Ruth Caswell on thu 19 feb 04
Firstly, i am very new to this whole clay thing (I'm taking a Sculpture c=
lass in school, and this is my first year at it) but i am rapidly becomin=
g obsesed, particulalrly with wheel work.
This raises the question: What am i going to do when i'm out of school an=
d can't use their kilns anymore? I'm curious as to whether one can bisque=
fire clay (probably terracotta, as that's what i like to throw) in a woo=
d kiln.
I have to make it clear that i DON'T want to woodfire clay for any "woodf=
ired" effects. I don't want flashing, ash glazing, etc. I just want to be=
able to bisque fire my ware without begging some local potter to fire it=
for me. Nor do i want to raku stuff, as i'm aiming for complete usabilit=
y- i want be able to eat out of what i make, etc.
I have looked through the Clayart archives, but all the woodkiln stuff se=
ems to be about woodfiring for woodfried effects, which is exactly what i=
don't want.
If anyone does know how to bisque fire in a wood kiln, could they direct =
me towards plans for a SMALL wood kiln? I've checked out several, includi=
ng the one at http://www.gartside.info/woodkilnforbeginners.htm , and i p=
lan to check out a bunch of book titles i found in the archives. By small=
, i mean less than 10 bowls at a time size, probably more like 4 or 5 bow=
ls. Yes, i want something pretty tiny.
Also, does anyone know the suitability of douglas fir for woodfiring? we =
have that in excess.
i realize that this is a lot to ask, so thanks for any info.
Ruth Caswell
up and coming clay addict
"WORK IS LOVE MADE VISIBLE." =20
-KAHLIL GIBRANGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http:/=
/explorer.msn.com
Lee love on fri 20 feb 04
Ruth Caswell wrote:
>
>If anyone does know how to bisque fire in a wood kiln, could they direct me towards plans for a SMALL wood kiln? I've checked out several, including the one at http://www.gartside.info/woodkilnforbeginners.htm , and i plan to check out a bunch of book titles i found in the archives. By small, i mean less than 10 bowls at a time size, probably more like 4 or 5 bowls. Yes, i want something pretty tiny.
>
>Also, does anyone know the suitability of douglas fir for woodfiring? we have that in excess.
>
>
>
Ruth, you might look at the archives at :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/woodkiln/
Subscribe: WoodKiln-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
We've discussed many different types of small kilns there.
If you look here, I've put up the plans to my kiln, which would fit your
needs: http://potters.blogspot.com
If you go here, you can see that this kiln is good for both glazed and
unglazed work: http://www.livejournal.com/~togeika/
Fir should work fine. When you are not trying to get surface
ash effects and using a smaller kiln, the type of wood is not so critical.
With my kiln, you stoke below the grates to begin the firing.
The distance the flame has to travel to reach the ware is far away
enough not to have to worry about any heat shock breakage.
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.us "It seems to me what you lose
in mystery you gain in awe" -- Francis Crick
Hank Murrow on fri 20 feb 04
Dear Ruth;
The answer to your question is yes, you can bisque in a wood fire kiln.
I suggest that you look up references to both the Wright fast fire wood
kiln and the Olsen fast fire wood kiln (sometimes known as the fast
freddy). I know potters who fire in these with good results. They are
eschewed by those looking for flashing, because they are so efficient
and fast firing that such effects are minimised. Also, I reccommend
also that you look into Steve Harrison's books on wood fire, and
perhaps he too will respond to your questions on this forum.
When I was working at an art center in La Paz, Baja California, we
bisque fired in a simple updraft using downed cactus from the desert
around La Paz. As they began to use up the nearby supply of the fuel,
they realised they needed a more reliable supply of fuel, and I built
an oil fired kiln for them. They'll be back to cactus in another ten
years.......this I predict.
Cheers, Hank in Eugene
On Feb 19, 2004, at 4:54 PM, Ruth Caswell wrote:
> Firstly, i am very new to this whole clay thing (I'm taking a
> Sculpture class in school, and this is my first year at it) but i am
> rapidly becoming obsesed, particulalrly with wheel work.
>
> This raises the question: What am i going to do when i'm out of school
> and can't use their kilns anymore? I'm curious as to whether one can
> bisque fire clay (probably terracotta, as that's what i like to throw)
> in a wood kiln.
>
> I have to make it clear that i DON'T want to woodfire clay for any
> "woodfired" effects. I don't want flashing, ash glazing, etc. I just
> want to be able to bisque fire my ware without begging some local
> potter to fire it for me. Nor do i want to raku stuff, as i'm aiming
> for complete usability- i want be able to eat out of what i make, etc.
>
> I have looked through the Clayart archives, but all the woodkiln stuff
> seems to be about woodfiring for woodfried effects, which is exactly
> what i don't want.
>
> If anyone does know how to bisque fire in a wood kiln, could they
> direct me towards plans for a SMALL wood kiln? I've checked out
> several, including the one at
> http://www.gartside.info/woodkilnforbeginners.htm , and i plan to
> check out a bunch of book titles i found in the archives. By small, i
> mean less than 10 bowls at a time size, probably more like 4 or 5
> bowls. Yes, i want something pretty tiny.
>
> Also, does anyone know the suitability of douglas fir for woodfiring?
> we have that in excess.
>
> i realize that this is a lot to ask, so thanks for any info.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.
>
Barbara Kobler on fri 20 feb 04
For what it's worth, I know nothing about wood firing kilns. But I did attend a weekend with Brain Garthside and he made a small wood fire kiln in about 20 minutes. It blew my mind. If I were still in tne northeast and not an arizona desert I'd make one.
http://www.gartside.info/woodkilnforbeginners.htm
Barbara Kobler http://www.claywoman.net
David Hendley on fri 20 feb 04
Dear Ruth,
I hate to come across as completely negative un-encouraging, but I have
to tell it like it is. A wood-fired kiln in your situation is an absolutely
terrible idea. I can't think of any aspect of it that is appropriate for
what you want.
First of all, a wood-fired kiln the size of 10 bowls is not reasonable, if
it is even possible to build and use one that small.
You would spend all day firing a kiln to bisque fire 10 or fewer pieces,
a total waste of time that you would soon tire of.
For less than it would cost to build a wood kiln, you could buy an electric
kiln that would fire your pieces with the touch of a button. Each firing
would cost maybe 4 or 5 dollars for electricity. Is 8 hours of your time
to fire the kiln and another several hours to gather and prepare the wood
worth more than $5?
I don't think you realize how much it would cost and how long it would
take to build a kiln.
You can, indeed, bisque fire in a wood-fired kiln. I did so for about 5
years. It was a big pain because it was hard to start the fire slow
enough so it would not break the pieces. In the beginning all it takes is
one too many pieces of wood on the grate and the flame will lick the
pots and break them.
There were also inevitably a few pieces that ended up in a flame path
and were overfired by several cones.
Finally, when the kiln is unloaded, everything is covered with ashes.
Every pot has to be brushed off before it can be waxed and glazed.
You better believe that when I was offered an electric kiln I took it
and installed it, and have not done another wood-bisque firing since.
My kiln is based on one of the smallest designs for wood-fired kilns,
the Olsen Fast Fire kiln. I don't think you'll find a smaller one. It has
a firing chamber of about 28" X 24" X 40" high, way bigger than
what you want.
Best wishes,
David Hendley
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
Firstly, i am very new to this whole clay thing (I'm taking a Sculpture
class in school, and this is my first year at it) but i am rapidly becoming
obsesed, particulalrly with wheel work.
This raises the question: What am i going to do when i'm out of school and
can't use their kilns anymore? I'm curious as to whether one can bisque fire
clay (probably terracotta, as that's what i like to throw) in a wood kiln.
I have to make it clear that i DON'T want to woodfire clay for any
"woodfired" effects. I don't want flashing, ash glazing, etc. I just want to
be able to bisque fire my ware without begging some local potter to fire it
for me. Nor do i want to raku stuff, as i'm aiming for complete usability- i
want be able to eat out of what i make, etc.
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 21 feb 04
Dear Ruth Caswell,
I think this is similar to the one illustrated in The Craft of the
Potter by the late Michael Casson.
We built on at Whyalla College back in 1979 and they do work. You can
build and fire in an afternoon.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis. Redhill, South Australia
Lee love on sat 21 feb 04
David Hendley wrote:
>I hate to come across as completely negative un-encouraging,
>
To quote your own words David, some of us say "stupid things" about
galleries and others about wood firing. ;-)
>For less than it would cost to build a wood kiln, you could buy an electric
>kiln
>
>
It all depends upon the design of the kiln. My little
GomeeGama (garbage kiln, same design as Ruth shared) cost nothing to
build. I used old broken bricks and old shelves. If you look at the
photo, you can see the green moss on the bricks.
http://potters.blogspot.com
If you are only going to bisque in it, you can use house bricks (some
folks glaze fire with them too.)
At the minigama web site, you can see the method for bisque
firing with charchol on a Japanese charchol stove.
>Is 8 hours of your time
>to fire the kiln and another several hours to gather and prepare the wood
>worth more than $5?
>
I burnt scrap wood in the GomeeGama. Cost nothing, almost no
time to gather (saved me the time it would have taken to go to the
dump.) After preheating, fires to red heat in an hour. The amount
of wood required fit into a small wheel barrow.
Actually, if you are just bisquing, it wouldn't be difficult to
fire this design with a weed burner.
>In the beginning all it takes is one too many pieces of wood on the grate and the flame will lick the pots and break them.
>
Again, depends upon the design and using your head. You don't start
firing by putting wood on the grate, you begin with a fire outside of
the kiln. After that burns a bit, then you stoke below the grates
toward the front of the kiln. Because of the nature of the design,
this is very easy to do. A pyrometer is helpful too, espeically the
first couple times you fire the kiln.
Following these simple methods, I have never had any breakage
bisquing in my Euan Craig kiln design. I learned how to go slow in
the begining of the firing by watching Euan fire. Euan singled fires
with this design, which is actuallly requires the same type of care
during the begining of the firing as a bisque..
I encourage people to experiment. The Minigama guy bisques
pots and glaze fires them in a charchol stove. I've bisqued clay stamp
and other small things in my wood stove. Think outside the box!.
Lee In Mashiko http://Mashiko.us
"With Humans it's what's here (he points to his heart) that makes the
difference. If you don't have it in the heart, nothing you make will
make a difference." ~~Bernard Leach~~ (As told to Dean Schwarz)
wayneinkeywest on sat 21 feb 04
David:
I hate to break this to you, but i used to bisque in my woodstove.
Seems that one of the larger capacity woodstoves could do the trick
for Ruth.
Since I was gonna run the stove anyhow, seemed a shame not to use
the extra heat for something. Since it was a "barrel" stove, it had
the room. Couple pieces of all thread shoved from one side to the
other, and an old kiln shelf made room above the fire for the pots.
I do agree that bisque with an electric is far easier. Not nearly
as much fun, though.
Must be the pyromaniac in me :>)
Just a thought.
Wayne Seidl
> Dear Ruth,
> I hate to come across as completely negative un-encouraging, but I
have
> to tell it like it is. A wood-fired kiln in your situation is an
absolutely
> terrible idea. I can't think of any aspect of it that is
appropriate for
> what you want.
> First of all, a wood-fired kiln the size of 10 bowls is not
reasonable, if
> it is even possible to build and use one that small.
> You would spend all day firing a kiln to bisque fire 10 or fewer
pieces,
> a total waste of time that you would soon tire of.
>
> For less than it would cost to build a wood kiln, you could buy an
electric
> kiln that would fire your pieces with the touch of a button. Each
firing
> would cost maybe 4 or 5 dollars for electricity. Is 8 hours of
your time
> to fire the kiln and another several hours to gather and prepare
the wood
> worth more than $5?
> I don't think you realize how much it would cost and how long it
would
> take to build a kiln.
>
> You can, indeed, bisque fire in a wood-fired kiln. I did so for
about 5
> years. It was a big pain because it was hard to start the fire
slow
> enough so it would not break the pieces. In the beginning all it
takes is
> one too many pieces of wood on the grate and the flame will lick
the
> pots and break them.
> There were also inevitably a few pieces that ended up in a flame
path
> and were overfired by several cones.
> Finally, when the kiln is unloaded, everything is covered with
ashes.
> Every pot has to be brushed off before it can be waxed and glazed.
> You better believe that when I was offered an electric kiln I took
it
> and installed it, and have not done another wood-bisque firing
since.
> My kiln is based on one of the smallest designs for wood-fired
kilns,
> the Olsen Fast Fire kiln. I don't think you'll find a smaller one.
It has
> a firing chamber of about 28" X 24" X 40" high, way bigger than
> what you want.
>
> Best wishes,
> David Hendley
Vince Pitelka on sat 21 feb 04
> It all depends upon the design of the kiln. My little
> GomeeGama (garbage kiln, same design as Ruth shared) cost nothing to
> build. I used old broken bricks and old shelves. If you look at the
> photo, you can see the green moss on the bricks.
This discussion needs to come back to reality, and David Hendley tried to do
that. There is no way that bisque-firing in a wood-fired kiln will ever be
cost- or time-effective unless you live in a circumstance where there is
absolutely no other alternative. Electric kilns are very inexpensive to
purchase and to fire, considering what you get for your buck. One can also
take a burned-out electric kiln and convert it to gas very easily. Either
way, it will be a walk in the park compared to the time involved in firing a
wood-fired kiln. The ONLY reason to fire with wood is when one loves the
wonderful effects of wood-firing and/or when there is no alternative firing
method.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Office - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 x111, FAX 615/597-6803
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
Lee love on sat 21 feb 04
I reread Ruth's post and saw that she only requires a kiln big enough to
bisque 4 or 5 pots. I built a kiln similar to the one at the site
Ruth shared, except I did not use so many grate bricks, only a bar in
the front. I can't find the site that I copied from on the web. You
can see my little kiln that I built from junk bricks for bisquing
student work for my teacher's noborigama. The ware space is one kiln
shelf, 35cm by 40cm. I am thinking about building a half size
version of my main kiln for bisquing and experimental firing;
http://potters.blogspot.com
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.us "It seems to me what you lose
in mystery you gain in awe" -- Francis CrickLee In Mashiko http://mashiko.us
Lee love on sun 22 feb 04
wayneinkeywest wrote:
>David:
>I hate to break this to you, but i used to bisque in my woodstove
>
>
My wood stove is made of cheap metal, cost about $35.00 The stove
pipe is stainless and cost about $100.00 Euan told me these stoves
last about 2 years, but mine is going past its 4th year. When it
wares out, going to make my own out of some fire brick I have left
over from the kiln. Thought of building a multipurpose heating
stove/woodash stove/oven/mini-kiln. Should be more efficient, better
at holding heat than the tin woodstove.
Lee In Mashiko Lee@Mashiko.org http://Mashiko.us
"With Humans it's what's here (he points to his heart) that makes the
difference. If you don't have it in the heart, nothing you make will
make a difference." ~~Bernard Leach~~ (As told to Dean Schwarz)
Hendrix, Taylor J. on sun 22 feb 04
Ruth, dear:
DON'T LET DAVID HENDLEY DISSUADE YOU!
He poo-pooed my very first query on the list too. It was about castable
raku kilns. Well, I showed him and built my own raku kiln (no
castables).
You go right ahead and ignore what David told you. You build you a
small wood fired bisque kiln. Heck just get you about 10 bricks and
fire it with small pieces of balsa wood. Don't let his 30 plus (man he
must be old) years of experience intimidate you. That's just what them
fancy pants potters do: tell it like it is.
If you need someone to spell you at stoking so you can go inside and eat
yourself a sammich (or whatever), you just give me a ring [Waco BR549]
and I'll come a runnin.
It just really frosts me when people choose to stomp on naive exuberance
with care filled facts and suggestions.
Taylor, in Waco
p.s. Better listen to David; he knows a bunch of junk. Hehe. See what I
did there people? "Junk." Har har, I'm punny. Hep me Mama Lili! I
think I'm misfiring! Doh......ug.....my head hurts.
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG] On Behalf Of David
Hendley
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 8:39 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: Wood fired kiln questions
Dear Ruth,
I hate to come across as completely negative un-encouraging, but I have
to tell it like it is. A wood-fired kiln in your situation is an
absolutely
terrible idea. I can't think of any aspect of it that is appropriate for
what you want.....[excellent advise expunged]
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