Centa Uhalde on thu 30 nov 06
Ok. So, if I don't convert the electric, what do people advise for a medium
size kiln for mid range soda firing? I've heard the cantanary (sp?) arch,
hard brick, updraft. Good brand names? Anyone in Bay Area California with a
used gas in good condition?
Thanks,
Centa
Hank Murrow on thu 30 nov 06
On Nov 30, 2006, at 7:39 AM, Centa Uhalde wrote:
> Ok. So, if I don't convert the electric, what do people advise for a
> medium
> size kiln for mid range soda firing? I've heard the cantanary (sp?)
> arch,
> hard brick, updraft. Good brand names? Anyone in Bay Area California
> with a
> used gas in good condition?
OK, Centa;
Having built several salt kilns, I feel somewhat qualified to offer a
few thoughts. I would avoid a catenary format, because the bag walls
will 'pinch' the flame at their tops causing early failure there,
spalling and growth of the bricks there causing the wall to pinch
tighter and tighter.
I would further advise a downdraft design for its atmospheric mixing
facility....... very important in a vapor-glazing kiln.
Hard brick will cost a lot of $$ in fuel, while soft brick will fail
much sooner. Mel has had good performance with fiber (at least in the
flat top). What I like to think of, is a base lined with fiber and
having replaceable cast panels for the hot face of the base (so repairs
are greatly facilitated), and an upper portion of fiber construction
(preferably a lifting design for its ease of stacking). Well, such a
design may be beyond your fabrication skills, and James Laub and I are
going to try it ourselves this winter. If you can't wait for a report
on this design, you might consider a flat top design using hard brick
in the burner and salting areas with soft brick in the less affected
areas. Perhaps Vince will clue us in concerning longevity on his little
kiln at A.C.C. I fired it to wonderful effect when I was there last
year. One last thought...... most folks build too large a kiln and one
really needs to fire often to learn quickly.
2 cents from Eugene OR, & Hank
www.murrow.biz/hank
Lee Love on fri 1 dec 06
Donovan Palmquist builds a modified flat top (same as a flat top, but
with an arch.) I fired the car soda kiln he built at Northern Clay
Center. It had a softbrick door and arch. Can't remember if the
interior was softbrick. He put a coating of ITC on the inside. I
want a kiln just like it. Will build one in Minneapolis, in time.
You can see an example here: http://www.dyannmyers.com/Kiln.html
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
"When we all do better. We ALL do better." -Paul Wellstone
Vince Pitelka on fri 1 dec 06
Lee Love wrote:
"> Donovan Palmquist builds a modified flat top (same as a flat top, but
> with an arch.) I fired the car soda kiln he built at Northern Clay
> Center. It had a softbrick door and arch. Can't remember if the
> interior was softbrick. He put a coating of ITC on the inside. I
> want a kiln just like it. Will build one in Minneapolis, in time."
Lee -
Donovan Palmquist is certainly one of the leading kiln designer/builders in
the US, but it is important to point out that ITC will serve as a
long-lasting barrier only in a fairly lightly-used IFB soda kiln. We have
learned by experience that heavy use will quickly degrade the ITC lining and
the IFB beneath. For a kiln that recieves heavy use, far better to build
with hard brick inside and IFB outside.
- 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/
craig edwards on sat 2 dec 06
Hello Vince and all: I was interested if you have tried to coat IFB with
anything else other than ITC? I have thinned down Greenpatch 421 and used it
as a coating on wood kilns, with pretty good results. I haven't used it in
salt kilns, so don't know if it will work or not. About thirty years ago my
wife worked at Burner Service and Combustion Controls, a commercial furnace
builder. I was able to get leftovers from some of their installations and
repair jobs. I was amazed at the number of refractory coatings, castables
etc that they used. One of the refractory engineers said they had about
20,000 different refactories to chose from. You would think that there is a
coating out there somewhere that would fit the ticket.
The best,
~Craig
>
> Lee -
> Donovan Palmquist is certainly one of the leading kiln designer/builders
> in
> the US, but it is important to point out that ITC will serve as a
> long-lasting barrier only in a fairly lightly-used IFB soda kiln. We have
> learned by experience that heavy use will quickly degrade the ITC lining
> and
> the IFB beneath. For a kiln that recieves heavy use, far better to build
> with hard brick inside and IFB outside.
> - Vince
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
Deborah Woods on sat 2 dec 06
I too am interested in converting an old electric to try soda firing. It
will be a starting kiln for trying this method, so probably not really
heavy use. So, my question is,what if the coating ( i forgot the
initials) does start to degrade, can't you just re-coat it when you notice
this? Isn't it a reasonable way to try soda firing with a kiln that is
not worth much money, then we could always build an appropriate kiln if we
decide we want to pursue this direction further? I have been thinking
about this for a while too and was planning on trying in the spring. OK,
while I may have someone's attention, how about this next question. If I
do pursue this, for a 7 cu.ft. kiln, what kind of burner and size tank do
I need to power this to cone 6? Assuming of course that you can soda at
cone 6, since that is what my usual body is anyway. Thanks.
Deborah Woods
madmudpottery
Lee Love on sun 3 dec 06
Donovan is a wizard. I haven't seen the soda kiln he built at NCC
in 6 years. Will see it next summer.
Peter Meanly in Ceramics TECHNICAL periodical #18 2004. wrote an
article and he found an effective coating in England/Scotland that is
used in the glass industry. It makes a glass coating on the bricks.
He also reported folks having similar luck with a shino glaze
coating on the bricks. Meanly tested with 500 firings.
Euan Craig has been firing a softbrick wood kiln with
soda for 2 or 3 years. He cleans the surface of the bricks by
scraping them every so often.
When I first land in the States, I will probably fire gas
and soda. My unglazed work in woodfire here in Japan is an
extension of my soda work back home. So it only makes sense.
--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan
http://potters.blogspot.com/
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." - Rumi
"When we all do better. We ALL do better." -Paul Wellstone
| |
|
