=?iso-8859-1?q?Iben=20Vedel?= on wed 25 aug 04
Hello all.
We are 2 women thinking of making a small long wood-kiln, based on information we have from a Norwegian lady who made this kiln in her garden in Norway, she says it's a combination of the way a bourry-box and a Anagama kiln is buildt.
We are living in Belgium, and have now found out that there are different kind of refractory bricks, also, if we want to use salt ( which we want to do at the end of the firing ) we have to use again another kind of brick.
My questions are:
*What experience do you have with high density bricks?
*How many different kinds of bricks do you use in your kilns?
*Is there somehow that, when making small kilns, you can substitute some of the bricks with insulation fiber? ( We ask because the refractory bricks we can get here cost between 3- 5$/Euros pr.PIECE........and we need 1200!?)
*What experience do you have with long small kilns?
I am aware that in your countries the bricks have other names and might react differently and I will take that into account.
Thanks. ':)))))
Iben Vedel
*Brussels_where the Pots do their fire dance and the glazes run Wild* ivedel@yahoo.com
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*Brussels_where the Pots do their fire dance and the glazes run Wild* ivedel@yahoo.com
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Logan Oplinger on thu 26 aug 04
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 10:37:52 +0100, =?iso-8859-1?q?Iben=20Vedel?=
wrote:
>Hello all.
>
>We are 2 women thinking of making a small long wood-kiln, based on
information we have from a Norwegian lady who made this kiln in her garden
in Norway, she says it's a combination of the way a bourry-box and a
Anagama kiln is buildt.
>We are living in Belgium, and have now found out that there are different
kind of refractory bricks, also, if we want to use salt ( which we want to
do at the end of the firing ) we have to use again another kind of brick.
>
>My questions are:
>*What experience do you have with high density bricks?
>*How many different kinds of bricks do you use in your kilns?
>*Is there somehow that, when making small kilns, you can substitute some
of the bricks with insulation fiber? ( We ask because the refractory bricks
we can get here cost between 3- 5$/Euros pr.PIECE........and we need 1200!?)
>*What experience do you have with long small kilns?
>
>I am aware that in your countries the bricks have other names and might
react differently and I will take that into account.
>Thanks. ':)))))
>Iben Vedel
Dear Iben,
Hello and welcome to Clayart. The following website is for a potter in the
U. S. A. who has a kiln similar to what you have described.
http://home.bluemarble.net/~gkschatz/index.htm
If you contact Mr. Schatz through his e-mail address, he may be able to
give you more details about his kiln and firing process.
Another website which provides information about several potters who wood
fire and salt glaze can be found at:
http://sidestoke.com/
With respect to the firebrick you are looking for, most hard firbrick can
be used in a salt kiln, except in the area where the salt is put into the
kiln. This is usually through the firebox, and sometimes through openings
or ports in the side of the kiln. Here the firbrick must be of a type that
has a high alumina content, usually above 60%. These firebrick are more
expensive, but they will survive much longer than ordinary firebrick. For
the rest of your kiln, ordinary hard firebrick can be used. After the kiln
is built, these firebrick can be painted with a thin mix of kaolin and
alumina. The alumina helps resist the effects of salt fumes.
If possible, try and find used or surplus firebrick. You may get lucky and
find some where an old factory is being torn down, or where a new factory
has some surplus firebrick they want to sell. Also, sometimes firebrick
manufactures or suppliers will have a type of firebrick that they no longer
make, but will still have some in stock they may sell at a reduced price.
Used firbrick can be used in the chimney as this is the part of the kiln
that does not get as hot as the rest of the kiln.
Some potters have successfully built wood fired salt glaze kilns
using "castable refractory". This is a material similar to concrete, but
able to withstand very high temperatures (2400 deg. F. or 1300 deg. C.).
Some of these castables have a very high alumina content, and can be used
where the salt will be put into the kiln. This may be an alternative for
you to consider.
About ceramic fiber insulation. In your kiln you want to use high density
firebrick in all areas that will be exposed to high heat and salt fumes.
High heat and salt fumes will quickly destroy ceramic fiber insulation.
The ceramic fiber can be used as a backup insulation on the outside of the
kiln to reduce heat loss.
Please continue doing your research, especially reading books on salt
glazing and kiln building.
Two good books on kiln building are:
"Kiln Building" by Ian Gregory; and "The Kiln Book, Materials,
Specifications and Construction" by Frederick Olsen.
Some books on salt glazing are:
"Salt-Glazing, Ceramics Handbook Series" by Phil Rogers; "Salt-Glaze
Ceramics" by Rosemary Cochrane; and "Salt-Glaze Ceramics" by Janet
Mansfield.
You can also find information in the Clayart archives about salt glazing,
anagamas, kiln building, refractories, etc. Just go to the following
website and enter your search words in the dialog box:
http://lsv.ceramics.org/scripts/wa.exe?S1=clayart
Other Clayart members who have more experience in kiln building and salt
glazing should also respond to your inquiry with more detail.
If I have made any mis-statements, I stand corrected.
Good luck.
Logan Oplinger
Another Tropical Island
steve harrison on fri 27 aug 04
Hi Iben Videl in belgium,
After reading your post below, I think that you may be interested in my
books on wood firing.
You can can get an overview from the Ian Currie web site at the URL
below.
Best wishes
Steve Harrison
Hot & Sticky Pty Ltd
5 Railway Pde
Balmoral Village
NSW 2571
Australia
http://ian.currie.to/sh/Steve_Harrisons_books.html
On Wednesday, August 25, 2004, at 07:37 PM, Iben Vedel wrote:
> Hello all.
>
> We are 2 women thinking of making a small long wood-kiln, based on
> information we have from a Norwegian lady who made this kiln in her
> garden in Norway, she says it's a combination of the way a bourry-box
> and a Anagama kiln is buildt.
> We are living in Belgium, and have now found out that there are
> different kind of refractory bricks, also, if we want to use salt (
> which we want to do at the end of the firing ) we have to use again
> another kind of brick.
>
> My questions are:
> *What experience do you have with high density bricks?
> *How many different kinds of bricks do you use in your kilns?
> *Is there somehow that, when making small kilns, you can substitute
> some of the bricks with insulation fiber? ( We ask because the
> refractory bricks we can get here cost between 3- 5$/Euros
> pr.PIECE........and we need 1200!?)
> *What experience do you have with long small kilns?
>
> I am aware that in your countries the bricks have other names and
> might react differently and I will take that into account.
> Thanks. ':)))))
> Iben Vedel
>
>
>
>
> *Brussels_where the Pots do their fire dance and the glazes run Wild*
> ivedel@yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!
>
>
> *Brussels_where the Pots do their fire dance and the glazes run Wild*
> ivedel@yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun!
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
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>
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>
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>
>
Ivor and Olive Lewis on fri 27 aug 04
Dear Iben Vedel,
You ask about Bricks and intend firing with Salt (Sodium Chloride)
My suggestion is to consider the composition of the bricks. Choose
those with a low free silica content, low Iron content and a high
alumina content.
I built a firing chamber in a 50 gallon Oil Drum. I lined the drum
with a ramming mixture of kaolin and alumina mixed in about equal
parts with about 10 % Portland Cement and made a lid from refractory
concrete. the chamber was about 35 cm diameter but it was a good kiln
for testing clays for salt glaze.
Hope you have a lot of fun.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
S. Australia.
Gary Navarre on mon 30 aug 04
Iben,
I'm wondering if this design of adding a hob firebox, some people call it
a Boury-box, I like to call it a hob, in front of the Anagama kiln is
similar to the Hobagama I'm rebuilding here in Upper Michigan, U.S.A.. In
addition to the hob, which actually was not vary large, I added a pignose,
some call it an Aburi, others call it a pignose. It's purpose is to make
pre-heating easier so it can be done over a longer time allowing less
constant attention in the beginning. I have fired the main chamber to past
Quartz conversion with the pignose, switching fire to the hob for the last
24hr.. I think the dementions of the hob inside were 2'x2'x3'. If my memory
serves me again the interior ledge held wood cut to 32". The kiln was about
30 cuft. but after taking it apart the condition of the floor told me I
could have easily fired 50 cuft.
As to high heat duty firebrick, ya the alumina should predominate. They
tend to be tan/brown or lighter with chunks of high fired grog in a dense
body, an average standard size brick will weigh about 7 1/2 lb.(K I don't
know). One of my potter friends, Bruce Dibboll in Ann Arbor, found some
super high alumina brick that weighed about 9 lb. In your "scorunging" also
look for the larger blocks, their length can help span the throat arch,
although I am looking at arching the inlet flue as seen in some shots of
Japanese kilns I've found surfing links in Clayart.
Cost seems considerably less here. Although I still have about 1000 I've
scrounged in storage I got impatient and bought a pallet of 456 standard
size 2700 degree brick for $1.05ea. Ordering by the pallet is best and
you'll need about 4. Make sure the sales person understands you need a brick
with a heat survice higher than your working tempeture. They will also tend
to resist the caustic ash. The higher the heat duty the less the ash affects
them. However, I paint a thin coat of alumina hydrate/kaolin on all
furniture and shelving. Sooner or later though, you'll get goobers drooping
on some pots and that can make an acceptable result. If not keep refiring
the piece till it looks does cool.
What I can do is send you a drawing I made in Paint off line unless I
figure out how to get it of my files into yahoo photos. Seems I figured a
out how to make a link of some sort for stuff in there. Keep us posted on
your progress and stay in there!
Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, U.S.A.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Iben Vedel"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 4:37 AM
Subject: Bricks to use for woodkiln.
> Hello all.
>
> We are 2 women thinking of making a small long wood-kiln, based on
information we have from a Norwegian lady who made this kiln in her garden
in Norway, she says it's a combination of the way a bourry-box and a Anagama
kiln is buildt.
> We are living in Belgium, and have now found out that there are different
kind of refractory bricks, also, if we want to use salt ( which we want to
do at the end of the firing ) we have to use again another kind of brick.
>
> My questions are:
> *What experience do you have with high density bricks?
> *How many different kinds of bricks do you use in your kilns?
> *Is there somehow that, when making small kilns, you can substitute some
of the bricks with insulation fiber? ( We ask because the refractory bricks
we can get here cost between 3- 5$/Euros pr.PIECE........and we need 1200!?)
> *What experience do you have with long small kilns?
>
> I am aware that in your countries the bricks have other names and might
react differently and I will take that into account.
> Thanks. ':)))))
> Iben Vedel
>
>
>
>
> *Brussels_where the Pots do their fire dance and the glazes run Wild*
ivedel@yahoo.com
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