sdpotter@GTE.NET on wed 7 jun 00
Greetings,
Some of you may remember my posts about
train kilns. A lot of you helped me in building it.
Now I'm back with some more questions.
First off, tuesday was my third firing of this kiln
and it was not too well. Here are my problems, with
my possible solutions. I want to find out if these will work.
1: The front part of the kiln by the firebox reached ^9 while
the middle and back only reached ^05.
The chimney is 14 feet tall, should I add more?
One suggestion is to close the damper a little more
to keep more of the heat in.
I'm also thinking I might be choking the kiln with
too much clinker/coal build up. Should I have a cover
over the stoke hole to pull air over the coals better?
2: The pots on the floor...the top or rim of these pots reached
higher temps than the bottom or foot.
Should I raise these pots higher?
Raise the chamber up onto cinder blocks?
Lower the firebox?
To answer any questions here's the info about my kiln.
The flue is 9 x 10.
The stoke hole is 9 x 10 with a secondary hole directly
underneath 9 x 5.
The length of the chamber is 7 feet, the height is 2 1/2
feet and a width of about 20". The firebox is 3 1/2 feet
long by 20" and about 2 feet tall.
I could even be using the wrong type of wood, it was
a mix of alder and fir. My other kiln had less problems,
mainly the flue and inlet. I was able to solve the problems,
quickly on my own, but this beast has me baffled. Any help
would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve Dalton
clennell on thu 8 jun 00
>Greetings,
>Some of you may remember my posts about
>train kilns. A lot of you helped me in building it.
>Now I'm back with some more questions.
>
>First off, tuesday was my third firing of this kiln
>and it was not too well. Here are my problems, with
>my possible solutions. I want to find out if these will work.
>
>1: The front part of the kiln by the firebox reached ^9 while
>the middle and back only reached ^05.
>
>The chimney is 14 feet tall, should I add more?
>
>One suggestion is to close the damper a little more
>to keep more of the heat in.
>
>I'm also thinking I might be choking the kiln with
>too much clinker/coal build up. Should I have a cover
>over the stoke hole to pull air over the coals better?
>
>2: The pots on the floor...the top or rim of these pots reached
>higher temps than the bottom or foot.
>
>Should I raise these pots higher?
>
>Raise the chamber up onto cinder blocks?
>
>Lower the firebox?
>
>To answer any questions here's the info about my kiln.
>The flue is 9 x 10.
>The stoke hole is 9 x 10 with a secondary hole directly
>underneath 9 x 5.
>The length of the chamber is 7 feet, the height is 2 1/2
>feet and a width of about 20". The firebox is 3 1/2 feet
>long by 20" and about 2 feet tall.
>I could even be using the wrong type of wood, it was
>a mix of alder and fir. My other kiln had less problems,
>mainly the flue and inlet. I was able to solve the problems,
>quickly on my own, but this beast has me baffled. Any help
>would be greatly appreciated.
>Thanks,
>Steve Dalton
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com
.Dear Steve: where to start> first of all this doesn't sound like our
train. The exit flue is maybe a place to start. The whole back wall of
the train is a chequered wall so that flame doesn't have to squeeze out a
exit hole at the bottom of the kiln. Build the back wall as you would a
bagwall.
The throat arch. We just got a bunch of new shelves and decided to cram
more pots in the kiln. We started the stack right at the throat arch.
this caused us mucho grief during the firing. It is like building a wall
that the flame has to find a way thru. a good stack is like a pear cut in
half and laid in the chamber. the front pots are tumblestacked and as you
move along the chamber the pots gets stacked higher. and then lower again
near the back. We also have a hot front - Cone 12-13 with the middle a hot
cone 11 and the back a touchy cone 9. We don't side stoke a whole lot which
could help the back get hotter.
clinker coal build up can be a problem. that's why there are secondary air
inlets over the steps in the bourrry box . We had a real problem this past
firing with too much coals so I hooked up our compressor and blew air into
the coals. I thought it better than trying to take the coals out. cone 10
went down within an hour.
We find whenever we have problems with the kiln we look at the wood. It is
usually the problem. Larch is a kind of popular isn't it?? this kiln has
the power to overcome most bad wood problems but we go with good wood
because I like to have supper on time.
the train is a great kiln but it still makes a person think. If you need
someone to think with you give me a zap. I'm still learning the how too's
of ours. We have had 7 firings this year, each a lttle different and the
one that goes easy is followed by one that makes you sweat. Never take your
woman or your kiln for granted.
bon feu!
tony
Tony and Sheila Clennell
Sour Cherry Pottery
4545 King St.
Beamsville, On.
Canada L0R 1B1
http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
905-563-9382
fax 905-563-9383
Fred Cook on thu 8 jun 00
Steve, this is Fred Cook again,
I apologize, ...I jumped the gun and asked you a bunch of questions you already
answered. I have to learn
to read more carefully/patiently.
Your kiln is about the same size as mine.
I'll be watching for suggestions.
Fred
sdpotter@GTE.NET wrote:
> Greetings,
> Some of you may remember my posts about
> train kilns. A lot of you helped me in building it.
> Now I'm back with some more questions.
>
> First off, tuesday was my third firing of this kiln
> and it was not too well. Here are my problems, with
> my possible solutions. I want to find out if these will work.
>
> 1: The front part of the kiln by the firebox reached ^9 while
> the middle and back only reached ^05.
>
> The chimney is 14 feet tall, should I add more?
>
> One suggestion is to close the damper a little more
> to keep more of the heat in.
>
> I'm also thinking I might be choking the kiln with
> too much clinker/coal build up. Should I have a cover
> over the stoke hole to pull air over the coals better?
>
> 2: The pots on the floor...the top or rim of these pots reached
> higher temps than the bottom or foot.
>
> Should I raise these pots higher?
>
> Raise the chamber up onto cinder blocks?
>
> Lower the firebox?
>
> To answer any questions here's the info about my kiln.
> The flue is 9 x 10.
> The stoke hole is 9 x 10 with a secondary hole directly
> underneath 9 x 5.
> The length of the chamber is 7 feet, the height is 2 1/2
> feet and a width of about 20". The firebox is 3 1/2 feet
> long by 20" and about 2 feet tall.
> I could even be using the wrong type of wood, it was
> a mix of alder and fir. My other kiln had less problems,
> mainly the flue and inlet. I was able to solve the problems,
> quickly on my own, but this beast has me baffled. Any help
> would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Steve Dalton
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
sdpotter@GTE.NET on mon 12 jun 00
Dear Tony,
I should've read your post before I fired yesterday, but I've been
busy trying to get this kiln on the road. I went with the stacking
in Jack Troy's book, big stuff on the bottom with small stuff on the
top, but still a 'dry spell.' Up front, ^5 dropped with the tail of ^8
starting. Only 05 went down both middle and back.
My kiln dosen't have a bourry box, but just a regular firebox. I'm
wondering if that's the problem or a piece of it. I found the idea for
the kiln in one of the issues of Clay Times, the one with Cynthia Bringle,
"Western Maryland Junkagama," but changed it a little. Instead of
running with secondaries on both sides of the box, I just have one under
the primary. I wonder if that also could be the problem.
I think mine should be named "Western Washington Headachagama."
When I first decided to fire with wood, I converted a gas kiln I started
to build. A box with a firebox where 3 of the burners should be. I
had to enlargen the flue and the ports. Other than trying your flue design,
I've been thinking of making mine larger.
I'm even thinking I might have too many pots loaded into the kiln. I'm
using 14 x 28 shelves with 1/4 spacing for the pots on the top in the front,
with a 1 inch for the big pots in front on the bottom. Working with larger
gaps when I hit the back wall.
I hope this makes sense. Yesterday, I was up over 21 hours and only 2
were not dealing with firing!!
Steve Dalton
>.Dear Steve: where to start> first of all this doesn't sound like our
>train. The exit flue is maybe a place to start. The whole back wall of
>the train is a chequered wall so that flame doesn't have to squeeze out a
>exit hole at the bottom of the kiln. Build the back wall as you would a
>bagwall.
>The throat arch. We just got a bunch of new shelves and decided to cram
>more pots in the kiln. We started the stack right at the throat arch.
>this caused us mucho grief during the firing. It is like building a wall
>that the flame has to find a way thru. a good stack is like a pear cut in
>half and laid in the chamber. the front pots are tumblestacked and as you
>move along the chamber the pots gets stacked higher. and then lower again
>near the back. We also have a hot front - Cone 12-13 with the middle a hot
>cone 11 and the back a touchy cone 9. We don't side stoke a whole lot which
>could help the back get hotter.
>clinker coal build up can be a problem. that's why there are secondary air
>inlets over the steps in the bourrry box . We had a real problem this past
>firing with too much coals so I hooked up our compressor and blew air into
>the coals. I thought it better than trying to take the coals out. cone 10
>went down within an hour.
>We find whenever we have problems with the kiln we look at the wood. It is
>usually the problem. Larch is a kind of popular isn't it?? this kiln has
>the power to overcome most bad wood problems but we go with good wood
>because I like to have supper on time.
>the train is a great kiln but it still makes a person think. If you need
>someone to think with you give me a zap. I'm still learning the how too's
>of ours. We have had 7 firings this year, each a lttle different and the
>one that goes easy is followed by one that makes you sweat. Never take your
>woman or your kiln for granted.
>bon feu!
>tony
>
>Tony and Sheila Clennell
>Sour Cherry Pottery
>4545 King St.
>Beamsville, On.
>Canada L0R 1B1
>
>http://www.sourcherrypottery.com
>
> 905-563-9382
> fax 905-563-9383
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
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