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koye ash cooker w/rebuild

updated wed 11 aug 04

 

Gary Navarre on mon 9 aug 04


Hay Crew,
I think I might have this figured out how to post the photos I made of
the Jerry Rigged ash cooker I'd written about last month. After I made
the album I came across some 12x6x3 Empires and rebuilt the cooker.
Those shots are the last 4 pics. So far I've collected about 2.5 gal.
dry ash from +/- 200lbs. Red Pine brush. Other plant material can be
processed in a similar manner thereby controlling the content.
Lets see if I can give y'all the address:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/navarreenterprises/album?.dir=/9606

Try that, I typed it in my address bar and got it. If it works thank
Chris Clyburn for stearing me in a better direction.
The other day I was looking through an old box of photos and found the
workshop shots I took when Koie was at W.M.U. in Kalamazoo years ago but
I don't have a slide/negative scanner so this interpretation will have
to do. Hope someone can use information.
Just when the reading is getting good I might have to put the posts on
hold for a while so I can cut some Cedar oil brush and make some money.
I got a palette of fire brick from Miller's in Iron Mountain to rough in
the kiln and shouldn't be spending 5-8 hr. a night weeding through your
posts but I'd hate to miss something. Now I understand what a labor of
love this must be for our moderators.
Have fun, stay in there!

G. in da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, U.S.A.

Gee, I didn't know somebody named a town in Florida after me and I ain't
even dead yet. Thanks! How's that kiln coming along anyway?

Brant Palley NMCLAY.com on tue 10 aug 04


Can you explain what you are cooking, and why? This looks like a great way
to make ribs, but wrong fuel.

Brant

Gary Navarre on tue 10 aug 04


Brant inquired:

> Can you explain what you are cooking, and why? This looks like a great way
> to make ribs, but wrong fuel.
>
> Brant

Brant,
Royje Koie demonstrated this device during a workshop at Western
Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan in the early '90's for making
specific organic ashes. As opposed to burning material in the driveway
on a calm day or getting "mixed" ashes from the neighbors wood stove,
this "cooker" slowly smolders the material from the bottom up to
preserve all the ash including the finest particles which he claimed
help produce Chun type glazes. A textual explanation I've written is
in the Clayart archives. Search my name to reference the Koie ash
cooker. I would not recommend using this for ribs or baking bread,
that would be too much of a distraction, that's why someone makes
Webber's. I was "cooking" Red Pine brush from slash left after
logging.
I hope you can use this idea. You can make it smaller to suit your
needs. I would use any hard refractory brick, house brick will crack
and Insulators could also chip. You'll need lots of the raw material
so common plants are suggested. I'm looking at patches of Tansy,
Mullen, all sorts of stuff that grows wild. For example, if I could
attend the Naked Truth I thought of bringing back a trailer load of
Midwest ditch weed to see what that ash looks like. Boy would that be
some explaining to do, "Well, ya see Officer, I'm a potter and wanna
see what color the ash makes". Probably would skip jail and take me
back to the hospital. Anyway, good luck to ya and stay in there!

G. in da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, U.S.A.