Simple Drip Burners

Drip plate burners work best in a hot kiln. The initial heating is best done with another fuel. In this case it's wood.

A simple drip plate burner can be made from  three pieces of  steel U channel. I hope that a simple spot weld will allow the channels to be repositioned as the bottom channel is eroded in the fire.

This is how the burners set into the firebox air intakes. The small pieces on top are brackets to hold the oil pipes.

Just off the shelf plumbing parts for this burner. A short 3/8" nipple is welded to the top bracket then to a 1/2" control valve, then to 3/4" supply pipe.

The supply pipes are connected at the top and the whole unit can be removed when firing with wood.

 When firing completely with oil I would need 45 to 55 gal. of oil. Since (in this case) I am only finishing off with oil, this small reservoir made from a half barrel will be more than enough.  Here a 1" pipe with a shutoff valve has been welded to the tank. When I am far enough away from the heat of the kiln 1" reenforced vinyl hose can be used. If you are not absolutely sure you will be below 150 deg. F then use flexible copper. Even if you are sure, keeping a cheap thermometer on the pipe would seem to be a good idea.  Remember every setup will be different and will require safety decisions made on the spot by you.  Dennis Parks in his book "A Potter's Guide To Raw Glazing And Oil Firing" recommends at least 10' between the oil reservoir and the kiln. I would recommend Parks' book to anyone interested in this process.

Well, I just had to include this nite time photo of the kiln, ready to go.

The Shape of the Day

Heat Work Blog November 12, 2013

Although the temperature is in the twenties tonight, the pottery is a balmy sixty degrees thanks to the communal efforts of potters Ron Deaver, Robbie Teasdale, and Clarence Hayes. Ron, master scavenger, supplied the “repurposed” foam insulation; Robbie spent long hours cutting and fitting it into the ceiling; and Clarence cut and helped nail the strips. So the potters are warm at last. The fact that there hands are always in water or cold clay, makes the heated work space kinder on the hands.

Clarence is going out this evening to rewire the electric kiln. Ten years old, the elements burnt up on the last bisque firing. Between the three potters, there are olive oil jars, many cups and tumblers, bowls, flower pots, bottles big and small, flasks, plates and candle holders for Christmas.

Art is not only the final product on the day the kiln opens. Art is the shape of the day for Robbie. He builds the fire when he arrives in the morning, and Clarence keeps it in the evening while he does his “second shift” after remodeling and building. Ron works before or after his third shift. Art is sometimes the place you go to find yourself. We anticipate the first firing, but for some time now, we anticipate the next leap in our imaginations and in our craftsmanship.

Bobtown Arts. Inc. became official this month, and there’s work to do in establishing it as a community pottery studio.

The sky is clear and the moon is sharp—maybe on such a night soon we’ll see flames from the kiln shooting up toward the stars.

Vicky Hayes

Scrounging

 Ware racks scrounged by Ron

As an observer, I pass the kiln several times a day on my way to feed the chickens or get the squash from the garden. A year has passed since the concrete slab was poured in 105 degree heat. Philip, Clarence, and Karin were out there in the heat leveling and sweeping the concrete. Little by little, bricks and mortar appeared. The first trip for bricks was a year earlier to Trish Browns in Salvisa, Kentucky. Philip brought bricks from one of his previous kiln projects, and Clarence and Philip made a pilgrimage to Olive Hill Brick works, a place that Clarence referred to as the beauty of the industrial age ruins.

Scavenging is one of Clarence’s most valuable pastimes. The iron for the frame came from a number of sources, old pieces of angle iron from old bed rails, iron from Philip’s stash and from Ron’s. Most importantly, the kiln has become a community effort. The first ware shelves were installed last week just opposite the massive hand building table that Clarence built. Early in the morning I sometimes look in to see what Ron has made before he heads for his night job.

Clarence spent a great deal of time reading kiln instructions, and though he had been involved in the building of kilns, this was his first one. Phillip brought extensive experience to the job.  It stands almost complete under the tin roof. Each night a few more bricks are added to the chimney and soon the door will go on the firebox. We greatly anticipate the first firing in mid-August. My hat’s off to the scroungers and the brick layers. I think they are driven by fire. Soon the flames will be shooting up into the sky and something new will come out of the furnace.

Vicky Hayes

Getting out of the weather

Finally we're getting a bit of roof over the kiln. We were lucky to get these odd pieces of metal. They may be several colors and odd shapes but we'll weave them together enough to keep dry.

This should make a nice platform for adding more chimney bricks.

Memorial Day

The grill's hot.  Folks are on their way.  We're thankful.

Making The Bourry Box Grate

I started with stainless steel pipe from the scrap metal yard. 1 1/2"  to 2" inside diameter pipe works best with standard firebrick.

Solid stainless bars would be better but that is a rare find. I filled these pipes with Lou cast 3000 and they will do just fine.

Bars are in and ready to go.

Capping

Finally we have started capping the arch. We made the mix from stuff we had laying about: fire clay, crushed soft brick, sand, old recycled castable and sawdust. We used portland at a rate of 1 part to 10 parts other material. 

We start with a layer of mix, then chicken wire and then another layer of mix.

Philip Wiggs and Hunter Smith smoothing the last coat of castable.

Hmm better be getting a roof over this thing soon.

Chimney Going Up

Beautiful late February day, mocking birds everywhere. We are using a lot of older and odd bricks on the chimney, saving the good ones for the door.

This is a better view of the chimney.

Below: Here we are recasting the lintel that spans the firebox door. The previous one was cast from some left over castable that we really didn't know much about. It was spalling after our recent hard freezes. Scrounging for materials is great. Every once in a while there's a surprise but that's just part of it.