Gary Holt on tue 27 mar 01
Wes Rollley wrote:
> California is in the forefront again.
> The Public Utility Commission is proposing to raise electric rates by 40%
> as a fix for our energy problems.
> I do not see any good longterm answers without moving. Lowell's sawdust
> fired kiln may be allowed under current regulations, as long as I use
> sawdust all the way, and the sawdust is free.
Actually, some reports are mentioning an increase of 50%, with an
additional raise of 10% more in a month or two, and natural gas prices will
of course rise also. The bigger worry is that this will spread from
California to the rest of the country with the current Washington
administration favoring business over the consumer.
Wes and I have been corresponding over the past month or two about various
things relating to Lowell Baker's six day kiln building workshop which I
will host at my Berkeley studio on May 19th. I was initially interested in
Lowell's kiln because I have a strong interest and appreciation for wood
firing, but studio work pressures have made it increasingly hard for me to
spend a week and a half participating in wood kiln firings outside Petaluma.
Being able to achieve woodfire effects in my own kiln in the city, with no
rolling clouds of smoke and flame, seemed a perfect solution.
But Wes's post points up a factor which I hadn't really considered too
important until now. I will be using natural gas just to take it to bisque
temperature... after that the sawdust burner will kick in and my gas meter
will stop clicking. Lowell had mentioned once that his original research on
the sawdust injection burner came as a result of a grant he received from
the Dept. of Energy in the oil-starved 70's, to investigate sawdust as an
alternative fuel. Maybe in California the burner's time has come.
I would encourage anyone else who might be interested in the sawdust
fired wood kiln to contact Lowell about giving a workshop.
(wbaker@woodsquad.as.ua.edu)
And of course, anyone interested in attending the workshop at my place in
Berkeley, or getting further information, can call me at 510-527-4183 or
email me - gary@garyholt.com
www.garyholt.com
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