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trashcan rakukiln

updated sun 7 feb 99

 

JCJM on wed 27 jan 99

Hi. This one goes out to all of you who had that thread going about the
trash can kiln (John Ford, John Post, Deb Ferree, Rene Sprattling, Steve
Mills Jeff Lawrence, Lana...). I'm going to do this for the first time with
a 40litre (10 gallon prob smaller) brand new metal trash can. I've got a
supply of that kao wool and I just need to know how to install it onto the
walls of the kiln with a max. compactness but yielding the max. space. The
diametre of the can is about 40cm (16inches). Any extra suggestions would
be of great help and if it gets too long (please), can you just send it off
the list straight to me?
Thanks a lot
j-m

Douglas Adams on thu 28 jan 99

Ceramic buttons of porcelain work well in conjunction with high temp. wire.
I've used this for years and it work great. The raku book by both Pipenburg
and Branfman are two excellent books on construction.Page 121 in Pipenburgs
shows an example of the homemade buttons and page 71 of Branfmans shows more
,plus more ways to build a kiln than you can shake a pot at. Good luck from
Douglas AdamsAt 01:48 PM 1/27/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi. This one goes out to all of you who had that thread going about the
>trash can kiln (John Ford, John Post, Deb Ferree, Rene Sprattling, Steve
>Mills Jeff Lawrence, Lana...). I'm going to do this for the first time with
>a 40litre (10 gallon prob smaller) brand new metal trash can. I've got a
>supply of that kao wool and I just need to know how to install it onto the
>walls of the kiln with a max. compactness but yielding the max. space. The
>diametre of the can is about 40cm (16inches). Any extra suggestions would
>be of great help and if it gets too long (please), can you just send it off
>the list straight to me?
>Thanks a lot
>j-m
>
Douglas Adams

=?iso-8859-1?Q?Ren=E9?= Sprattling on thu 4 feb 99

J-m,
About that kao wool. Two ways I have used. the first was to use a
spray glu from my local ceramics supply house that is for sticking kao wool
to the sides of trash cans, among other things. I haven't the faintest
idea what it is called since we did this as a class project and someone
else bought the glue. When I made my second kiln I used clay buttons, that
look just like regular clothes buttons, a flat clay disk with two holes in
it, fired, and "sewed "these onto the outside of the kiln through the
thickness of the kaowool with a high temperature wire. You'll have to
punch a few holes in the trashcan wall to get the wire through to the
button, but it works great for holding the kaowool in place without glue. I
think I even used a huge sewing needle . Six along the top edge, 4 along
the bottom edge, and maybe four in the middle if needed. Wear a mask and
gloves, as that kaowool is a bit like working with fiberglass insulation.

Best of luck
Rene


---------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi. This one goes out to all of you who had that thread going about the
>trash can kiln (John Ford, John Post, Deb Ferree, Rene Sprattling, Steve
>Mills Jeff Lawrence, Lana...). I'm going to do this for the first time with
>a 40litre (10 gallon prob smaller) brand new metal trash can. I've got a
>supply of that kao wool and I just need to know how to install it onto the
>walls of the kiln with a max. compactness but yielding the max. space. The
>diametre of the can is about 40cm (16inches). Any extra suggestions would
>be of great help and if it gets too long (please), can you just send it off
>the list straight to me?
>Thanks a lot
>j-m


Muddy

Charlies and Linda on fri 5 feb 99

Dear J-M

Clay buttons used to hold fiber in raku kilns are great and may be made
out of high temp clays(test, test, test) or cut pieces of fiber board
with two holes drilled in them for the wire.

You could skip the buttons all together if you want. For a two inch
thick fiber kiln I use 15 ga high temp wire and cut it at 6" lengths.
It is then bent into a "staple" shape. The two ends are pressed into
the fiber from the inside of the kiln until they protrude throw the
holes on the outside. The ends are then pulled tight and bent over. You
might want to drill the holes in the can large enough so they will be
easier to hit with the staple. By having the staple ends on the outside
of the kiln this will avoid the staple from "letting go" with heat
stress.

We have fired several kilns over 500 times. No staples have broken and
no fiber has pulled loose. Works great for me, might work for you, too.

Charlie Riggs
http://www.cclay.com/criggs/index.htm

PS-You might want to try expanded metal for the kiln cage if you can
find it. Works great and has lots of holes to stick those staples
through. A piece of expanded metal 24"x78" will roll up into a 24"
diameter cylinder with a 4" overlap. Use (#10-24) screws/nuts/washers
every 5" along the seam. Cut a 24"x24" square for the top and hold it
onto the cylinder with four "L" brackets placed in the corners.

Bob Chance on sat 6 feb 99

We have clay buttons used to hold fiber onto an expanded metal framework
made from Highwater raku clay that have been fired weekly for 10 years with
no ill effects. The look like a two hole button about 2.5 inches across
and 3/16" thick.

Bob Chance