Maid O'Mud Pottery on sun 17 sep 00
http://www.odyssey.on.ca/~scuttell/welcome.html
Check it out!
We're planning on re-building the kiln with a smaller chimney and a
larger firebox. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
--
sam - alias the cat lady
SW Ontario CANADA
http://www.geocities.com/paris/3110 scuttell@odyssey.on.ca
"Never attribute to malice, that which can be
explained by stupidity." anon
"First, the clay told me what to do
Then, I told the clay what to do
Now; we co-operate"
sam, 1994
vince pitelka on sun 17 sep 00
> http://www.odyssey.on.ca/~scuttell/welcome.html
> Check it out!
> We're planning on re-building the kiln with a smaller chimney and a
> larger firebox. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Sam -
Looks like fun. Bigger firebox is right on target, but I question your
intent to use a smaller chimney. What made you decide that the chimney is
too big. Did you have an effective damper?
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Maid O'Mud Pottery on mon 18 sep 00
vince pitelka wrote:
> > http://www.odyssey.on.ca/~scuttell/welcome.html
> > Check it out!
> > We're planning on re-building the kiln with a smaller chimney and a larger
> firebox. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Sam -
> Looks like fun. Bigger firebox is right on target, but I question your
> intent to use a smaller chimney. What made you decide that the chimney is too
> big. Did you have an effective damper?
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
I used a kiln shelf as a damper. Even when 85% inserted, I couldn't seem to even
out the kiln. Problem is that the top gets really hot (and ashy) but the bottom of
the kiln didn't budge ^6. I was hoping by narrowing the chimney, I could reduce
the rate of speed the heat is leaving the kiln. Do you think I should just
increase the firebox? Will this help even out top/bottom heat? The kiln is less
than 2 feet high, so I never even considered this to be a (potential) problem
whilst building.
All comments are appreciated :-)
PS - problem with thumbnail sketches not expanding should be fixed by this
evening. Our 1st "real" webpage - we're floundering a bit, eh?
--
sam - alias the cat lady
SW Ontario CANADA
http://www.geocities.com/paris/3110 scuttell@odyssey.on.ca
"Never attribute to malice, that which can be
explained by stupidity." anon
"First, the clay told me what to do
Then, I told the clay what to do
Now; we co-operate"
sam, 1994
Steve Mills on mon 18 sep 00
> What made you decide that the chimney is
>too big. Did you have an effective damper?
>Best wishes -
>- Vince
Very good point,, you can make a hole smaller with a damper, but the
hole is too small to start with there is d.... all you can do about it
during a firing
--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
vince pitelka on mon 18 sep 00
> I used a kiln shelf as a damper. Even when 85% inserted, I couldn't seem
to even
> out the kiln. Problem is that the top gets really hot (and ashy) but the
bottom of
> the kiln didn't budge ^6. I was hoping by narrowing the chimney, I could
reduce
> the rate of speed the heat is leaving the kiln. Do you think I should
just
> increase the firebox? Will this help even out top/bottom heat? The kiln
is less
> than 2 feet high, so I never even considered this to be a (potential)
problem
> whilst building.
Sam -
You may well have to close the damper more, but I would not change the
chimney. Make sure that your damper is a tight seal in the chimney, and if
you have to, redesign the chimney with this in mind. Having extra chimney
height is not a problem, as long as you have a damper which will really
control the draft.
Perhaps more important, and as Mel often advocates, don't pack the kiln too
tightly - leave plenty of space among the wares. This greatly helps the
heat permeate the set. And don't fire too quickly. It takes time for the
heat to get to the places it does not go naturally, like out of the way
corners, or the bottom of the kiln. If the top of the kiln is stacked much
more loosely than the bottom, as is almost always the case, then of course
the heat is naturally going to pass over the wares with minimal heat
transfer. You can solve that with sufficient damper back-pressure, and
adequate soaking.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
| |
|
