mel jacobson on fri 18 feb 11
the flat top kiln used in our plans can
be made any size you wish.
the theory is:
buy/borrow, steal kiln shelves first, any size, any shape...but,
have enough.
measure them..see how they would fit in a kiln.
design a floor plan from our plans, using your shelves as a guide.
see how it shakes out.
then make a brick plan that will fit your floor plan.
easy to use graph paper, and draw it to scale. or, if you
are a smarty pants with the comp, use a cad program.
then build as high as you need, or until you run out of
brick. (or money) add the top. done.
on a few occasions we have built an entire kiln in one day.
fire the next. but, then, kurt wild is a slave driver. perfectionist.
he has all of his brick for the door numbered/ and i mean 1,2,3 etc.
and we have metal, welding on site. and, usually four or five
pros to do the work. we built that huge wood fired kiln in about
three days. donovan just said.`do this, do that.` done, ready to fire
400 pots.
but, we always start with a kiln shelf layout on the garage floor and
chalk. we make the base of the kiln, then a three layer floor, and set
up the shelves on the base and say things like...hmm, ok, cool, or
just ok, build the gd thing.
my flat top kiln is about 45 cubic feet.
three stacks of shelves. sort of that 10X20 size.
80 pot firings.
often shelves will come sort of a standard size. check
like fire brick suppy. then you decide on old shelves or
new thin, high temp shelves. i always vote for very expensive,
thin, light weight shelves. at least 12 of them...that would be
about $1500.00, but will last a lifetime. old beat out shelves will
do fine. just a pain in the butt to keep them clean and level.
lots to choose from.
and, of course you start every project first with fuel supply,
land and space, a nice flat concrete pad and then a plan
for a kiln cover. all very easy to do, but do it first...not
later when you have to say...`my god martha, the water is running
right into the kiln...and the concrete slab has a three inch
slope. try building a house with the base slopping three inches.
hard to do.
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
alternate: melpots7575@gmail.com
Dale Neese on fri 18 feb 11
Mel has good ideas for building a kiln. "the flat top kiln used in our plan=
s
can
be made any size you wish."
Sizing also depends on how quick of a turn around you want from firing to
firing. If you are a one man show it will take you longer throwing to fill
one of those 65 cu ft. huge muthers efficiently with pots. I stuff my Olsen
kiln with greenware first for the bisque then have plenty of pots to make u=
p
two full glaze firings back to back.
Dale Tex
"across the alley from the Alamo"
Helotes, Texas USA
www.daleneese.com
Tom Gordon on fri 18 feb 11
Just finished income taxes (the return is the source of funding.....)
re-measuring the site... visualization... (measure measure measure, lay
out, measure again)
Re-read "The a Art of Firing" and "21st Centry Kilns" (4th time)
(between reading and measuring go on a wild hog hunt...)
Ensure at least 1 day off from work for NCECA.....
The day after NCECA order hard and soft bricks (if the bricks arrive before
I won't be able to keep from starting to build and I will not go to
NCECA.....)
The physical site preparation begins!
(Breath... I can't wait.... My mantra will be to go slow, take my time...)
Clay is such an amazing obsession!
| |
|
