mel jacobson on fri 24 jun 05
we dropped cone 12 at 5 this morning.
about 30 hours. we had a few issues with one bundle of
ammish wood. it was wet. we flew back over there and
hunted up a couple of silver bundles. that worked...mixed
cedar and pine. we had two bundles of oak that worked. kurt
of course had his pile of kiln dried walnut and cherry...now
that just blew up in the kiln.
colleen and donovan ran the project. people stayed up all night..
about 8 of them. on and off helpers. we did not rush..just let
the kiln have its way. it was a steady climb. it is big...for
sure. and wet. when we had some heavy weather we just put
in a couple of burners/propane...and the gang took a break.
did not lose temp/and burned up the ash. so we know that
works. now donovan is working up plans for an oil drip/wood/
gas attachment. he is always thinking...and we are not stuck
on wood only. we want heat. how we get there is always open
for suggestion.
old people were careful not to get caught up in the frenzie
of wood fire. our day was 98F/breeze and high humidity. so
folks got tired fast. no one lost it...and started screaming
obscenity. they just got after it. great women. heidi haugen
was a real trooper...susan, collen just kept at it. and the
best news...the chain saw worked the entire 30 hours.
so, all in all it is a queen of a kiln. very pretty, smart
and works well. pix will be coming this week.
i have to get on my home compuer to get at the website.
the kiln site is clean, picked up and tool have been put away.
nice. we are happy.
mel
--
CoreComm Webmail.
http://home.core.com
Vince Pitelka on fri 24 jun 05
> now donovan is working up plans for an oil drip/wood/
> gas attachment. he is always thinking...and we are not stuck
> on wood only. we want heat. how we get there is always open
> for suggestion.
Mel -
It seems that this is becoming a new way of thinking. Some people have
fired wood kilns with an ethic that excluded the use of preheat burners, and
I'm not sure that's such a sensible approach in the evolving tradition of
wood firing. It makes good sense to create a hybrid multi-fuel kiln that
produces the effects you want. Charity Davis Woodward and Peg Malloy are
here at the Craft Center right now doing a wood-firing workshop, and we
normally use gas burners for preheat, but they are also planning to use the
burners for a cooling soak after reaching temperature. Oil drip seems an
especially good idea on a wood kiln, once the heat is already present.
- 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/
bonnie staffel on sun 26 jun 05
In the late 80's when the option of building a wood kiln at the Campbell
Folk school became a reality, I did a lot of research on how the kiln could
function at a school with one week classes which included making pots and
finally having a wood fire. So I proposed that gas burners were to be
included in the plans for a two chamber kiln. Tracy Dotson was our
designer. Sometimes it is difficult to alter the "norm" of wood kilns as
built in the southeast but the plan was approved. That kiln was built by an
Elderhostel class of eager senior citizens of which more than half were
women. So many times, the purists do not want to change what has "always"
worked, but I am glad to hear about so many innovations in the design and
function of the wood kiln.
When I first moved to Charlevoix to open our studio here in the 60's I
invited my good friend, Floy Shaffer, to come up. One of the things we were
working on was alternate fires so we dug a hole in the side of a hill, built
a tiny kiln with a pipe smoke stack. Put in our little test pieces of clay
and fed that baby kiln with wood, for hours. Never could get the
temperature up so wound up cooking some hot dogs for our supper. We sure
knew nothing about the principles of wood firing, but learning through
mistakes seemed to be my mantra in those days. We weren't afraid to try
anything that had to do with clay and fire. There are so many adventures in
clay still to be experienced.
Regards,
Bonnie Staffel
http://webpages.charter.net/bstaffel/
http://vasefinder.com/bstaffelgallery1.html
Charter Member Potters Council
Hank Murrow on tue 28 jun 05
On Jun 28, 2005, at 6:31 PM, Lee Love wrote:
>
> I agree, using burners on a woodkiln because of inferior design or a
> lack of respect for the kiln isn't the way to go, but burners can be
> used for creative purposes too. For example, I built ports into my kiln
> with "Hank's cool down and holding method" in mind. I will put oil drip
> burners in the ports eventually. I cannot cool down to 1000*C and start
> firing with wood again, because this would create ash that wouldn't
> melt. So cooling down and then holding with oil burners is a creative
> solution to the problem.
Dear Lee;
I had some real success with drip type oil burners when I was studying
at the U of Oregon. In fact, they were the subject of my terminal
report for the MFA. I wound up using a small cast iron plate with a
highly restricted air supply, which caused a big drop in pressure where
the oil was vaporizing. This drop in Pressure had the collateral and
beneficial effect of lowering the boiling point of the oil from 575F to
below 325F. The kiln fired off in 12 hours and 10 Gallons of stove oil.
No smoke even on startup.
I imagine this type of burner would suit your situation well.
Cheers, Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
Susan Nebeker on tue 28 jun 05
I wouldn't presume to speak for Mel, but I believe he was speaking in regards to our own unique experience at Hay Creek- not making value judgments against wood firers as "inflexible traditionists".
Donovan's kiln is an absolute thing of beauty, a work of art.
He is an amazing talent, that guy...........
Susan Nebeker
Pollywog Pottery
Tony Ferguson wrote:
Mel,
I am not sure your intention on your statement "stuck on wood...we want heat."
Heat is not an issue if the kiln is built and fired properly. Personally, I have no problem being stuck or not stuck on wood but far too many people build wood kilns that do not reach temperature or lack a fairly even top to bottom, back to front because of poor design or impatience in learning how to fire wood. Personally, I also have no problem getting heat and I also did not achieve my desired outcome the first, second, or third firing--it is a process. I think attachments are a great idea, but please don't generalize wood firers as inflexible traditionalists who can't get or maintain temperature.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
Tony Ferguson on tue 28 jun 05
Mel,
I am not sure your intention on your statement "stuck on wood...we want heat."
Heat is not an issue if the kiln is built and fired properly. Personally, I have no problem being stuck or not stuck on wood but far too many people build wood kilns that do not reach temperature or lack a fairly even top to bottom, back to front because of poor design or impatience in learning how to fire wood. Personally, I also have no problem getting heat and I also did not achieve my desired outcome the first, second, or third firing--it is a process. I think attachments are a great idea, but please don't generalize wood firers as inflexible traditionalists who can't get or maintain temperature.
Remember, wood kilns came before gas kilns, and it is a very different process than firing a Minnesota flat top which may include at times not having the readily available heat a gas kiln would provide--it is also these nuances that produce a uniqe firing and glaze effect and teach people really the understanding of the process of firing, oxydation, neutral and reduction. As much as I am "the end justifies the means" in terms of aesthetics, I still operate with the idea that if your going to build low-tec, make sure it works and then consider modifying it to contemporary standards with alternative add ons. Everybody wants everything fast, now. "The complete guide to getting 15 day wood firing effects in 1 day." Be patient, listen to the kiln and yourself, learn its curves, its form, how it breathes. "I am going to put a jet fuel atomizing burner on my kiln and fly it to Canada."
--a short story: when I was in living in korea I was invited to help wood fire a very large anagma kiln with side chambers. I thought "This is going to be it man." I learned that Japanese had kidnapped 500 Koreans which resulted in the Koreans improving the Japanese kiln technology resulting in them achieving the higher temperatures they were unable to prior. I thought "I am going to learn from the horses mouth." This traditional hybrid kiln was very beautful--nice brick work, long with side chambers for loading on the sides. Everything was going well, people were smiling, stoking, the usual joy of wood firing. And then I noticed around the higher temps tires were thrown into into the fire box...and then garbage. I thought, "wow, they don't waste anything around here and wow look at those chemicals fly into their air." Then they brought out this huge pipe thing and put it just ouside the front firemouth hole of the anagama. Then they hooked up a blower to it. I thought "You
got to be kiddin me...I came all this way to see a blower put on the front end of an anagama...oh,. man!" I knew that if a kiln can't reach temp on its own, its not built or fired properly and that, from an engineering standpoint, is or should be an embarassment. Now lest I make an assumption, what these guys were doing I think was speeding the kiln up because of the party (or should I say because they wanted to party) and yet I left the firing feeling disappointed. I come from a family of engineers, mechanics, construction workers. My blue collar upbringing says "build it right the first time, if not, rebuild it till you get it right."
Tony Ferguson
Tony Ferguson
...where the sky meets the lake...
Duluth, Minnesota
Artist, Educator, Web Meister
fergyart@yahoo.com
fergy@cpinternet.com
(218) 727-6339
http://www.aquariusartgallery.com
http://www.tonyferguson.net
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
Hank Murrow on wed 29 jun 05
On Jun 29, 2005, at 8:41 AM, Lee Love wrote in answer to Hank:
> Hank Murrow wrote:
>
>> I imagine this type of burner would suit your situation well.
>>
> Got any drawings? My ports are two bricks (narrow face) in size. I can,
> of course, fill in to make the space smaller.
The width is no problem, but you would have to block off the bottom
half or more during the soak to get my system to work. It depends upon
reducing the area of the port in order to speed up the air coming in
which lowers the vapor pressure of the oil.
>
> I've wondered if I could fit cut down pieces of kiln shelf into brick
> to
> make the ladders. I would close off the stoke doors which are usually
> left open, when using the side oil ports.
If it were me, I would cast the 'burners' out of refractory castable
and make them thick enough to almost fill the port. The piece should
have a short 'wall'around the periphery to contain the oil, and a very
slight taper towards the firebox. You could slide them in after the
firing, and at the soak time, start the oil drip. You would need a
separate feed to each burner.
I don't have digital files on these, but will see if I can find and get
the pics scanned. Where do you want me to put them up?
Cheers, Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
Edwards on wed 29 jun 05
Tony Ferguson wrote:
>--a short story: when I was in living in korea I was invited to help wo=
od fire a very large anagma kiln with side chambers. I thought "This is =
going to be it man." I learned that Japanese had kidnapped 500 Koreans w=
hich resulted in the Koreans improving the Japanese kiln technology resul=
ting in them achieving the higher temperatures they were unable to prior.=
I thought "I am going to learn from the horses mouth." This traditiona=
l hybrid kiln was very beautful--nice brick work, long with side chambers=
for loading on the sides. Everything was going well, people were smilin=
g, stoking, the usual joy of wood firing. And then I noticed around the =
higher temps tires were thrown into into the fire box...and then garbage.=
I thought, "wow, they don't waste anything around here and wow look at t=
hose chemicals fly into their air." Then they brought out this huge pipe=
thing and put it just ouside the front firemouth hole of the anagama. T=
hen they hooked up a blower to it. I tho!
> ught "You
>
> got to be kiddin me...I came all this way to see a blower put on the fr=
ont end of an anagama...oh,. man!" I knew that if a kiln can't reach tem=
p on its own, its not built or fired properly and that, from an engineeri=
ng standpoint, is or should be an embarassment. Now lest I make an assum=
ption, what these guys were doing I think was speeding the kiln up becaus=
e of the party (or should I say because they wanted to party) and yet I l=
eft the firing feeling disappointed. I come from a family of engineers, =
mechanics, construction workers. My blue collar upbringing says "build =
it right the first time, if not, rebuild it till you get it right."
>
>Tony Ferguson
>
>
> =20
>
Hello Tony: I was saddened when I read about your Korean wood firing expe=
rience. On June 15-16 I was at a wood firing in Icheon, South Korea. I f=
eel that I should somehow come to the defense of Korean wood firing.=20
The potters that fired the 7 chambered climbing kiln were nothing short o=
f amazing. They handled the big fire with great skill and confidence. Tem=
peratures and atmospheres were achieved with ease, and in ways that were =
incredibly insightful. No tires or garbage-- long pine for the side stoke=
that were split with a hand ax. I am in awe of their skill and learne=
d a great deal from them. They were very warm and generous with sharing t=
heir skills. They have heart!!=20
There were many rituals that I didn't understand. My friend Myoung-ju wa=
s with me and she was able explain some of the superstitions, spirits etc=
=2E and help with the language.=20
With our modern outlook that is so scientific and logical--some things ge=
t lost. Watching them fire, I realized just how much.=20
I hope that this will somehow balance our perception of the Korean potter=
=2E
Take care, make good pots, and all will be well,
~Craig
=20
Lee Love on wed 29 jun 05
Tony Ferguson wrote:
>I am not sure your intention on your statement "stuck on wood...we want heat."
>
>
Tony, some people build a woodkiln just to build a woodkiln. For others,
it is a way of life. The commitment shows up in the work.
I agree, using burners on a woodkiln because of inferior design or a
lack of respect for the kiln isn't the way to go, but burners can be
used for creative purposes too. For example, I built ports into my kiln
with "Hank's cool down and holding method" in mind. I will put oil drip
burners in the ports eventually. I cannot cool down to 1000*C and start
firing with wood again, because this would create ash that wouldn't
melt. So cooling down and then holding with oil burners is a creative
solution to the problem.
>Heat is not an issue if the kiln is built and fired properly. Personally, I have no problem being stuck or not stuck on wood but far too many people build wood kilns that do not reach temperature or lack a fairly even top to bottom, back to front because of poor design or impatience in learning how to fire wood. Personally, I also have no problem getting heat and I also did not achieve my desired outcome the first, second, or third firing--it is a process. I think attachments are a great idea, but please don't generalize wood firers as inflexible traditionalists who can't get or maintain temperature.
>
>
What I find interesting is people who build anagamas and then either
fire all glazed ware in it and/or have to add salt to effect the
surface. The anagama part just seems to be a marketing tool. But we all
have our pet peeves.
Reaching temperature is important, but temperature variation is
acceptable if you are willing to met the kiln half-way and put things in
areas at the kiln's request. If you see the kiln as a partner and not
just another tool in your bag of tricks, the kiln will teach you.
>party) and yet I left the firing feeling disappointed. I come from a family of engineers, mechanics, construction workers. My blue collar upbringing says "build it right the first time, if not, rebuild it till you get it right."
>
I am blue-collar too. But I see the bigger problem, not the use of
"inferior tools" but rather, inappropriate use of tools. Often, we try
to use a screw driver like a hammer.
Woodkiln list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodKiln/
--
Lee Love
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://hankos.blogspot.com/ Visual Bookmarks
http://ikiru.blogspot.com/ Zen and Craft
About the best pots:
"They are not necessarily amenable to intellectual analysis,
and, in fact, that analysis can destroy a person's real
appreciation and understanding of a piece."
-- Warren MacKenzie
Lee Love on thu 30 jun 05
Hank Murrow wrote:
>
> I imagine this type of burner would suit your situation well.
>
Got any drawings? My ports are two bricks (narrow face) in size. I can,
of course, fill in to make the space smaller.
I've wondered if I could fit cut down pieces of kiln shelf into brick to
make the ladders. I would close off the stoke doors which are usually
left open, when using the side oil ports.
--
Lee Love
in Mashiko, Japan http://mashiko.org
http://hankos.blogspot.com/ Visual Bookmarks
http://ikiru.blogspot.com/ Zen and Craft
About the best pots:
"They are not necessarily amenable to intellectual analysis,
and, in fact, that analysis can destroy a person's real
appreciation and understanding of a piece."
-- Warren MacKenzie
Lee Love on thu 30 jun 05
On 2005/06/30 3:47:34, hmurrow@efn.org wrote:
> I don't have digital files on these, but will see if I can find and get
> the pics scanned. Where do you want me to put them up?
Thanks Hank! I will send you an email address that will post them at
the photolog.
Lee In Mashiko, Japan
| |
|
