Randy McCall on wed 1 mar 06
I was thinking about building a small wood kiln similar to the one in the
January/Feb Clay Times. I wanted to build it two or three times the size in
the magazine using about 400 bricks??. Also wanted to be able to salt it.
I have Frank Colson, and Nils books. I can get wood fairly cheap to fire it
here. Also wanted to use ITC to coat the inside based on Mels suggestion
for the small flat top in his salt kiln.
Any suggestions about the types of brick or any other advice?
I have always been fascinated with look of wood fired and salt fired
pottery. Hard work firing a kiln is not an issue as I cut wood to heat my
home every year.
I don't think I will ever be satisfied making pottery in an electric even
though I know you can get great stuff out of it.
Suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Randy
Pottery Web Site
members.tripod.com/~McCallJ/index.html
South Carolina
David Hendley on fri 3 mar 06
Randy, I consider the kiln in the magazine article a temporary
kiln built for having a little fun doing a wood firing. To me it is not
a serious kiln that you would use and learn from for a long time.
I mean, come on, the walls are 2 1/2" thick - if you bumped it hard
the whole thing might fall over. The chimney is held together
with bailing wire (no duct tape in the design as far as I can tell).
It will fire tremendously un-evenly.
Nothing wrong with any of that, but it is what it is. If you make
it 2 or 3 times larger you are investing a lot more money and
effort in to what is essentially a fun little exercise.
If you want a permanent kiln, forget the whole design - that's
not what it is.
If you want a salt kiln, use hard bricks, not insulating bricks
coated with ITC - they will fail within a couple of dozen firings.
If you can get wood "fairly cheap" that is not cheap enough
for a wood kiln - you need a free or "dirt cheap" wood supply.
Just my opinions after 15 years of wood firing,
David Hendley
Old Farmhouse Pottery
david@farmpots.com
http://www.farmpots.com
----- Original Message -----
>I was thinking about building a small wood kiln similar to the one in the
> January/Feb Clay Times. I wanted to build it two or three times the size
> in
> the magazine using about 400 bricks??. Also wanted to be able to salt it.
> I have Frank Colson, and Nils books. I can get wood fairly cheap to fire
> it
> here. Also wanted to use ITC to coat the inside based on Mels suggestion
> for the small flat top in his salt kiln.
> Any suggestions about the types of brick or any other advice?
Gary Navarre on sat 4 mar 06
Hay Crew,
Ya Randy, I agree with David although I haven't seen the article I'd take
his word for it. Slow down and think wood firing through and think of
nothing else and it will come. I started learning what heat did to clay with
wood in camp fires and short burning barrels. You still have road houses
down there with barrels on either end and the doors wide open? Are you in
the Carolina Pines? If ya know how to trim trees you could get desent bucks
to groom Pines in estates. Kinda like getting paid to cut your own stoaking
wood. Stick around and stay in there!
G in da U.P.
http://public/fotki.com/GindaUP/
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