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u.p. wood kiln load #4

updated mon 12 sep 11

 

Eva Gallagher on fri 9 sep 11


Hi Gary - I just did my 4th wood firing in my kiln and I too stacked the
tail end with more shelves and pots to hold back the heat. I unloaded today
and it did not work - it was totally underfired - like not even a cone 6.
Worse than last time when I had mainly empty section with just a few shelve=
s
and pots. I think more mass requires more heat to heat up so I may be
slowing down the flame but it has to struggle to heat up all the mass. I
think making the flue smaller is better and I had also put in a kiln post
to do this - so perhaps the combination of the two did not work. I should
just change one parameter at a time.
Also in the middle I had all tall shino pots with no shelves and the bottom
of the pots were not melted, even though cone 10 on the floor had bent -
which must have been the effect of the ashes. However I did some tests with
cone 10 covered with upside down pots and a cone 10 outside exposed to the
ash - in both cases the cones matched so the ash does not sem to have too
much effect.
The first two sections mostly great results with some nice carbon trapping.
Eva Gallagher
Deep River, Ontario
http://newfoundoutpotter.blogspot.com/
http://www.valleyartisans.com/gallagher/Gallagher.htm

----- Original Message -----
From: "gary navarre"
To:
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 4:50 PM
Subject: U.P. Wood Kiln Load #4


So for starters I decided to start loading the tail sett
Hey Folks,

So for starters I decided to start loading the tail setting ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DujZ1bkZAvts

This load is starting out tighter like the first two firings and I used
someones suggestion about making the exit flue a bit smaller with a brick
2.5" high and a couple pots in the opening. Next will be figuring out how t=
o
set the 9" space between the tail and mid-tail settings. I'm hoping a
tighter load will trap more heat. Thanks for watching and stay in there eh.


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

gary navarre on fri 9 sep 11


So for starters I decided to start loading the tail sett=3D

Hey Folks,=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0So for starters I decided to start loading the tai=
l sett=3D
ing ...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3DujZ1bkZAvts=3D0A=3D0ATh=
is load is=3D
starting out tighter like the first two firings and I used someones sugges=
=3D
tion about making the exit flue a bit smaller with a brick 2.5" high and a =
=3D
couple pots in the opening. Next will be figuring out how to set the 9" spa=
=3D
ce between the tail and mid-tail settings. I'm hoping a tighter load will t=
=3D
rap more heat. Thanks for watching and stay in there eh. =3D0A=3D0A=3DA0=3D=
0AGary N=3D
avarre=3D0ANavarre Pottery=3D0ANavarre Enterprises=3D0ANorway, Michigan, US=
A=3D0Aht=3D
tp://www.NavarrePottery.etsy.com=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/GindaUP=3D0Ahtt=
p://=3D
public.fotki.com/GindaUP/=3D0A

gary navarre on sat 10 sep 11


What is the volume of your load chamber?

I'm go=3D

Thanks Eva,=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0What is the volume of your load chamber?=3D0A=3D0=
A=3DA0I'm go=3D
ing with the tighter tail setting and pieces with what I hope are the ^4-6 =
=3D
glazes & ^6-8 glazes in the mid-tail. Also I'm setting tighter bottom half =
=3D
and closer on top. In the last firing I got the flame up there but lose hea=
=3D
t through the open setting.=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0=3D0AGary Navarre=3D0ANavarre Pot=
tery=3D0ANav=3D
arre Enterprises=3D0ANorway, Michigan, USA=3D0Ahttp://www.NavarrePottery.et=
sy.c=3D
om=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/GindaUP=3D0Ahttp://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/=
=3D0A=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A________________________________=3D0AFrom: Eva Gallagher lla@MAGM=3D
A.CA>=3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG=3D0ASent: Friday, September 9, 2011 =
8:07=3D
PM=3D0ASubject: Re: [Clayart] U.P. Wood Kiln Load #4=3D0A=3D0AHi Gary - I =
just d=3D
id my 4th wood firing in my kiln and I too stacked the=3D0Atail end with mo=
re=3D
shelves and pots to hold back the heat. I unloaded today=3D0Aand it did no=
t =3D
work - it was totally underfired - like not even a cone 6.=3D0AWorse than l=
as=3D
t time when I had mainly empty section with just a few shelves=3D0Aand pots=
. =3D
I think more mass requires more heat to heat up so I may be=3D0Aslowing dow=
n =3D
the flame but it has to struggle to heat up all the mass.=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0My =
first =3D
firing, about 7 days, managed ^4 at the exit flue so it might have been the=
=3D
time the heat had to soak into the tail. I'll look at my notes to see when=
=3D
I hit which temperatures. I had a long slow warm up first firing. The seco=
=3D
nd was 5 days and OK, hot up front. The 3rd. was more open and I got nothin=
=3D
g, not even ^01.=3DA0 =3D0A=3D0A=3DA0I=3D0Athink making the flue smaller is=
better an=3D
d=3DA0 I had also put in a kiln post=3D0Ato do this - so perhaps the combin=
atio=3D
n of the two did not work. I should=3D0Ajust change one parameter at a time=
.=3D
=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0 About all I've done this time around is lag the stack in to=
16' 6=3D
"or8" from 14' so the draft should be stronger and tightened the tail setti=
=3D
ng. The better draft should take advantage of the extra air ports and expan=
=3D
ded mousehole I added to the Bourry box.=3D0A=3D0AAlso in the middle I had =
all =3D
tall shino pots with no shelves and the bottom=3D0Aof the pots were not mel=
te=3D
d, even though cone 10 on the floor had bent -=3D0Awhich must have been the=
e=3D
ffect of the ashes. However I did some tests with=3D0Acone 10 covered with =
up=3D
side down pots and a cone 10 outside exposed to the=3D0Aash - in both cases=
t=3D
he cones matched so the ash does not sem to have too=3D0Amuch effect.=3D0AT=
he f=3D
irst two sections mostly great results with some nice carbon trapping.=3D0A=
=3D
=3D0A=3DA0Might be the front is the hot spot and the keepers are pulled and=
und=3D
er fires brought forward into the melting zone or slathered with a lower te=
=3D
mp glaze for the mid ranges in the mid & tail settings.=3D0A=3D0AEva Gallag=
her=3D
=3D0ADeep River, Ontario=3D0Ahttp://newfoundoutpotter.blogspot.com/=3D0Ahtt=
p://ww=3D
w.valleyartisans.com/gallagher/Gallagher.htm=3D0A=3D0A----- Original Messag=
e --=3D
---=3D0AFrom: "gary navarre" =3D0ATo: t@LS=3D
V.CERAMICS.ORG>=3D0ASent: Friday, September 09, 2011 4:50 PM=3D0ASubject: U=
.P. =3D
Wood Kiln Load #4=3D0A=3D0A=3D0ASo for starters I decided to start loading =
the ta=3D
il sett=3D0AHey Folks,=3D0A=3D0ASo for starters I decided to start loading =
the ta=3D
il setting ...=3D0A=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D3DujZ1bkZAvts=3D0A=
=3D0AThis =3D
load is starting out tighter like the first two firings and I used=3D0Asome=
on=3D
es suggestion about making the exit flue a bit smaller with a brick=3D0A2.5=
" =3D
high and a couple pots in the opening. Next will be figuring out how to=3D0=
As=3D
et the 9" space between the tail and mid-tail settings. I'm hoping a=3D0Ati=
gh=3D
ter load will trap more heat. Thanks for watching and stay in there eh.