karen terpstra on mon 4 feb 02
Hi All,
Now here is more work for my mentors and since it has to do with MFT's,
ITC's, MEN vs. WOMEN etc. I'll post this for everyone.
Next week Monday is set aside for ordering the rest of the material for
my MFT salt/soda kiln. Mel, will you be on "mentor call" that day? It
will be salt/soda. Since it is the school's, I don't want to hold back
and make it "light salt" only and make it all soft brick lined with
fiber dipped in ITC like we talked about previously....
I have decided. It will be hard brick inside. Soft outside (I have
inherited plenty of soft brick with the territory here and want to use
them). Have great faith in soft brick for insulation and want the hard
brick for the life expectancy of the kiln. Nils, will say "hard brick
is only good for the patio" but so what. ;) salt eats everything.
love you and your burners anyway Nils.
Nils' burners are already here and wow (!) look like a couple power
houses! got a great reference on Nils' burners (the old design) from
Jack Troy. He's used them for years on a salt kiln outdoors that's
exposed to all kinds of weather. Loves them. Only thing he doesn't
like is that they are noisier than hell. Doesn't bother me. We will
now compete with the sculpture studio which is right beside mine. The
sculpture students put these huge new speakers on the boom box in there
last year and you can't imagine how well they work! I will fire these
burners up when their music is driving me nuts.
The new MFT salt kiln will be located outside under a roof but somewhat
exposed to wacky, wintery, wisconsin weather so I will cover it with
metal sheeting. From Nils' "The Art of Firing" page 12, it looks like
Alice Corning did that ? Other-Mentor-Nils is that right?
I will go to the archives this week dig out more material on the flat
tops just to bolster my confidence with the flat top design. Need to do
more research and thinkin about soft brick and fiber for the top. I'm
an "arch" lover but not monogamous about it...open to other ideas. My
first thought was to build a little cantenary arch salt kiln just
because I wanted the experience to do it. Scraped that idea. Seemed
only self-serving.
I guess the reason I chose to build an MFT is because there are lots of
potters in our area--majority of them women-- that have to know how to
build kilns easily. Not everyone wants to go though what I did with
building my wood kiln. I really challenged myself with tying together 2
sprung arches. (difficult design but worth it's weight in gold to me)
Students and I will be building this with Mel the first weekend in April
and the potters in the area will be invited to attend, watch and/or
help. (clayarts too) We will build it in 2 days. We WILL build it in 2
days. WE WILL BUILD IT IN 2 DAYS!
Another thing...and Mel, i don't think you can talk me out of this one:
using the miracle stuff (the name is at school-sorry) from
Smith-Sharpe. It is 97% Zirconium and their answer to ITC. Richard
Bresnahan has used it in his big honkin kiln of his, top, side walls,
floor, shelves, you name it. Swears by it like Mel does ITC. I have
used it now for 7 firings in my wood kiln...1/4 the price of ITC. ..had
to because of my peanut budget. I sprayed parts of the interior and
brushed other parts. We did the fire box and both chambers. First put
it on only one side of my shelves. Now both sides. It's holding on
tight so far even in the 2nd chamber which we salt. The wadding comes
off the shelves easier than regular kiln wash. Regular kiln was is a
thing of the past for wood kilns, I am convinced.
I did an experiment (now I'm getting off the subject) in the wood kiln.
took 6 inch "tiles" of fiber insulation soaked some in ITC, some in the
Smith Sharpe stuff. put it up just behind the firebox in the first
chamber at the joint where the wall and the arch meet. in fact at all
the joints where the wall and arches meet. critical for enough
insulation so that my angle iron does not weaken (even though the angle
iron is imbedded only a tiny little bit with some insulation on top of
the kiln. We left a tunnel for air next to the iron so it wouldn't over
heat.) If I'd have known about ITC for metal at that time, I would have
coated all the angle iron I used to tie the arches together. Lots of
insulation up there. We want as much slow cooling as we can get.
Towards the end of building, I learned about ITC for metal and used it
on the grating system.. It's gonna last a long, long time! Some of the
old timers (the ones that beat on their chest) who don't know about ITC
told me my grate wouldn't last more than 2 firings even with ITC.
showed them.
Back to the MFT...
I will be ordering materials next Monday and will check prices again of
ITC stuff and the Smithe-Sharpe Zirconium stuff. I'm almost out of
everything. Haven't priced any of it for 2 years. Hope no one from
Smithe-Sharp reads this. don't want them to raise their prices. Hey
Mel, didn't they change their name or is it still Smith-Sharpe. They
are in St. Paul for those of you who want to know. I order shelves from
them too.
So, if any of you out there have experience with the MFT salt or soda
kinda like I've described (not a car kiln) above please email me with
what you like, dislike, or "if i had to do it over again...". on or off
list. My goal: an easy to build and fire salt/soda kiln that will last.
I recommend all of you new babes-in-clay to find yourself a mentor!
Invaluable!!! I hope someday I can give at least half of what I have
learned from mine!
and still waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting on opening that wood kiln.
can't even peek until tomorrow.
take care,
Karen Terpstra
UW-L
ps. did you see the Budwieser commercial during the Super Bowl
yesterday? (the only reason I watch it) They had the annual commercial
with the Budwieser Clydesdales. The horses were pulling a hitch through
the beautiful country side of New York State, over the bridge on to
Manhattan Island. Then, just on the edge of the City in a clearing, each
horse kneeled on one front leg, lowered their heads to the ground and
paused in front of the skyline in NY. It brought tears to my eyes! So
moving... maybe only a horse lover would understand...
Stephani Stephenson on tue 5 feb 02
Building, firing, stoking, chopping, hauling designing, , calling the
shots or taking direction, listening, grunt work, boss work, team work,
solo work,
YES!!!!
from girlie girls
to burly girls
twirly , whirly, early girls
and the occasional surly girl
we
love
it!
all
of
it!
Stephani
Mark Mondloch on tue 5 feb 02
Hi Karen,
Sounds like you've done the research and thought this out well.
We built the MFT car kiln and I just have one caution come to mind. Are you
planning to single fire any heavy sculptural work? I used Nil's propane
burner system which worked great until I decided to bisque in the MFT. Even
with a 9 hr candling with the pilots and starting the main burners as low as
possible, I twice blew up one of my sinks (about 3/4 inch thick wall). The
jump in temp from what I could reach with the pilots to what the burners
started at was too much for that thick of ware. We cut off the little pilots
and replaced them with some larger ones from Marc Ward and haven't had any
problem since. Eventually I want to single fire almost everything and I
don't foresee any problems with the present set-up.
Good luck. Sounds like lucky students.
Sylvia Mondloch
---
Mark & Sylvia Mondloch
Silver Creek Pottery & Forge
W6725 Hwy 144
Random Lake ,Wi 53075
HotArt@silvercreekpottery.com
http://www.silvercreekpottery.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "karen terpstra"
To:
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 8:08 PM
Subject: girlie girls building kilns
> Hi All,
> Now here is more work for my mentors and since it has to do with MFT's,
> ITC's, MEN vs. WOMEN etc. I'll post this for everyone.
>
> Next week Monday is set aside for ordering the rest of the material for
> my MFT salt/soda kiln. Mel, will you be on "mentor call" that day? It
>
> will be salt/soda. Since it is the school's, I don't want to hold back
> and make it "light salt" only and make it all soft brick lined with
> fiber dipped in ITC like we talked about previously....
>
> I have decided. It will be hard brick inside. Soft outside (I have
> inherited plenty of soft brick with the territory here and want to use
> them). Have great faith in soft brick for insulation and want the hard
> brick for the life expectancy of the kiln. Nils, will say "hard brick
> is only good for the patio" but so what. ;) salt eats everything.
> love you and your burners anyway Nils.
>
> Nils' burners are already here and wow (!) look like a couple power
> houses! got a great reference on Nils' burners (the old design) from
> Jack Troy. He's used them for years on a salt kiln outdoors that's
> exposed to all kinds of weather. Loves them. Only thing he doesn't
> like is that they are noisier than hell. Doesn't bother me. We will
> now compete with the sculpture studio which is right beside mine. The
> sculpture students put these huge new speakers on the boom box in there
> last year and you can't imagine how well they work! I will fire these
> burners up when their music is driving me nuts.
>
> The new MFT salt kiln will be located outside under a roof but somewhat
> exposed to wacky, wintery, wisconsin weather so I will cover it with
> metal sheeting. From Nils' "The Art of Firing" page 12, it looks like
> Alice Corning did that ? Other-Mentor-Nils is that right?
>
> I will go to the archives this week dig out more material on the flat
> tops just to bolster my confidence with the flat top design. Need to do
>
> more research and thinkin about soft brick and fiber for the top. I'm
> an "arch" lover but not monogamous about it...open to other ideas. My
> first thought was to build a little cantenary arch salt kiln just
> because I wanted the experience to do it. Scraped that idea. Seemed
> only self-serving.
>
> I guess the reason I chose to build an MFT is because there are lots of
> potters in our area--majority of them women-- that have to know how to
> build kilns easily. Not everyone wants to go though what I did with
> building my wood kiln. I really challenged myself with tying together 2
>
> sprung arches. (difficult design but worth it's weight in gold to me)
> Students and I will be building this with Mel the first weekend in April
>
> and the potters in the area will be invited to attend, watch and/or
> help. (clayarts too) We will build it in 2 days. We WILL build it in 2
> days. WE WILL BUILD IT IN 2 DAYS!
>
> Another thing...and Mel, i don't think you can talk me out of this one:
> using the miracle stuff (the name is at school-sorry) from
> Smith-Sharpe. It is 97% Zirconium and their answer to ITC. Richard
> Bresnahan has used it in his big honkin kiln of his, top, side walls,
> floor, shelves, you name it. Swears by it like Mel does ITC. I have
> used it now for 7 firings in my wood kiln...1/4 the price of ITC. ..had
> to because of my peanut budget. I sprayed parts of the interior and
> brushed other parts. We did the fire box and both chambers. First put
> it on only one side of my shelves. Now both sides. It's holding on
> tight so far even in the 2nd chamber which we salt. The wadding comes
> off the shelves easier than regular kiln wash. Regular kiln was is a
> thing of the past for wood kilns, I am convinced.
>
> I did an experiment (now I'm getting off the subject) in the wood kiln.
> took 6 inch "tiles" of fiber insulation soaked some in ITC, some in the
> Smith Sharpe stuff. put it up just behind the firebox in the first
> chamber at the joint where the wall and the arch meet. in fact at all
> the joints where the wall and arches meet. critical for enough
> insulation so that my angle iron does not weaken (even though the angle
> iron is imbedded only a tiny little bit with some insulation on top of
> the kiln. We left a tunnel for air next to the iron so it wouldn't over
> heat.) If I'd have known about ITC for metal at that time, I would have
> coated all the angle iron I used to tie the arches together. Lots of
> insulation up there. We want as much slow cooling as we can get.
>
> Towards the end of building, I learned about ITC for metal and used it
> on the grating system.. It's gonna last a long, long time! Some of the
> old timers (the ones that beat on their chest) who don't know about ITC
> told me my grate wouldn't last more than 2 firings even with ITC.
> showed them.
>
> Back to the MFT...
>
> I will be ordering materials next Monday and will check prices again of
> ITC stuff and the Smithe-Sharpe Zirconium stuff. I'm almost out of
> everything. Haven't priced any of it for 2 years. Hope no one from
> Smithe-Sharp reads this. don't want them to raise their prices. Hey
> Mel, didn't they change their name or is it still Smith-Sharpe. They
> are in St. Paul for those of you who want to know. I order shelves from
>
> them too.
>
> So, if any of you out there have experience with the MFT salt or soda
> kinda like I've described (not a car kiln) above please email me with
> what you like, dislike, or "if i had to do it over again...". on or off
> list. My goal: an easy to build and fire salt/soda kiln that will last.
>
> I recommend all of you new babes-in-clay to find yourself a mentor!
> Invaluable!!! I hope someday I can give at least half of what I have
> learned from mine!
>
> and still waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting on opening that wood kiln.
> can't even peek until tomorrow.
>
> take care,
> Karen Terpstra
> UW-L
> ps. did you see the Budwieser commercial during the Super Bowl
> yesterday? (the only reason I watch it) They had the annual commercial
> with the Budwieser Clydesdales. The horses were pulling a hitch through
>
> the beautiful country side of New York State, over the bridge on to
> Manhattan Island. Then, just on the edge of the City in a clearing, each
>
> horse kneeled on one front leg, lowered their heads to the ground and
> paused in front of the skyline in NY. It brought tears to my eyes! So
> moving... maybe only a horse lover would understand...
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