Ron Collins on tue 19 jun 01
I did try primitive firing with charcoal, and used a hairdryer to raise the
temp. I was just playing and it got the temp up higher than sawdust would
have...but it's a mess and really of no use, in my opinion, but I only know
what I did, and not what is possible...you have an awful lot of black soot
if you start with it cold....it's a fun idea, but I wouldn't spend my time
.....Melinda in Guatemala
=?iso-8859-1?Q?Bj=F6rn?= Straube on tue 19 jun 01
Hi Neil,
Most of the large (12 meter long) salt kilns that were used in the late 1800's
till post W.W.II in the Rhineland of Germany, were fire with coal and briquettes in
the early stages of firing. Coal produces a less "spiky" heat cycle than wood (in
my opinion). Since everything was fired green and without shelves I suspect it cut
down on losses. Wood was then used for the rest of the firing. Before these kilns
fell out of use entirely there was a trend to use pressurized oil burners instead
of coal, probably less expensive and less work. I acquired a video of one of the
last firings with one of these kilns in a town called Adendorf (in the vicinity of
Bonn). Everyone now uses small (in comparison) gass/salt kilns.
As far as reproducing wood kiln results? I don't know, but my guess would be
no. Coal has a relatively short flame so you would not as much interaction with
the pots. Ash tends to be heavy and I have no idea at what temperature it
sinters. Guess it would depend on what kind of coal I'm assuming you are taking
about the rock/mineral variety not a charcoal. I'd hate to have to spend lots of
time down wind ;)
Hope this helps
Björn Straube
Melbourne FL USA
Björn
neil richmond wrote:
> Has anyone ever tried to build and fire a charcoal briquette kiln? I
> have been toying with this idea for
> a while. I would hope the results might be similar to a wood fired kiln,
> but being that there is no flame,
> I am not sure. Thanks.
>
> neil
>
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Karen Sullivan on tue 19 jun 01
Neil...
I learned Charcoal firing from Philip Cornelius.
The process is one in which you load with a natural loading...
Tumble stack with wads holding the work in place. Create a
saggar configuration inside the kiln. Load so the work fills the
inside dimensions of the chamber...Fire the kiln up to cone 10
with gas, and then throw in about 200 pounds of charcoal. It helps
to have a port in the door. Use angle iron to get the charcoal into the kiln
and scattered over the pots.
I tend to prefer Mesquite charcoal because it is wood.
Charocal briquettes are largely petroleum products with some
binding material. The results are goopier...messier...globs of
stuff on the work.
The charcoal firing somewhat duplicates the effect of the
firebox of a woodfire kiln.
There are zones of influence...
top...charcoal sits on and melts giving a glazed surface.
middle...flame pattern causes fuming and color on the clay.
bottom...burried in charcoal and black.
The variables are temeperature the charcoal is loaded into the
kiln and duration of time kiln is fired after the charcoal is
loaded which influences the amount of melt.
I think of the charcoal as an intense influence on the
atmosphere of the kiln not for it's heat producing capabilities,
which is accomplished with gas.
I figure I get the effect of a spectacular woodfire kiln
in a kiln that I fire in a day.
This next week I am going to be firing three charcoal kilns
at the woodfire workshop in Idyllwild.
bamboo karen
on 6/19/01 9:54 AM, neil richmond at heartburn@MEDIAONE.NET wrote:
> Has anyone ever tried to build and fire a charcoal briquette kiln? I
> have been toying with this idea for
> a while. I would hope the results might be similar to a wood fired kiln,
> but being that there is no flame,
> I am not sure. Thanks.
>
> neil
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
neil richmond on tue 19 jun 01
Has anyone ever tried to build and fire a charcoal briquette kiln? I
have been toying with this idea for
a while. I would hope the results might be similar to a wood fired kiln,
but being that there is no flame,
I am not sure. Thanks.
neil
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