Paul and c2 on mon 5 jan 98
I would like to find out more about firing a paper kiln. Does anyone have
any idea what materials to use (Slip? Pure kaolin? Charcoal? Wood?
Bamboo?)
Caroline Cheng
The Pottery Workshop
Hong Kong
JanetH13 on tue 6 jan 98
I attended a firing workshop a couple of years ago, and one of the days we
made and fired paper kilns. We shaped the kilns out of chicken wire (cone
shapes) leaving openings at the bottom edges at three or four points to allow
airflow and a place to feed in fuel. We mixed up big buckets of slip (I think
it was clay which fired to cone 9). Then we tore pages out of glossy
magazines, and dipped the pages (about 3 or 4 thick) into the slip and covered
the chicken wire. Also, at the top we made an opening for a chimney, and used
a coffee can with both ends cut out to make the chimney. We continued to
layer the slip drenched paper (probably about 5 separate layers) on the
chicken wire and then let it dry.
We used charcoal for the fuel. There's an article about this in Ceramics
Monthly, an issue from 1992, I believe.
Firing paper kilns was a fun experience, but quite a lot of work, and very
smoky!
Janet
Grimmer on tue 6 jan 98
Paul and c2 wrote:
> I would like to find out more about firing a paper kiln. Does anyone have
> any idea what materials to use (Slip? Pure kaolin? Charcoal? Wood?
> Bamboo?)
>
> Caroline Cheng
> The Pottery Workshop
> Hong Kong
Caroline,
Here's the way I've seen it done: start with some fire bricks arranged in a
radiating star pattern like this *. On top of these, place some newspaper
and then a nice bed of charcoal. I think on top of the charcoal we put
some small pieces of wood. Your pots or whatever else go on top of the
wood in a tumble stack, along with more small wood pieces. Plenty of
fuel. Open clay bodies are best, of course, and it's a real good idea to
bisque them first. The temperature never gets high enough for glazes, so
fine slips and terra sig surfaces are the way to go.
Now, you want to build the shell of the kiln out of chicken wire. Make
the bottom just a little smaller than the brick base, so it's easy to light
and plenty of air can get in. Fashion a cone or dome of sorts from the
chicken wire that's not too much bigger than your tumble stack. You
might want to make a little chimney at the top, too. Or not. Oh, what the
heck, go ahead. :^)
The best paper to use is the pages from glossy magazines. They have lots
of kaolin in them and will not burn too easily. Dip the paper in a simple
slip of red clay or fire clay (Anything that's not too plastic will do) and
apply it to the wire shell. The first layer you might have to work to make
it stick to the wire, but after that, they go right on. You want maybe 5
layers of paper. Remember to leave a nice exit flue for all the exhaust
gasses.
Don't worry about drying it out, just go ahead and light the newspaper.
These things make lots of smoke, so be prepared. Let the fire run it's
course, and after it cools down, you can open the kiln from the top with
wire cutters.
That's all I remember.
steve grimmer
marion illinois
Jens Gruhlke on tue 15 aug 00
Hey Thelma and Milton, we made a paper kiln some years ago.You need a =
grid and stones to put it on.On the grid
you put the naked burned clay like a pyramide, put little woodpieces =
between.
Around the claypieces you put long woodpieces, like a tend.
Over the wood you put 10 layer from paper (newspaper)coated with thin =
clay.On the top there must be a hole for the air. You start the burning =
under the grid ( the layer of clay must be dry ) The burning takes some =
hour.Good luck
I hope my english discription is clear.
Greetings from Berlin, Germany Katharina
Milton Markey on thu 17 aug 00
Hi Thelma, and everyone else who have contributed to this string:
Thanks for educating me about paper kilns. I had no idea such a simple
concept existed, let alone that it could produce pottery with a unique
coloration. While the term "paper kiln" seemed unlikely, I now know that
burning paper, as well as creating a makeshift kiln with paper is possible,
to fire clay with.
Best wishes to all our paper kiln users, builders, and fans!
Milton NakedClay@AOL.COM
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