Vince Pitelka on sat 30 oct 04
> I have the opportunity to pick up a gas kiln formerly
> used for glass blowing at a local mine. I have posted
> photos of it that I took today for your review:
Dear Robin -
You are not going to like what I have to say, but I don't want to see you
expend a lot of effort for poor results. This is a hot-tank - a
glass-melting furnace. That is what it was designed and built for, and that
is what it should be used for, because it is not remotely similar to any
pottery kiln. Hot tanks are very expensive to build, and someone needing
one will pay good money for this furnace.
I cannot imagine it will be worth your while to transport and rebuild this
thing as a potter kiln. The ONLY part of this kiln that might be able to be
used on a pottery kiln is the burner, and it is doubtful that it would be
adequate to fire a kiln with an interior space any larger than this melt
furnace. There is no reason at all to use the bottom "glass pot" section,
because you would be better off simply building a flat base of firebrick,
which would be cheap. But by the time you have rebuilt the "beehive" to a
larger size, you will have built a whole new kiln, so why not build one to a
better design?
Sorry for the bad news, but I don't want to see you embark on a folly.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
robin mcgregor on sat 30 oct 04
Hi all,
I have the opportunity to pick up a gas kiln formerly
used for glass blowing at a local mine. I have posted
photos of it that I took today for your review:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/loveofclay/album?.dir=/54e7&.src=ph&.tok=ph6Is.BBF7iOiDyE
I need to get this passed by the fire department
(reallllly strict here), so essentially I need to come
up with some kind of plan to move it and rebuild it
(larger at the same time).
The bottom appears to be cast iron, inside looks like
a smelting crucible. The beehive top is just fiber
with wire holding it in place, so it shouldn't be a
big deal to rebuild it larger. The framing for the
venting looks like it will suffice as a shed.
Thanks in advance,
Robin McGregor
=====
http://www.virginiacityantiquephonographmuseumpotsonthecomstock.com
Virginia City Antique Phonograph Museum/
Pots on the Comstock
Virginia City NV
Gary Navarre on sun 31 oct 04
"robin mcgregor"
Sat, October 30, 2004 6:12 pm wrote:
Hi all,
I have the opportunity to pick up a gas kiln formerly
used for glass blowing at a local mine.
Thanks in advance,
Robin McGregor
Robin and Crew,
Glad ya showed good pictures, good idea. That's a vary nice looking
glass furnace however I'm sure others will agree it was never a pottery
kiln. If you do intend to make glass it might be worth repairing. If you
want to build a kiln find firebrick or order a pallet from the nearest
refractory representative.
G. in Da U.P.
Navarre Pottery
Norway, Michigan, USA
NicolR on tue 2 nov 04
I believe Vince is on the right track. As I also blow glass, and would
suggest that you either sell it to a hot glass head or barter it to one.
Say -- what are the odds that you would be passing through eastern
Pennsylvania in the near future?
Bob - bemoaning the fall of the gorgeous leaves (that I now have to move).
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On Behalf Of robin
mcgregor
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 7:13 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Need help from kiln gurus
Hi all,
I have the opportunity to pick up a gas kiln formerly
used for glass blowing at a local mine. I have posted
photos of it that I took today for your review:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/loveofclay/album?.dir=/54e7&.src=ph&.tok=ph6Is
.BBF7iOiDyE
I need to get this passed by the fire department
(reallllly strict here), so essentially I need to come
up with some kind of plan to move it and rebuild it
(larger at the same time).
The bottom appears to be cast iron, inside looks like
a smelting crucible. The beehive top is just fiber
with wire holding it in place, so it shouldn't be a
big deal to rebuild it larger. The framing for the
venting looks like it will suffice as a shed.
Thanks in advance,
Robin McGregor
=====
http://www.virginiacityantiquephonographmuseumpotsonthecomstock.com
Virginia City Antique Phonograph Museum/
Pots on the Comstock
Virginia City NV
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robin mcgregor on wed 3 nov 04
Hi Vince, Bob, and others who have responded,
In the shed where the kiln is stored, on the wall, are
a few firing schedules. Looks liked they reached about
2400 degrees. It seems to me it would be an
inexpensive way to go (big factor for me) and reach
temp. I fire to c.5.
Am I missing something here?
Robin (in Virginia City NV where it's snowing like
crazy)
-----------------------------------------------------
I believe Vince is on the right track. As I also blow
glass, and would
suggest that you either sell it to a hot glass head or
barter it to
one.
Say -- what are the odds that you would be passing
through eastern
Pennsylvania in the near future?
Bob - bemoaning the fall of the gorgeous leaves (that
I now have to
move).
-----Original Message-----
From: Clayart [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of robin
mcgregor
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2004 7:13 PM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Need help from kiln gurus
Hi all,
I have the opportunity to pick up a gas kiln formerly
used for glass blowing at a local mine. I have posted
photos of it that I took today for your review:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/loveofclay/album?.dir=/54e7&.src=ph&.tok=ph6Is
.BBF7iOiDyE
I need to get this passed by the fire department
(reallllly strict here), so essentially I need to come
up with some kind of plan to move it and rebuild it
(larger at the same time).
The bottom appears to be cast iron, inside looks like
a smelting crucible. The beehive top is just fiber
with wire holding it in place, so it shouldn't be a
big deal to rebuild it larger. The framing for the
venting looks like it will suffice as a shed.
Thanks in advance,
Robin McGregor
=====
http://www.virginiacityantiquephonographmuseumpotsonthecomstock.com
Virginia City Antique Phonograph Museum/
Pots on the Comstock
Virginia City NV
____________________________________________________________________________
=====
http://www.virginiacityantiquephonographmuseumpotsonthecomstock.com
Virginia City Antique Phonograph Museum/
Pots on the Comstock
Virginia City NV
Earl Brunner on wed 3 nov 04
Yeah, you are missing the good advice of knowledgeable people who say it won't work very well for what you want and that there are better options both for you and the peice of equipment.
robin mcgregor wrote:Hi Vince, Bob, and others who have responded,
In the shed where the kiln is stored, on the wall, are
a few firing schedules. Looks liked they reached about
2400 degrees. It seems to me it would be an
inexpensive way to go (big factor for me) and reach
temp. I fire to c.5.
Am I missing something here?
Robin (in Virginia City NV where it's snowing like
crazy)
-----------------------------------------------------
I believe Vince is on the right track. As I also blow
glass, and would
suggest that you either sell it to a hot glass head or
barter it to
one.
Say -- what are the odds that you would be passing
through eastern
Pennsylvania in the near future?
Bob - bemoaning the fall of the gorgeous leaves (that
I now have to
move).
Earl Brunner
e-mail: brunv53@yahoo.com
Vince Pitelka on wed 3 nov 04
> In the shed where the kiln is stored, on the wall, are
> a few firing schedules. Looks liked they reached about
> 2400 degrees. It seems to me it would be an
> inexpensive way to go (big factor for me) and reach
> temp. I fire to c.5.
> Am I missing something here?
Robin -
Yes, apparently you are. The truth is that this furnace is not a ceramics
kiln, is nothing like a ceramics kiln, was not intended to be a ceramics
kiln. It has no place to stack kiln shelves, inadequate interior volume,
inadequate burner for a larger firing chamber, there is no outlet flue to
regulate atmosphere, and as it is designed now, the burner would impact
directly on the ware with no place to put a bag wall (flame deflection
wall).
You are trying to talk yourself into thinking that this thing will be worth
your time and effort. You have some very experienced people trying to save
you a lot of trouble and headache. Listen to them.
Celebrate your surroundings. I love Virginia City. I became fascinated by
the Comstock Lode when I was just a child, and had read everything available
about it by the time I was an adult. How do you happen to be in Virginia
City?
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
robin mcgregor on thu 4 nov 04
Hi Vince (and all)
Thanks for your patience with me. I am just soooo
desperate to do some reduction firings (working on the
fire dept for permission to do raku). Pit is out till
I can find a level place to fire up my weber grill.
as far as putting shelves,that was why I was thinking
about rebulding the beehive top to be larger. I'm sure
i can recycle the frame for the exhaust to use for the
start of an outdoor shed for firing. The owners are
anxious to get it out of their shed, and have offered
it to me for free. I'm thinking I may even be able to
just use the base for my raku kiln to make the fire
dept happy. we'll see how difficult this will be to
move and store (and yes, perhaps trade or sell to a
glass blower).
as far as being in virginia city, this was the only
western location to start a business that my husband
and i could agree on. I needed seasons. a small town
with high tourism and a downtown area where we could
live and work on the same piece of property. we bought
a building on "c" street with a magical view that i
see when i'm throwing (empty lot across the street -
yay!)the magic here has already touched me, evidenced
in new work i am producing, that i am very happy with.
yesterday one of the local rock hunters took me out to
a spot right on the highway to reno where i collected
both red and yellow iron oxide. my goal is to
eventually only use porcelain and local clays.
thanks again all,
robin
> In the shed where the kiln is stored, on the wall,
are
> a few firing schedules. Looks liked they reached
about
> 2400 degrees. It seems to me it would be an
> inexpensive way to go (big factor for me) and reach
> temp. I fire to c.5.
> Am I missing something here?
Robin -
Yes, apparently you are. The truth is that this
furnace is not a
ceramics
kiln, is nothing like a ceramics kiln, was not
intended to be a
ceramics
kiln. It has no place to stack kiln shelves,
inadequate interior
volume,
inadequate burner for a larger firing chamber, there
is no outlet flue
to
regulate atmosphere, and as it is designed now, the
burner would impact
directly on the ware with no place to put a bag wall
(flame deflection
wall).
You are trying to talk yourself into thinking that
this thing will be
worth
your time and effort. You have some very experienced
people trying to
save
you a lot of trouble and headache. Listen to them.
Celebrate your surroundings. I love Virginia City. I
became
fascinated by
the Comstock Lode when I was just a child, and had
read everything
available
about it by the time I was an adult. How do you
happen to be in
Virginia
City?
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological
University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
=====
http://www.virginiacityantiquephonographmuseumpotsonthecomstock.com
Virginia City Antique Phonograph Museum/
Pots on the Comstock
Virginia City NV
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