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archaeologist looking for portable bottled gas powered kiln

updated fri 5 nov 10

 

Elizabeth Stone on wed 3 nov 10


I am an archaeologist who is hoping to go back to Iraq for a new resear=3D
ch
project. One of the types of artifacts that we frequently find are unb=3D
aked
clay tablets. To conserve them we need to bake them.

When we could last work in Iraq I imported a lightweight kiln that we w=3D
ere
able to power using the local bottled gas used for cooking. Our method=3D
was
to bring the kiln up to 100 C slowly, leave it at that temperature for =3D
24
hours (a rather sleepless night) and then bring it up to 750C slowly, t=3D
hen
cooling down slowly. It worked a treat.

I am hoping that you can suggest a kiln that might work (I am including=3D
a
photo of our old kiln). It does need to be light, portable and to run =3D
from
bottled gas (though we juryrigged that). And we need a thermocouple.

Any suggestions would be most gratefully received.(See attached file: k=3D
iln
before firing.jpg)

Elizabeth C. Stone
Professor
Department of Anthropology
SUNY
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364
Phone: (631) 632-7627
Fax: (631) 632-9165
Email: estone@notes.cc.sunysb.edu=3D