Karen Mickler on wed 24 dec 97
Hi All,
A friend who is planning to build a wood kiln (somewhat like Ruggles and
Rankins with a modified fire box) asked me to submit these questions to the
list.
Please reply to:
Someone advised her to build it so she can stand in it. Other than for
ease of loading ware, does anyone have any experience they wish to share
regarding height?
With a 6ft height at the arch, is the minimum depth and width dimension at
least 5 ft?
Thanks a bunch and holiday blessings
Karen
Yellow Branch Pottery
Robbinsville, NC
Clennell on sun 28 dec 97
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi All,
>
>A friend who is planning to build a wood kiln (somewhat like Ruggles and
>Rankins with a modified fire box) asked me to submit these questions to the
>list.
>
>Please reply to:
>
>Someone advised her to build it so she can stand in it. Other than for
>ease of loading ware, does anyone have any experience they wish to share
>regarding height?
>
>With a 6ft height at the arch, is the minimum depth and width dimension at
>least 5 ft?
>
>Thanks a bunch and holiday blessings
>Karen
>Yellow Branch Pottery
>Robbinsville, NC
Dear Karen: I must say that after 20 years of wood firing I really think
your friends should build the Ruggles and Rankin kiln. It works, it's
proven. Don't modify the firebox copy the Rock Creek one, brick for brick.
I fired a dog of a wood kiln for 15 years. It beat me up sometimes like a
bout with Cassius Clay. In fact that was my name for the kiln (Cassius
Clay). It could sting like a bee and sometimes float like a butterfly. I
always went the 12 rounds with it. A friend of mine built the Rock Creek
kiln from notes in Studio Potter. Kiln fires very nicely. Don't try to
reinvent the wheel. Someone else already has and you get to build the kiln
and have pots reach temperature.
As for kiln chamber height being able to stand is a nice bonus. It seems
to me that the tall narrow chambers have a tendency to reduce. Perhaps the
gases get trapped up there with insufficient air for combustion.
If I lived in NC I'd boogie up the mountain and visit Will and Douglass.
They have worked hard at the wood fire game and would have some good
thoughts on their kiln design. Maybe they would suggest modifications?
Proportionate to the number of wood kilns around their kiln is being copied
about as much as Nils Lou MFT gas kiln.
Go with a proven work horse unless you have time to break in a wild one.
Long May Yer Chimney Smoke!
Sheila and Tony Clennell
Gleason Brook Pottery
Box l0, RR#2,
Wiarton, Ontario
NOH 2TO
Canada
Phone # 1 (519) 534-2935
Fax # 1 (519) 534-0602
E-mail clennell@bmts.com
Dave Eitel on tue 30 dec 97
>I must say that after 20 years of wood firing I really think
>your friends should build the Ruggles and Rankin kiln. It works, it's
>proven. Don't modify the firebox copy the Rock Creek one
A friend of mine built the Rock Creek
>kiln from notes in Studio Potter. Kiln fires very nicely. Don't try to
>reinvent the wheel. Someone else already has and you get to build the kiln
>and have pots reach temperature.
For what it's worth, I think Will and Douglass also built the wood kiln at
Penland. You might ask around to find out how well that one fires, too.
Dave Eitel
Cedar Creek Pottery
Cedarburg, WI USA
http://www.cedarcreekpottery.com
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