Claudia MacPhee on tue 29 nov 11
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful and interesting ideas. I think I =
=3D
will try it in my kiln. Maybe no aspen in the firing as it is the heavy ash=
=3D
generator. I glaze the insides and maybe an inch or two of the outsides of=
=3D
most of
my pots. The ones in the front go in naked because there is so much ash the=
=3D
re. Thinking I might use my regular clay in the front and put the cone 6 st=
=3D
uff on the shelves. Should be an easy day with a full night's
sleep to fire that way......
And Mike=3D2C if you have wood pile envy you should see the 'bush wood' w=
e =3D
have easy access to. Both my husband and I have free permits to cut 25 cord=
=3D
s. Per year! It is right across the road from our house too. Lots of it=3D=
20
is spruce that local firefighters have nick named 'gas on a stick'. Doesn't=
=3D
look like much but packs a wallop of energy. We use wood to heat our house=
=3D
=3D2C cook with=3D2C heat our greenhouses=3D2C sauna and workshops. And fir=
e the =3D
pots.
I couldn't answer these posts last night as we had a power outage that la=
=3D
sted from 9 pm until 3 am. Glad I wasn't firing an electric kiln at the tim=
=3D
e. They always say a squirrel or Raven was committing suicide when they hap=
=3D
pen.
The local view is that they keep a couple of fried squirrels in their freez=
=3D
er to pull out as an excuse every time it happens.=3D20
Gary=3D2C have you tried to pack lighter in the front and then side stoke=
t=3D
o temp in the back? Works for me. I had cone 11 melted in the back the last=
=3D
firing using the 'flamethrower' technique of side stoking. Or you could bu=
=3D
ild a kiln like mine...
doesn't have an arch but fires excellently and is user friendly for us old =
=3D
folks....
Claudia MacPhee Tagish=3D2C Yukon
www.paintedbyfire.blogspot.com
=3D
gary navarre on tue 29 nov 11
Ya Claudia, I think I've found a front setting pattern that will pull the h=
=3D
eat up toward the crown. It is more open on top and through the middle but =
=3D
tight along the bottom with cone 12 Porcelain. Into the load the bottom rem=
=3D
ains tighter and the top more open until we reach the fairly tight tail. I =
=3D
closed off the exit flue with 2.5" fire brick and three larger pots. My las=
=3D
t firing was the most open all around and I didn't get to any significant t=
=3D
emperature. The first firing was the tightest and the front got ^14 but the=
=3D
tail was still only ^4 and all my glazes were ^10 so I still have a lot of=
=3D
re-fires.=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0I have three side stoke holes with soaps as grate =
bars s=3D
o I can stoke a dozen thin sticks at a time. Do you have any demonstration =
=3D
shots of the flamethrower stoking in action? Maybe I'm over stoking the sid=
=3D
e holes? Also, I think I could have started side stoking to soon instead of=
=3D
letting the front heat soak it's way into the load and not wear myself out=
=3D
side stoking.Well I'm sure it's been more than that so I hope the changes =
=3D
I made (larger Bourry box, more air, & taller stack)=3DA0 make for an effic=
ie=3D
nt firing this time.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0The fuel is going to be different i=
n that n=3D
ot much Poplar or Balsam except for the warm up since I already have it cut=
=3D
. After the first few hundred degrees I'll switch to mostly Maple, Ironwood=
=3D
,=3DA0 Tamarack, and a little Spruce. I still have to do a bisque first bec=
au=3D
se there are raw pots scattered around the load and the post wadding needs =
=3D
cooking.=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0I've been working with this kiln design since I=
got the=3D
idea back in the early '70's and the 30cu'ft. mid '80's version fired quit=
=3D
e well until the divorce in '90. Almost everything I made has another home =
=3D
somewhere near Kalamazoo. If I ever had a chance to re-build I figured I'd =
=3D
make it bigger and easier to load from the side instead of through the Bour=
=3D
ry box. I have converted an electric to wood but I don't think my lower bac=
=3D
k would like loading from the top into a long box anymore. I am finding thi=
=3D
s 60cu.ft. kiln would be much better for a couple of younger potters who wa=
=3D
nt to make some money. All ya gotta do is figure out how to fire the darn t=
=3D
hing. It's not that damn complicated. After this firing it will be coming d=
=3D
own and I don't plan on building another unless I can spend someone else's =
=3D
money and they do all the work.=3D0A=3D0AThanks for refreshing my mind on w=
hat =3D
I might do in the next firing and stay in there eh.=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0=3D0AGary=
Navarre=3D
=3D0ANavarre Pottery=3D0ANavarre Enterprises=3D0ANorway, Michigan, USA=3D0A=
http://w=3D
ww.NavarrePottery.etsy.com=3D0Ahttp://www.youtube.com/GindaUP=3D0Ahttp://pu=
blic=3D
.fotki.com/GindaUP/=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A=3D0A________________________________=3D0=
A From: Cl=3D
audia MacPhee =3D0ATo: Clayart@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG =
=3D0A=3D
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 11:27 AM=3D0ASubject: Re: [Clayart] Cone 6=
W=3D
ood?=3D0A =3D0A=3DA0 Thanks to everyone for all the helpful and interestin=
g idea=3D
s. I think I will try it in my kiln. Maybe no aspen in the firing as it is =
=3D
the heavy ash generator. I glaze the insides and maybe an inch or two of th=
=3D
e outsides of most of=3D0Amy pots. The ones in the front go in naked becaus=
e =3D
there is so much ash there. Thinking I might use my regular clay in the fro=
=3D
nt and put the cone 6 stuff on the shelves. Should be an easy day with a fu=
=3D
ll night's=3D0Asleep to fire that way......=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0 And Mike, if you=
have wo=3D
od pile envy you should see the 'bush wood' we have easy access to. Both my=
=3D
husband and I have free permits to cut 25 cords. Per year!=3DA0 It is righ=
t =3D
across the road from our house too. Lots of it =3D0Ais spruce that local fi=
re=3D
fighters have nick named 'gas on a stick'. Doesn't look like much but packs=
=3D
a wallop of energy. We use wood to heat our house, cook with, heat our gre=
=3D
enhouses, sauna and workshops. And fire the pots.=3D0A=3D0A=3DA0 I couldn't=
answe=3D
r these posts last night as we had a power outage that lasted from 9 pm unt=
=3D
il 3 am. Glad I wasn't firing an electric kiln at the time. They always say=
=3D
a squirrel or Raven was committing suicide when they happen.=3D0AThe local=
v=3D
iew is that they keep a couple of fried squirrels in their freezer to pull =
=3D
out as an excuse every time it happens. =3D0A=3D0A=3DA0 Gary, have you trie=
d to p=3D
ack lighter in the front and then side stoke to temp in the back? Works for=
=3D
me. I had cone 11 melted in the back the last firing using the 'flamethrow=
=3D
er' technique of side stoking. Or you could build a kiln like mine...=3D0Ad=
oe=3D
sn't have an arch but fires excellently and is user friendly for us old fol=
=3D
ks....=3D0A=3D0AClaudia MacPhee Tagish, Yukon=3D0Awww.paintedbyfire.blogspo=
t.com
Eva Gallagher on tue 29 nov 11
I also think that the spruce being so slow growing up where you are,
probably is extra dense and so may have even more pitch than normal? I was =
a
bit disappointed with the red pine that I used in my last firing - I don't
think it worked as well as the white pine. It did not seem to burst into
flames quite as fast as the white pine, but then the white pine had bark an=
d
the red very little. Have not had enough spruce to try, but will cut some
next year.
Eva Gallagher
Deep River, Ontario
http://newfoundoutpotter.blogspot.com/
http://www.valleyartisans.com/gallagher/Gallagher.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Claudia MacPhee"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 12:27 PM
Subject: Re: Cone 6 Wood?
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful and interesting ideas. I think I
will try it in my kiln. Maybe no aspen in the firing as it is the heavy ash
generator. I glaze the insides and maybe an inch or two of the outsides of
most of
my pots. The ones in the front go in naked because there is so much ash
there. Thinking I might use my regular clay in the front and put the cone 6
stuff on the shelves. Should be an easy day with a full night's
sleep to fire that way......
And Mike, if you have wood pile envy you should see the 'bush wood' we
have easy access to. Both my husband and I have free permits to cut 25
cords. Per year! It is right across the road from our house too. Lots of i=
t
is spruce that local firefighters have nick named 'gas on a stick'. Doesn't
look like much but packs a wallop of energy. We use wood to heat our house,
cook with, heat our greenhouses, sauna and workshops. And fire the pots.
I couldn't answer these posts last night as we had a power outage that
lasted from 9 pm until 3 am. Glad I wasn't firing an electric kiln at the
time. They always say a squirrel or Raven was committing suicide when they
happen.
The local view is that they keep a couple of fried squirrels in their
freezer to pull out as an excuse every time it happens.
Gary, have you tried to pack lighter in the front and then side stoke to
temp in the back? Works for me. I had cone 11 melted in the back the last
firing using the 'flamethrower' technique of side stoking. Or you could
build a kiln like mine...
doesn't have an arch but fires excellently and is user friendly for us old
folks....
Claudia MacPhee Tagish, Yukon
www.paintedbyfire.blogspot.com
Mike on wed 30 nov 11
Claudia,
Yea, serious bush wood envy. You both really have it made there for your
fuel supply. I'll be that spruce is full of pitch. We used to have a big
one in front of our house in Santa Fe that was sticky with the stuff.
Here, if I want rocket fuel wood, I have to sort through old house
bones. The old red pine beams really pack the calories but they are
murder to split. Twisted and knotty. And sometimes a hidden nail that
the chainsaw always seems to find. So I mostly fire with Douglas Fir
beam cutoffs from a wood mill. Less calories but far easier to split and
handle.
I think you have the right idea putting the beefy clay in front and the
cone 6 toward the rear, it's worth trying at least once.
So, spill the beans on the flamethrower method of sidestoking...
Mike
Mike
in Taku, Japan
http://karatsupots.com
http://karatsupots.blogspot.com
Workshop in Taku 2012: The Simple Teabowl, May 12 - 18
http://karatsupots.com/workshop2012/2012home.html
http://workshopintaku2012.blogspot.com/
(2011/11/30 2:27), Claudia MacPhee wrote:
> Thanks to everyone for all the helpful and interesting ideas. I think=
I will try it in my kiln. Maybe no aspen in the firing as it is the heavy =
ash generator. I glaze the insides and maybe an inch or two of the outsides=
of most of
> my pots. The ones in the front go in naked because there is so much ash t=
here. Thinking I might use my regular clay in the front and put the cone 6 =
stuff on the shelves. Should be an easy day with a full night's
> sleep to fire that way......
>
> And Mike, if you have wood pile envy you should see the 'bush wood' we=
have easy access to. Both my husband and I have free permits to cut 25 cor=
ds. Per year! It is right across the road from our house too. Lots of it
> is spruce that local firefighters have nick named 'gas on a stick'. Doesn=
't look like much but packs a wallop of energy. We use wood to heat our hou=
se, cook with, heat our greenhouses, sauna and workshops. And fire the pots=
.
>
> I couldn't answer these posts last night as we had a power outage that=
lasted from 9 pm until 3 am. Glad I wasn't firing an electric kiln at the =
time. They always say a squirrel or Raven was committing suicide when they =
happen.
> The local view is that they keep a couple of fried squirrels in their fre=
ezer to pull out as an excuse every time it happens.
>
> Gary, have you tried to pack lighter in the front and then side stoke =
to temp in the back? Works for me. I had cone 11 melted in the back the las=
t firing using the 'flamethrower' technique of side stoking. Or you could b=
uild a kiln like mine...
> doesn't have an arch but fires excellently and is user friendly for us ol=
d folks....
>
> Claudia MacPhee Tagish, Yukon
> www.paintedbyfire.blogspot.com
>
>
>
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