Susan Masterman on thu 2 jul 98
------------------
To those of you who are soon to become my VERY best friends,
I am currently in the process of trying to come up with plans to build a
car kiln in my back yard. The things that I do know:
1) I am interested in, no, obsessed with, making big pots and I need access
to a kiln large enough to fire these pups. At this stage I think 4 to 5
feet will be my max. size so I want the inside height of the kiln to be
large enough to accommodate these pots. If a cube is the most efficient
shape for firing then I've pretty much set the interior dimensions.
2) The space I have available for the kiln is 8 feet wide and 21 feet long.
3) I'd like to locate the burners in the front (as opposed to side or back
due to lack of space on the side).
4) I have natural gas. I'll run a gas line from the house to kiln sight.
I'm thinking of making this a downdraft reduction kiln.
5) I would like to build a car kiln for obvious reasons. These pots are
unweildy enough without having to try and lift them into a space.
6) I will probably single fire AND not wanting to complicate matters at
this stage I am also thinking about the ITC question (yet again) and
wondering if I painted the walls with ITC if I would periodically be able
to salt without residual salt building up on the interior. (Sort of like
having a 2fer - I may be getting greedy here, but if it works, why not?)
7) I have access to cheap fire brick - so I'd like to take advantage of
that as much as possible.
What I don't know could fill volumes so I won't go there. I guess what I
need is some good advice followed by some extremely clear and concrete
specifics - like a set of doable plans. I can read and I have energy and a
fairly strong back and bicep. I'm also good at bribing. I think I can do
this but when I think of the whole instead of the parts I can get a bit
overwhelmed.
If there's anyone out there willing to help I would be forever greatful.
You can e-mail me privately and when I have amassed all the info. I will be
more than happy to post the final plans on Clayart - if there's any
interest.
Thanks ever so much,
Susan
e-mail: swmasterman=40compuserve.com
Fred Paget on fri 3 jul 98
A year ago I was at about the stage that you are in now with regard to
kiln plans. Since then I have researched the subject and have just about
completed my kiln. There remains but the natural gas hookup and purchase or
kiln furniture and I will be ready for my first firing. Mine is in a space
10 feet wide with a wood building on one side and a cement block wall on
the other side. I wanted to leave at least 3 feet between the kiln wall
and the wood. The kiln is 4 feet wide, has 9 inch walls and has a massive
door of 4 1/2 in. IFB. The frame of the door posts is 4x4x1/4 iron and the
door hangs on a center hinged contraption that looks like a bank vault.
There is a lot of heavy welding involved, so I took a welding course this
spring at the local junior college and learned a skill that every potter
should have.
A car kiln is a lot easier to build believe it or not! The car can be
welded up quickly and since the door is on the car you don't have that
hinging problem.
I could not build a car kiln because of the location. There is not
enough room in front of the kiln for the rails. My kiln is on the edge of a
raised platform 2 feet above the ground level. Also it is on a welded up
foot frame instead of concrete blocks. That way it is "portable" and I
don't need a permit in this town. It could be picked up with a crane and
moved!
I have a copy of Nils Lou's old out of print book with plans for the
MFT and I went to a 3 day workshop last fall where Nils built a car kiln,
so my kiln is a variation of that design. Nils says it is an Oregon Flat
top. It is about 15 cubic feet gross volume or 8 cubic feet usable for
ware. Nils' new book will be out around September so get a copy and read it
three times.
Jepson has a video on building a car kiln with arch if that grabs you
instead of the flat top. He does not go into the construction of the flue
box and that is a sad omission. Nils has a real neat flue design that uses
56 hard bricks ( 4 1/2 x 9 in. ) and a 10 inch pipe chimney. The damper
slot takes a 9 inch damper that Nils sells.
I don't know about putting the burners in front. The MFT has them in
back firing forward and the flue is between them and at the same level.
That makes it a downdraft. You might be able to put them in front firing
into a target brick 2/3 of the way back to direct the flame upward and then
use a shelf on bricks in front of and over the rear flue hole (like Bailey
does) to get the exhaust to come out of the front part of the kiln. Some
kiln experienced experts should be consulted on this.
Even if the brick is free you are going to spend thousands on the kiln.
The burners alone cost around 1500 dollars if you use power burners which
are recommended for the MFT. Don't stint on the safety devices.
If you had propane you could get by cheaper since the pressure can be
higher and venturi burners can be made from pipe. I saw a real cheap setup
at Mendocino Arts, CA. , where they have two salt catanary arch kilns.
These do not have doors. Instead they are just bricked up in front. No car
either.
Figure out the size of pipe you will need for the length of run from
the meter to the kiln. There is a table in Fred Olsen's book for this
purpose or any plumber will have one.
I am a long way yet from being a kiln expert since I have yet to fire
one by myself. I have been present at three or four firings.
Fred Paget
> I am currently in the process of trying to come up with plans to build a
> car kiln in my back yard. The things that I do know:
>
> 1) I am interested in... making big pots and I need access
> to a kiln... 4 to 5 feet... inside height ...
> 2) The space I have available for the kiln is 8 feet wide and 21 feet
>long.
> 3) I'd like to locate the burners in the front (as opposed to side or back
> due to lack of space on the side).
> 4) I have natural gas. I'll run a gas line from the house to kiln site.
> I'm thinking of making this a downdraft reduction kiln.
> 5) I would like to build a car kiln...
> 6) I will probably single fire AND ...wondering if I painted the walls
>with
> ITC if I would periodically be able to salt without residual salt
>building up
> on the interior. ...
> 7) I have access to cheap fire brick -...
>
> What I don't know could fill volumes .... I guess what I
> need is some good advice followed by... a set of doable plans... snip
>
> Susan Masterman
>
Grimmer on fri 3 jul 98
Susan,
I envy you your task of building a big kiln. I have only a
little experience with those, but fwiw:
1. At UMass/Dartmouth they have a really tall down draft that
fires even top to bottom right to C10. I was often called to
load the top shelves as I'm 6'5" and I could stand up straight
inside and put the pots up there. If I remember right, it's
three 12x24 shelves front to back, but you could make it as
deep as you wanted. I'm not real sure that the cube rule is
hard and fast.
The kiln has four big forced-air burners, two per side. I
think those were key to the control of temp and atmosphere.
Recommend forced air for a kiln of this size. Never had to
wait up for it to fire off.
2. Should be ok.
3. The burners are quite compact and take up about a foot on
either side of the kiln. I wouldn't recommend just two burners
on the front of a kiln this big. Better heat distribution with
two on each side.
4. Ask the gas company to run a line for you at street
pressure and drop it down with a seperate regulator and meter.
That way, you have all the gas you need and know how much each
firing costs. Great at tax time.
5. I'd kill for a car kiln. Hey! What about a kiln with a
swinging door and a car floor? That way you would have access
to all four sides of the car!
6. Idunno.
7. Spring for Insulating brick and make it up in cheap gas
bills and short firings.
I have some nice computer drawn kiln plans for my MFT that
fires great. It could be easily modified to fit your needs.
Let me know and I'll send 'em to you. Nils Lou's book is a
must read. Beg, borrow, or steal a copy.
you go, girl!
steve grimmer
marion illinois
Susan Masterman wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> ------------------
> To those of you who are soon to become my VERY best friends,
>
> I am currently in the process of trying to come up with plans to build a
> car kiln in my back yard. The things that I do know:
>
> 1) I am interested in, no, obsessed with, making big pots and I need access
> to a kiln large enough to fire these pups. At this stage I think 4 to 5
> feet will be my max. size so I want the inside height of the kiln to be
> large enough to accommodate these pots. If a cube is the most efficient
> shape for firing then I've pretty much set the interior dimensions.
> 2) The space I have available for the kiln is 8 feet wide and 21 feet long.
> 3) I'd like to locate the burners in the front (as opposed to side or back
> due to lack of space on the side).
> 4) I have natural gas. I'll run a gas line from the house to kiln sight.
> I'm thinking of making this a downdraft reduction kiln.
> 5) I would like to build a car kiln for obvious reasons. These pots are
> unweildy enough without having to try and lift them into a space.
> 6) I will probably single fire AND not wanting to complicate matters at
> this stage I am also thinking about the ITC question (yet again) and
> wondering if I painted the walls with ITC if I would periodically be able
> to salt without residual salt building up on the interior. (Sort of like
> having a 2fer - I may be getting greedy here, but if it works, why not?)
> 7) I have access to cheap fire brick - so I'd like to take advantage of
> that as much as possible.
>
> What I don't know could fill volumes so I won't go there. I guess what I
> need is some good advice followed by some extremely clear and concrete
> specifics - like a set of doable plans. I can read and I have energy and a
> fairly strong back and bicep. I'm also good at bribing. I think I can do
> this but when I think of the whole instead of the parts I can get a bit
> overwhelmed.
>
> If there's anyone out there willing to help I would be forever greatful.
> You can e-mail me privately and when I have amassed all the info. I will be
> more than happy to post the final plans on Clayart - if there's any
> interest.
>
> Thanks ever so much,
>
> Susan
> e-mail: swmasterman@compuserve.com
Craig Martell on sat 4 jul 98
Hi:
In regard to placing the burners in front, I think it would work really well
if the entrance to the exit flue channel was in front too. This would give
the flame a longer circulation path through the kiln. The flame would fire
to the back of the kiln and then be pulled forward to the exit channel and
then travel to the rear of the kiln and up the stack. But, you would
probably have to bring the stack height up a bit to induce some extra draw.
Ian Currie's kiln in Australia works in this way and he says that he gets a
lot of heat out of the extra flame travel and that the kiln works really well.
later, Craig Martell-Oregon
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