DJ Brewer on sat 21 jul 12
I just got a used Olympic gas kiln with 6 burners. The interior is
28x31.5 -- the same as the Olympic 2831 model, but the new ones have
just 4 burners. Does anyone else have a 6 burner Olympic gas kiln of
this dimension?
thanks
DJ
John Post on mon 23 jul 12
Hi DJ,
I have an older Olympic kiln. I picked it up on e-bay. Mine is =3D20
natural gas and has 5 burners. The plumber who installed the gas line =3D2=
0=3D
set me up with a quick disconnect hose which is mainly used for =3D20
barbecues but works perfectly with the kiln.
I have my kiln on a rolling flatbed truck...
http://cl.ly/image/2g0I2526160J
http://cl.ly/image/13250M1e0h2U
Here's the burners and quick disconnect hose I use for the gas line...
http://cl.ly/image/2a0N383v3630
http://cl.ly/image/2g352P0I2a3w
http://cl.ly/image/0b463e1Z3w3K
Here is a picture of it firing at dusk, you can see that I have an =3D20
extra kiln lid that I put on top of the kiln after the firing is =3D20
complete...
http://cl.ly/image/2j272I3E3X25
Here's a few observations from the three firings I have done in it so =3D20=
=3D
far.
I spent some time on my first two firings adjusting the damper setting =3D2=
0=3D
and the primary air plates on the burners to find out how to achieve =3D20
reduction in this kiln. At 1800=3DB0 Fahrenheit I cannot get an nice =3D20
yellowish flame out of the middle peephole using just the damper. I =3D20
have to close the primary air plates on the burners to throw the kiln =3D20=
=3D
into reduction at that temp. The kiln does not easily increase in =3D20
temperature with the primary air plates closed. I have left it in =3D20
reduction at 1800=3DB0 Fahrenheit for half an hour to an hour and then =3D2=
0
opened the primary air plates back up and let the kiln start to climb =3D20=
=3D
again.
When I hit 2100=3DB0 Fahrenheit the kiln automatically has a nice =3D20
yellowish flame coming from the middle peep. I use a kiln shelf and a =3D2=
0=3D
soft brick as a damper and the space between them is 5 centimeters. =3D20
(I now just leave the damper set at 5 centimeters throughout the =3D20
entire firing.)
I did not get an even firing in my first two firings when I used the =3D20
shelf stacking recommendation in Olympic's manual for its current =3D20
model of torchbearer kilns.
I got a nice even firing when I pushed the bottom shelves in the load =3D20=
=3D
right up against the walls of the kiln. On one side of the kiln I =3D20
started with 4 inch posts from the bottom. On the other side the =3D20
first shelf was on 6 inch posts. My thinking on this was that I =3D20
wanted the heat from the burners to come in and get deflected off of =3D20
the shelves into the middle of the kiln instead of just traveling up =3D20
the side walls and out the top flue.
4 out of the 5 burners in my kiln are bounced off of the shelves, =3D20
while one flows into the kiln without hitting a shelf. It's just the =3D20=
=3D
way the shelves I have fit when placed up against the walls. The =3D20
shelves that get stacked on top of the bottom ones have space between =3D20=
=3D
the wall and the shelf. See the drawing below... Near the top you =3D20
will see that I have a 10 inch square shelf that I use as a baffle an =3D20=
=3D
inch or two below the exit flue. I think I got this idea from Steve =3D20
Mills.
Pushing the bottom shelves against the walls resulted in my most even =3D20=
=3D
firing yet. Every cone pack on the shelves looked identical except =3D20
for the very bottom underneath the first shelves which was one cone =3D20
hotter.
Here is a picture of how Olympic recommends placing shelves in the =3D20
kiln along with a drawing of how I placed mine which resulted in a =3D20
more even firing.
http://cl.ly/image/2S1M3x3i1p2q
I have no problem melting cone 11 in this kiln.
If I want to slow cool the kiln a bit, I wait till it drops to 1800=3DB0 =
=3D20=3D
Fahrenheit on the way down, then I relight the burners with the gas =3D20
half way on and the damper still at 5 centimeters. When I do this, =3D20
the kiln climbs 30 or 40 degrees and the just sits there. I leave it =3D20=
=3D
this way for an hour and then take the brick and kiln shelf damper off =3D2=
0=3D
and lay a spare kiln lid I have on top of the kiln. This helps it to =3D20=
=3D
cool more slowly.
One last issue I have is that if I have a pot extending over the edge =3D20=
=3D
of a kiln shelf, it will have a cool spot from where the path of the =3D20
flame travels making it cooler. I am trying to keep larger pieces on =3D20=
=3D
the shelves instead of having them pass over the edge.
I learn something new in every firing and when something isn't =3D20
working, I change it.
I hope this was of some help.
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
On Jul 21, 2012, at 5:06 PM, DJ Brewer wrote:
> I just got a used Olympic gas kiln with 6 burners. The interior is
> 28x31.5 -- the same as the Olympic 2831 model, but the new ones have
> just 4 burners. Does anyone else have a 6 burner Olympic gas kiln of
> this dimension?
>
> thanks
> DJ
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