Brad Sondahl on fri 9 apr 99
I recently added a cheap kiln vent to my electric kiln. I bought some
flexible aluminum clothes dryer vent and attached it to the bottom
peephole of my kiln with three sheetmetal screws with added washers to
keep from ripping through the thin metal. At the other end of the
flexible section I used standard rigid aluminum dryer vent tubing to get
it out of a window. Outside I added a small fan mounted in an A-frame
of plywood (so as to protect it from rain/snow). From inside I can push
the vent tube closer to the fan to create more suction, or farther from
it for less. When I fire a bisque, I want more suction, to vent the
sulphur fumes. You can tell how effective the venting is by how hot the
pipe is getting. It never seems to get too hot to touch. No longer the
taste of sulphur when I fire...
Other folks might share their ideas on this as well...
--
Brad Sondahl
http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/bradindex.html
Sondahl homepage http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl
Original literature, music, pottery, and art
SHORTHDR Anna Koester on sat 10 apr 99
In a message dated 4/9/99 bsondahl@camasnet.com writes:
<< No longer the
taste of sulphur when I fire... >>
Brad, I wish I had been as smart about kiln ventilation systems when I was
firing bisque kilns in my garage years ago. Because it was so cold outside,
the garage door was most often closed or almost closed, and I kept telling
myself, I'd get just a little bit more done and then leave. After all, it
WAS necessary to keep on throwing those pots! Well, when I started to get
that "sulphur taste" in the back of my throat, I did eventually leave the
area. However, I think the damage was done.
I have asthma now (adult-onset--started a few years after I began working in
clay) and even though my doctors say it's impossible to prove, I think from
the readings I've done that breathing those fumes damaged my airways. High
sulphur fumes can etch glass. From two recent pulmonary function tests, I
have 60 percent functioning in my lungs---yes, it could be worse--but I'll
always wonder if those bisque fumes caused the initial problem. Older and
wiser now, I am not around the kilns when they're firing and have plenty of
ventilation.
To everybody else, fire smarter!
Anna
Dave Finkelnburg on sun 11 apr 99
Brad,
I'm sure you are aware, though others may not be, that the Bailey kiln
vent is basically the same design, except the fan is "in line." That is,
the flexible aluminum is spaced about 3/8" from the kiln to let some
relatively cool room air leak in, along with the hot air drawn from the
kiln, and the fan mounted on a wall or post near the kiln, part way between
the kiln and the outdoor vent. The exhaust side of the fan flows through
more dryer vent pipe or flex hose to the outdoors.
Dave Finkelnburg, still watching winter snow drifting across the crocus
blossoms.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Sondahl
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Friday, April 09, 1999 10:13 AM
Subject: Cheap kiln vent
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I recently added a cheap kiln vent to my electric kiln. I bought some
>flexible aluminum clothes dryer vent and attached it to the bottom
>peephole of my kiln with three sheetmetal screws with added washers to
>keep from ripping through the thin metal. At the other end of the
>flexible section I used standard rigid aluminum dryer vent tubing to get
>it out of a window. Outside I added a small fan mounted in an A-frame
>of plywood (so as to protect it from rain/snow). From inside I can push
>the vent tube closer to the fan to create more suction, or farther from
>it for less. When I fire a bisque, I want more suction, to vent the
>sulphur fumes. You can tell how effective the venting is by how hot the
>pipe is getting. It never seems to get too hot to touch. No longer the
>taste of sulphur when I fire...
>Other folks might share their ideas on this as well...
>--
>Brad Sondahl
>http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/bradindex.html
>Sondahl homepage http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl
>Original literature, music, pottery, and art
>
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