bjb on fri 12 jun 98
Dear Listmembers,
I am very new to pottery. As an exploration for relaxing, I enrolled in a
six-week workshop. I was hooked by the experience of working on the wheel.
I was prepared for the kinesthetic and spiritual experience of centering
through meditation and other practices. I am entranced and the shapes are
stimulating a quickening within me. I enrolled in Pottery I in order to
continue the adventure and bought my first wheel. The basement of our
c.1825 farmhouse yielded to the need for a space to work with clay and a
humble studio resulted. I have no water down there but my ceramics supply
person advised me on how I could work around that limitation and keep
growing in my practice as a potter. Now comes the time for the kiln. I
am ready to purchase a Skutt electric with automatic controls, etc. My
questions arise around where to site it. Some say never put your kiln in
your home. Others say that if the proper hookup and precautions are taken,
it is completely safe. I do not plan to fire unless I am home. I do work
out of my home. This particular home is constructed of wood that is 175
years old. The electric wiring is new. I am thinking of putting the kiln
in the corner of this basement, near the electric service box, with an
envirovent because I would be working within 12 feet in the same room,
and the room above is a living space with a connecting vent in the floor.
I hope to build kilns on our 72 acre property some day and to explore other
firing methods. But for now, as a novice, beginning the journey, I
perceive this as the next step. I would very much appreciate any advice
and opinions. Thanks, Bari
bjb@global2000.net
Rick Brady on sun 14 jun 98
Bari,
I've recently installed a Scutt KM1018 with an envirovent in my garage
"studio" in our townhome here in Pleasanton (San Francisco Bay Area).
I've only fired the kiln twice but the temperature in the garage during
the later stages of firing and early stages of cooling was much too high
to comfortably work (without the garage door open in my case). If you
plan to work in your basement studio while your kiln is firing, I would
recommend that you consider installing an exhaust fan just to get some
of the heat out. Good Luck!!
> ----------
> From: bjb[SMTP:bjb@global2000.net]
> Reply To: Ceramic Arts Discussion List
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 1998 6:36 AM
> To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
> Subject: A kiln for a newcomer
>
> ----------------------------Original
> message----------------------------
> Dear Listmembers,
>
> I am very new to pottery. As an exploration for relaxing, I enrolled
> in a
> six-week workshop. I was hooked by the experience of working on the
> wheel.
> I was prepared for the kinesthetic and spiritual experience of
> centering
> through meditation and other practices. I am entranced and the
> shapes are
> stimulating a quickening within me. I enrolled in Pottery I in order
> to
> continue the adventure and bought my first wheel. The basement of our
> c.1825 farmhouse yielded to the need for a space to work with clay and
> a
> humble studio resulted. I have no water down there but my ceramics
> supply
> person advised me on how I could work around that limitation and keep
> growing in my practice as a potter. Now comes the time for the kiln.
> I
> am ready to purchase a Skutt electric with automatic controls, etc.
> My
> questions arise around where to site it. Some say never put your kiln
> in
> your home. Others say that if the proper hookup and precautions are
> taken,
> it is completely safe. I do not plan to fire unless I am home. I do
> work
> out of my home. This particular home is constructed of wood that is
> 175
> years old. The electric wiring is new. I am thinking of putting the
> kiln
> in the corner of this basement, near the electric service box, with an
> envirovent because I would be working within 12 feet in the same
> room,
> and the room above is a living space with a connecting vent in the
> floor.
> I hope to build kilns on our 72 acre property some day and to explore
> other
> firing methods. But for now, as a novice, beginning the journey, I
> perceive this as the next step. I would very much appreciate any
> advice
> and opinions. Thanks, Bari
>
>
> bjb@global2000.net
>
Don Prey on sun 14 jun 98
Bari,
I have had electric kilns in three different houses. The first two were in
the basement and the current one is in an attached garage with living space
above. In all cases, I have vented through an adjacent window. I am at home
when the kiln is on and monitor regularly.
I think your plan is a good one. The important thing is to pay attention to
the kiln when it is in operation. As things go, I think an electric kiln is a
relativly safe device. We could probably make the argument that driving
around in a car is a more dangerous thing to be doing.
Don Prey in Oregon
Welson on mon 15 jun 98
I just install a Skull 818 in my baseman... just make sure you use the right
fuse and the right wire (No. 8 or thicker), it is safe. I put my kiln only
10 inches from the wooden wall and I fire to cone8, so far I didn't notice
any heat damage to the wooden wall...
I do all the wiring myself, but if you want to be sure, you can hire a
professional to wire for you, it should not cost more then $180 ~ $200... if
you do it yourself, the material only cost $40 ~ $60, depend how far away
you going to set your kiln from your fuse box...
Hope it help, Welson
-----Original Message-----
From: bjb
To: Multiple recipients of list CLAYART
Date: Friday, June 12, 1998 6:48 AM
Subject: A kiln for a newcomer
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Dear Listmembers,
>
>I am very new to pottery. As an exploration for relaxing, I enrolled in a
>six-week workshop. I was hooked by the experience of working on the wheel.
> I was prepared for the kinesthetic and spiritual experience of centering
>through meditation and other practices. I am entranced and the shapes are
>stimulating a quickening within me. I enrolled in Pottery I in order to
>continue the adventure and bought my first wheel. The basement of our
>c.1825 farmhouse yielded to the need for a space to work with clay and a
>humble studio resulted. I have no water down there but my ceramics supply
>person advised me on how I could work around that limitation and keep
>growing in my practice as a potter. Now comes the time for the kiln. I
>am ready to purchase a Skutt electric with automatic controls, etc. My
>questions arise around where to site it. Some say never put your kiln in
>your home. Others say that if the proper hookup and precautions are taken,
>it is completely safe. I do not plan to fire unless I am home. I do work
>out of my home. This particular home is constructed of wood that is 175
>years old. The electric wiring is new. I am thinking of putting the kiln
>in the corner of this basement, near the electric service box, with an
>envirovent because I would be working within 12 feet in the same room,
>and the room above is a living space with a connecting vent in the floor.
>I hope to build kilns on our 72 acre property some day and to explore other
>firing methods. But for now, as a novice, beginning the journey, I
>perceive this as the next step. I would very much appreciate any advice
>and opinions. Thanks, Bari
>
>
>bjb@global2000.net
>
the Gallagher's on mon 15 jun 98
Bari,
I am not a newcomer to clay, having made my first efforts in high school,
more than 25 years ago. But as time went on I only took classes about every
five years or so, until about 3 years ago when I made a commitment to work in
clay regularly. I now have the beginnings of a studio in my basement, no
wheel, as I mostly hand build, but keep putting off the kiln purchase. I fire
at the community college where I have last taken classes. My frustration at
the school firing schedule and lack of control over that process is driving me
to buy my first kiln, but I am a bit nervous about it.
It always amazes me how some folks who just discover clay can jump in with
both feet and buy everything that they need right off. I think it's great!
My question for you is "Are there any out buildings on your property that
could house the kiln, and your studio?" That would really be the best place,
given the amount of acreage you have available to you. If not now, then maybe
future plans would include this and you can move your electric and studio
later.
Lots of people put kilns in their basements, I had planned to put mine there
also, but as I have a basement open to the back yard with a covered porch, I
will locate it there so I don't take up the needed space in the basement.
I know this isn't much help or advice, but I did want to encourage you in your
pursuit.
Michelle
In Oregon
Sheilah Bliss on mon 15 jun 98
Hi Bari-
I have my electric kiln in my basement, in the same 5' x 12' room as my
electric wheel, drying shelves, and a few other items (amazing what you can
get into a dinky space...). In the original design of our 50's rancher, this
was a cold storage/canned goods room. This room is on an outside wall. The
floor is cement, 3 of the walls are cement block, one wall is drywall. The
kiln sits near a cement block wall corner. The service panel is another room
away, but no more than 10' feet. Ceiling is drywall.
My kiln is a Bailey (ConeArt) with 3 inch insulation, and it sits on an
EnviroVent which vents through fexible metal hose and out through a board
enclosed in the window. Usually I fire bisque ^06, glaze firings to ^6. This
has worked for me for 8 years (jeez! has it been that long!?) quite well with
no problems (knock wood) although I generally choose not to work in the room
once the kiln gets going, for no reason other than a little paranoia, ie.
"what if renegade fumes outwit the Envirovent?"
My glaze and decoration room (which was originally a bedroom) is right next to
the kiln room. While it does get warmer in the kiln/wheel room when firing,
it's not too hot. I suppose this is due to the quality of insulation in the
Bailey.
I contacted the local fire dept. w/ a picture & spec. sheet of my kiln when
first setting up. They said most modern "hobby" electric kilns are well built
and ok for basement placement using common sense. I asked them to define
"hobby", their reply was the "common" electric kiln (like mine) as opposed to
a huge factory kiln or something large enough to pull lotsa wattage and have
lotsa heat in an area for a long time. Of course, they recommended fire
extinguishers and smoke alarms.
Hope this helps!
Sheilah Bliss
Bliss Pottery near the Spokane River where sunny warm days are returning.
Yea!
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