Wood fired kiln approaching reality

Last weekend I acquired some 200 firebricks - the ones displayed
he
http://photos1.blogger.com/img/53/19..._bricks-.1.jpg.

They were going to be used in a fire-place but never made it, so
I asked the uncle who had them whether he would mind parting with
them.

My original plan was to make a kiln along the lines of the one on
this site:
http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~lgru...kiln/kiln.html
and I have been here before asking for help and have been helped
considerably by those who have answered.

Now - the bricks I have got are not shaped like common house
bricks... they are shaped like 22x11x4cm or 8.7x4.3x1.6 inches.
If I build the Brisbane 250 with these, I'll get a fire chaber
and firebox of about 8 cm height or 3.2 inches high - not so
good.

If I switch height and width, apart from stability problems
(trying to balance 25 courses on 1.6 inches base...) I figure
I'll have problems with how thin the walls of the kiln will be.

Whatever happens, I don't have enough bricks to do anything right
at the moment.

One idea is to stand the bricks up on their thin side, and then
have another layer of bricks outside them to insulate. If I
cannot get other bricks, does anyone know a reason why I should
not use the stones which are sitting around in the garden? These
are big limestone blocks, some of which are squared and have been
used in the past as masonry. I don't think we'll be approaching
lime-kiln hot (but I don't actually know how hot lime kilns get,
although a first google search show 2,000F). Hmm answered my own
question there probably.

OK - so buy more bricks is the way to go. If I run out of the
fire bricks, does anyone have an idea where they should be put
and where it is not 100% necessary - I realise the whole kiln can
be made without firebricks, but since I have them, I would rather
they be used where there is high temperature.

I have not tried anything like this ever, I have not got a very
acute sense of planning in 3D (to the extent that following the
detailed plan course by course on the above mentioned web site
would have been a challenge), and I am not even sure whether I
can find suitable blocks with which to make a model and see what
I can do to maximise the benefit of the fire-brick gift.

I am willing to learn.

What would you all suggest?


Stelios
--

The address in the headers is real and does not need de-mungeing

Hi Stelios,

You might find the woodkiln list helpful. You can sign up
with it he

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodKiln/ or by sending a blank email
he



This is a nice design for a small kiln. I have something
similar in my back yard.

Your bricks are very red for high fired bricks. Are you
sure about what they are? If they are actually red house brick, you
could still use them to fire to earthenware temps.

The hottest part of the kiln is the firebox. Put your
highest duty brick there.

Good luck!

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG

http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!

On 3 Mar 2005 16:34:17 -0800, "Lee In Mashiko, Japan"
wrote:


Your bricks are very red for high fired bricks. Are you
sure about what they are? If they are actually red house brick, you
could still use them to fire to earthenware temps.

The hottest part of the kiln is the firebox. Put your
highest duty brick there.


The bricks are a little wet in the photo. They were purchased to
be used in building a fireplace. They are heavier duty than red
house brick.

Thanks for your info, I have had a look through all the links you
give in your sig, and am signing up to the woodkiln list.

Cheers,
Stelios
--

The address in the headers is real and does not need de-mungeing

Pretty similar to mine; very simple, and effective. I would use the
bricks as a hot face and back them with ordinary house bricks; Stone
from your garden or whatever could well blow on you!

Steve
Bath
UK


In article . com, Lee
In Mashiko, Japan writes
Hi Stelios,

You might find the woodkiln list helpful. You can sign up
with it he

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodKiln/ or by sending a blank email
he



This is a nice design for a small kiln. I have something
similar in my back yard.

Your bricks are very red for high fired bricks. Are you
sure about what they are? If they are actually red house brick, you
could still use them to fire to earthenware temps.

The hottest part of the kiln is the firebox. Put your
highest duty brick there.

Good luck!

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG

http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!


--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

I built a small version of Steve's kiln in my back yard while I was
doing my apprenticeship, to bisque work to go in my teacher's
noborigama. I could reach red heat in an hour (had to start with a
warming fire outside the firemouth to keep from blowing pots up.)

I noticed, Stelios, that the web page where your kiln plans are
says that it is a raku kiln.

One modification I would consider is making the firechamber a little
taller if you are going to fire to high fire temperatures. Steve,
can you share the link to your design?

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!

Of course http://www.mudslinger.demon.co.uk/web2

This gives a fair idea of how it's built.
I fire mine regularly to cones 10/12 with salt.

I have also now written a CD in Adobe Acrobat detailing the design which
I have been selling in the UK. When I can make the time (!!!!!!!!!!) I
intend to offer it for sale over the web.

Steve
Bath
UK


In article . com, Lee
In Mashiko, Japan writes
I built a small version of Steve's kiln in my back yard while I was
doing my apprenticeship, to bisque work to go in my teacher's
noborigama. I could reach red heat in an hour (had to start with a
warming fire outside the firemouth to keep from blowing pots up.)

I noticed, Stelios, that the web page where your kiln plans are
says that it is a raku kiln.

One modification I would consider is making the firechamber a little
taller if you are going to fire to high fire temperatures. Steve,
can you share the link to your design?

--
Lee in Mashiko, Japan http://potters.blogspot.com/ WEB LOG
http://claycraft.blogspot.com/ Photos!


--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

Thanks Steve!

Do you salt just because you like salt or to get complete
flashing coverage? I really can't salt in my main kiln, because I
bisque in it too. I have been thinking about rebuilding my little
kiln and using it to bisque. I don't bisque everything in the big
kiln, only the glazed work that I do layering and resist decoration
work on.


Lee In Mashiko, Japan

I use a style of salting taught me by French Potter/Sculptor Yves
Crespel who works in Brittany, using small pots of salt set in the kiln
with the wares, rather than throwing large quantities into the firebox,
this gives me subtle surfaces and flashing with ash deposit. I am not
interested in orange peel effects.

Steve
Bath
UK


In article .com, Lee
In Mashiko, Japan writes
Thanks Steve!

Do you salt just because you like salt or to get complete
flashing coverage? I really can't salt in my main kiln, because I
bisque in it too. I have been thinking about rebuilding my little
kiln and using it to bisque. I don't bisque everything in the big
kiln, only the glazed work that I do layering and resist decoration
work on.


Lee In Mashiko, Japan


--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

You can see a photo of my "gomigama" (gomi means garbage. I made the
little kiln out of broken brick.) It is closed up at the end of the
firing:

http://potters.blogspot.com/2004/02/blog-post.html

steve - by using the little buckets of salt do you not get the overall
kiln contamination that occurs when salt is dumped in later?

i have a batch of softbrick left over from my kiln build project & want
to make a little salt kiln one day.

i suppose i could make sagars to use salt in selected pieces in the
main kiln without messing things up too much.

see ya!

steve




Steve Mills wrote:
I use a style of salting taught me by French Potter/Sculptor Yves
Crespel who works in Brittany, using small pots of salt set in the
kiln
with the wares, rather than throwing large quantities into the
firebox,
this gives me subtle surfaces and flashing with ash deposit. I am not
interested in orange peel effects.

Steve
Bath
UK


In article .com,
Lee
In Mashiko, Japan writes
Thanks Steve!

Do you salt just because you like salt or to get complete
flashing coverage? I really can't salt in my main kiln, because
I
bisque in it too. I have been thinking about rebuilding my
little
kiln and using it to bisque. I don't bisque everything in the big
kiln, only the glazed work that I do layering and resist decoration
work on.


Lee In Mashiko, Japan


--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK