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step-down grate system in wood-fired kilns

updated thu 12 aug 10

 

Mike Arnold on mon 9 aug 10


I am curious whether anyone has used the step-down grate system
described in Dick Lehman's article "A New Approach To Long-Fire
Results." I want to employ this in the wood-fired kiln I am designing
but have been nearly unable to find any detailed pictures. Thanks!

--
Michael Arnold

http://idioart.blogspot.com

gary navarre on wed 11 aug 10


Hay Folks, Mike,

A couple folks suggested the step box to me too but I can't find any good =
drawings or construction photos showing it in use either so it has been dif=
ficult to give it further consideration for the time being. For now I'm mak=
ing the hobs on my Bourry wider to hold more log size fuel and increasing t=
he air under the mouse holes in the Bourry and Pig-nose. This setup is anot=
her way to get a long single firing alone with the last 24 hours or so bein=
g an all-nighter.

My concern was not a problem getting to ^13 in the front of the 9' long ch=
amber but getting the middle and tail hotter using different kinds of wood =
in the main stoke box, and in the side holes, and using the damper systems =
differently.

I had a reply concerning the step box in the last Hobagama post but my yah=
oo is screwing up and it got lost so thanks for bringing this part up Mike.=
If my repairs need redoing I might give some of the step features a try.

Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Navarre Enterprises
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://www.youtube.com/GindaUP
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/


--- On Mon, 8/9/10, Mike Arnold wrote:

> From: Mike Arnold
> Subject: [Clayart] Step-down Grate System in Wood-fired Kilns
> To: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Date: Monday, August 9, 2010, 8:22 PM
> I am curious whether anyone has used
> the step-down grate system
> described in Dick Lehman's article "A New Approach To
> Long-Fire
> Results." I want to employ this in the wood-fired kiln I am
> designing
> but have been nearly unable to find any detailed pictures.
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Michael Arnold
>
> http://idioart.blogspot.com
>