Raku Kiln Construction

I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....

On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 19:54:03 GMT, mark wrote:

I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....


I'd suggest picking up a copy of Raku: A Practical Approach by
Steven Branfman and/or Raku Pottery by Piepenburg. Both include
plans.

deg

"Dave {Reply Address in.sig}" wrote in message
...
In message , mark wrote:

I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....

We've had success with Durox blocks. No need for fire cement or anything
like that. The size of kiln we used needed two burners to achieve a decent
temperature so it's not going to be as thermally efficient as some, but it
would get to 950C fairly easily.

http://www.ozonelouise.com/kiln250602a.jpg and
http://www.ozonelouise.com/kiln250602b.jpg

for a couple of pictures. It was easy to drill a hole for a thermocouple
(also visible in the second pic). Inside are three firebricks with a kiln
shelf on top. The burners can be seen going in low at the bottom, adjust
the gap between the two blocks forming the lid to give good burner
performance and airflow.

The kiln in the picture has survived numerous firings so far, the inner
surface of the blocks does degrade, especially those in the direct heat,
but it's still there and still works over a year later.

Dave
--
mail: da (without the space)
http://www.llondel.org/
So many gadgets, so little time...

Dave that 's a neat kiln I think that I would like to try something
similar but for reduction tell me some more about the Durox blocks cost and
where to acquire
Amber

a bunch of us here in southern california are using the "portable" raku kilns
and propane gas burners. a metal frame with cloth insulation - burner with
flex line to the 5 gallon bar-b-q proane tank. they are light weight and
travel well to various "raku party" sites.

we make the kilns from basically a chicken wire screen and line the inside with
the fiber cloth you can usually buy at your pottery supplier. the cloth is
held up inside the metal fencing via bisqueware buttons. the buttons are held
to the frame with nichrome wire. cut a small hole in the side and a small hole
on top somewhere. the burner shoots in the side, and the top is the low budget
flew hole.

put it on the ground and maybe have the pieces stacked on a kiln shelf. when
the pieces are ready you pick the kiln up by hand and move it aside. (really!
don't wear shorts or flip flops though...).

they work VERY well and i build mine complete for about $100 total.

see ya

steve





Subject: Raku Kiln Construction
From: mark
Date: 10/25/2003 11:54 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....










steve graber

On 26 Oct 2003 19:04:24 GMT, (Slgraber) wrote:

they work VERY well and i build mine complete for about $100 total.

You mean you didn't find it necessary to spend $50 and buy plans off
the internet? :-)

I probably spent about $100 for mine as well, though the fence pipe
and pulleys used to make a frame to lift the kiln may have cost me an
extra $20 or so. Building a raku kiln isn't rocket science. Shoot,
it's not even something that requires that you graduated from grammer
school. Do wear a mask when messing with ceramic fiber, make the
exhaust hole 1.5 times bigger in area than the burner hole, and,
while it looks cool to have flames shooting out the top, you really
don't want more than a few inches of flames coming out. Gas that
burns outside the kiln doesn't help heat your ware.

deg

http://www.bathpotters.co.uk follow the links for DIY Kilns and
Flatpack Kiln. Plans and information, all for free.


In article , mark
writes
I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....



--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK

In article , Steve Mills
writes
http://www.bathpotters.co.uk follow the links for DIY Kilns and
Flatpack Kiln. Plans and information, all for free.


In article , mark
writes
I would like to build my own kiln to use for Raku pottery.
Would like to know if anyone out there has any plans for one???
Any suggestions would be appreciated......
Thanks....



Yes indeed! I followed Steve's recommendations and built a small kiln,
but I used an old stainless steel beer barrel instead of an oil drum.
(Look round the back of any pub: there's usually a heap of empty
barrels, of all sizes.)

Best of luck

Jake Loddington, POULTON-LE-FYLDE, Lancs. UK