James L Bowen on thu 9 dec 99
------------------
My friend Mark Benner and I are building a propane fired downdraft sprung =
arch
kiln from materials we obtained from a local school. Apparently a former =
teacher
had a kiln and the school took it down and stored it until we came along. =
Did I
mention we are in Eastern Colorado. With his experience and some reference
material ( Olsen and Rhodes) we started building.
What we have done so far is build a kiln up to the point its time for the =
arch.
Before we do that I think its time for outside comments. What we have built =
is
54=22wide, 36=22 deep, 37.5=22 high inside. The walls are 9=22 thick. Bottom=
three
courses are hard brick, and hold the four 5=22x5=22 burner ports. Two to the=
side.
Total 100=22sq. The next thirteen courses are all IFB but don=22t know K23 =
from K26.
How do you tell the difference? The floor is two layers of hard brick on top=
of
two courses of concrete block. . The outlet is 102 sq ins on the back wall. =
From
each side of the outlet (flue?) I have two rows of hard brick running from =
the
back wall to the front, three high (7.5=22) for a flue channel. These are =
just
laying on the floor nine inches apart. The hard brick bag walls will be =
about 5=22
from the inside walls. The ware area will be 36=22x36=22x37.5=22 not =
counting the arch
space. There will be a space of 1.5=22 between the bottom of the lowest =
shelf and
the top of the flue channel brick. Do we really need a flue channel in or on=
the
floor? The outlet will go into a chimney 18' tall. Probably 9=22x9=22 =
(81=22sq) but
could be bigger if need be. About the arch. We have 90 =231 arch brick and =
can buy
more if needed. Olsen shows three way to span 4'6=22 (54=22). 1.6=22/ft rise=
or 2=22/ft
or2.3=22/ft. Any ideas? Seems like higher would be safer from collapse.
For fire we have four Ransome B-4 burners rated at up to 4000,00 BTU at 20
lb/sq=22 pressure LP gas. Plan to have a needle valve and pressure guage at =
each
burner.
Our propane storage options are limited to what we have here on the ranch.
Option one is up to four 100lb bottles hooked up however might work. Option =
two
is a 250 Gal tank. Option three is a 500 gal tank. All listed in my personal
order of preference. We have run a B-4 on a 100lb tank wide open for hours
without freezing the line.
Any comments? All are welcome.
The brick yard in Canon City has 6x9x3 hard brick at a buck each if you
interested. Ought to be good for floor brick.
Jeff & Melanie Boock on fri 10 dec 99
I thought that Canon City had sold off all of it's stock. Do you know
if there are any hard arch brick down there?
Jeff Boock in Minturn, CO
jeff@boock.com
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>------------------
>My friend Mark Benner and I are building a propane fired downdraft sprung arch
>kiln from materials we obtained from a local school. Apparently a
>former teacher
>had a kiln and the school took it down and stored it until we came
>along. Did I
>mention we are in Eastern Colorado. With his experience and some reference
>material ( Olsen and Rhodes) we started building.
>
>What we have done so far is build a kiln up to the point its time
>for the arch.
>Before we do that I think its time for outside comments. What we have built is
>54"wide, 36" deep, 37.5" high inside. The walls are 9" thick. Bottom three
>courses are hard brick, and hold the four 5"x5" burner ports. Two to the side.
>Total 100"sq. The next thirteen courses are all IFB but don"t know
>K23 from K26.
>How do you tell the difference? The floor is two layers of hard
>brick on top of
>two courses of concrete block. . The outlet is 102 sq ins on the
>back wall. From
>each side of the outlet (flue?) I have two rows of hard brick running from the
>back wall to the front, three high (7.5") for a flue channel. These are just
>laying on the floor nine inches apart. The hard brick bag walls will
>be about 5"
>from the inside walls. The ware area will be 36"x36"x37.5" not
>counting the arch
>space. There will be a space of 1.5" between the bottom of the
>lowest shelf and
>the top of the flue channel brick. Do we really need a flue channel
>in or on the
>floor? The outlet will go into a chimney 18' tall. Probably 9"x9" (81"sq) but
>could be bigger if need be. About the arch. We have 90 #1 arch brick
>and can buy
>more if needed. Olsen shows three way to span 4'6" (54"). 1.6"/ft
>rise or 2"/ft
>or2.3"/ft. Any ideas? Seems like higher would be safer from collapse.
>
>For fire we have four Ransome B-4 burners rated at up to 4000,00 BTU at 20
>lb/sq" pressure LP gas. Plan to have a needle valve and pressure guage at each
>burner.
>
>Our propane storage options are limited to what we have here on the ranch.
>Option one is up to four 100lb bottles hooked up however might work.
>Option two
>is a 250 Gal tank. Option three is a 500 gal tank. All listed in my personal
>order of preference. We have run a B-4 on a 100lb tank wide open for hours
>without freezing the line.
>
>Any comments? All are welcome.
>
>The brick yard in Canon City has 6x9x3 hard brick at a buck each if you
>interested. Ought to be good for floor brick.
David Hendley on fri 10 dec 99
I'll address one of your questions, James.
Yes, I think an arch with a greater rise is more durable
over time.
Since your stacking area is nearly a perfect cube without
the arch (the ideal shape), I think I'd take the middle
ground (2"/ft. rise) so you have a good rise, but don't
add too much extra height.
--
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com/
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------------
My friend Mark Benner and I are building a propane fired downdraft sprung
arch
kiln from materials we obtained from a local school. Apparently a former
teacher
had a kiln and the school took it down and stored it until we came along.
Did I
mention we are in Eastern Colorado. With his experience and some reference
material ( Olsen and Rhodes) we started building.
What we have done so far is build a kiln up to the point its time for the
arch.
Before we do that I think its time for outside comments. What we have built
is
54"wide, 36" deep, 37.5" high inside. The walls are 9" thick. Bottom three
courses are hard brick, and hold the four 5"x5" burner ports. Two to the
side.
Total 100"sq. The next thirteen courses are all IFB but don"t know K23 from
K26.
How do you tell the difference? The floor is two layers of hard brick on top
of
two courses of concrete block. . The outlet is 102 sq ins on the back wall.
From
each side of the outlet (flue?) I have two rows of hard brick running from
the
back wall to the front, three high (7.5") for a flue channel. These are just
laying on the floor nine inches apart. The hard brick bag walls will be
about 5"
from the inside walls. The ware area will be 36"x36"x37.5" not counting the
arch
space. There will be a space of 1.5" between the bottom of the lowest shelf
and
the top of the flue channel brick. Do we really need a flue channel in or on
the
floor? The outlet will go into a chimney 18' tall. Probably 9"x9" (81"sq)
but
could be bigger if need be. About the arch. We have 90 #1 arch brick and can
buy
more if needed. Olsen shows three way to span 4'6" (54"). 1.6"/ft rise or
2"/ft
or2.3"/ft. Any ideas? Seems like higher would be safer from collapse.
For fire we have four Ransome B-4 burners rated at up to 4000,00 BTU at 20
lb/sq" pressure LP gas. Plan to have a needle valve and pressure guage at
each
burner.
Our propane storage options are limited to what we have here on the ranch.
Option one is up to four 100lb bottles hooked up however might work. Option
two
is a 250 Gal tank. Option three is a 500 gal tank. All listed in my personal
order of preference. We have run a B-4 on a 100lb tank wide open for hours
without freezing the line.
Any comments? All are welcome.
The brick yard in Canon City has 6x9x3 hard brick at a buck each if you
interested. Ought to be good for floor brick.
Jennifer Boyer on sun 12 dec 99
Hi,
Using the tables in the back of the Olsen Kiln Book, I used the
2.302 inch per foot of rise for my arch and like it. I strongly
recommend the following technique for determining which arch
brick/straight combo to use: build the arch form, and then put
it on end on a flat surface. lay the arch bricks and straights
(recommended from tables) on the ground along the arch form to
get an idea what fits. I found the recommended combo did't work
at all, and I kind of made it up as I went along. After I had
the arch form in place on the kilns walls I edited the recipe of
arch/straight even more in the first row til I got a tight fit.
Then I repeated that combo through the rest of the rows. What a
beauty of an arch I've got now. 5 firings and the kiln is
behaving very well. I just don't get those flat top jobs: you
get cheated out of the rush of pulling the arch form out!! ;-)
Jennifer, basking in the peace of the last firing of the season......
> About the arch. We have 90 =231 arch brick and =
> can buy
> more if needed. Olsen shows three way to span 4'6=22 (54=22). 1.6=22/ft rise=
> or 2=22/ft
> or2.3=22/ft. Any ideas? Seems like higher would be safer from collapse.
>
>
> Any comments? All are welcome.
>
> The brick yard in Canon City has 6x9x3 hard brick at a buck each if you
> interested. Ought to be good for floor brick.
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer jfboyer@sover.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
Vermont USA
http://www.vermontcrafts.com/members/ThistleHill.html
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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