote:
> So, how do you pack these wood kilns? Any old way or with an eye to
> the various effects one gets with, say, a light ash dusting vs. a
> heavy ash layer? How does mixed fuel, like lumps of coal, affect glaze
> effects? Do you ever try for special wood-fired effects? Or bury pots
> in ash or embers, then fire? If so, got photos?
> Just curious...
>
> Marian
Des & Jan Howard on thu 29 oct 09
Pass the maple syrup please, waffles are being served.
Every form of pottery & firing method has its own
characteristics, benefits & limitations. The results
are the measuring stick, not the method. Woodfiring is
A way, not THE way.
Des
Lee Love wrote:
> There are many people who dabble in woodfire and they might not know
> the nuances of firing in wood. But there are also serious Wood Firers
> in the USA and they know the nuances and aesthetics.
--
Des & Jan Howard
Lue Pottery
Lue NSW
Australia
2850
02 6373 6419
www.luepottery.hwy.com.au
-32.656072 149.840624
Lee Love on thu 29 oct 09
On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 1:37 PM, Paul Herman w=
=3D
rote:
> We used to pre-heat the kiln the first night with propane, but now we
> have young potters who stay up the first night and feed the kiln on
> wood. It's better that way for us.
Paul,
Lotsa folks preheat with propane or oil. That sometimes
makes sense. But if a kiln has to finish with a gas burner, then
maybe something is wrong with the method of stoking or the kiln
design.
--
Lee, a Mashiko potter in Minneapolis
http://mashikopots.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI=3D97tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"=3D97tha=
t is, "T=3D
he
land of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent
within itself." -- John O'Donohue
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