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kiln building tips for ghana please

updated tue 26 oct 99

 

Janet Kaiser on mon 25 oct 99

------------------
I have received another request from the German =22Clay Art=22 List asking =
for
information and would be grateful for any input to either to pass on, or to =
send
directly to the =22middle man=22 Christian Sautier sot=405sl.org

The request was first for plans and designs for building a simple kiln.
Christian has sent him a book on kiln building, but the potter is not sure =
he
will be able to source the materials (I suspect he means refractory and/or
insulating bricks) locally. Even if they are available in Ghana, they may =
proove
to be too expensive anyway.

Have any Clay Arters got tips on what materials, methods and designs to use
under these circumstances? Have any of you experience of building a kiln =
using
ordinary house bricks or maybe have even built a kiln in Africa?

The potter in question wants to increase the temperatures he can fire to so =
that
he can produce wares like =22Palm Wine Pots=22. I have mailed Christian to =
ask what
sort of temperature he would like to fire to and what size he hopes to =
achieve.
Will post the answers when I know.
All answers will be needed in English for sending to Africa. But for the =
German
speakers amongst you, I attach the original posting below.

Many thanks for all help you can give

Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art: Home of The International Potters' Path
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales, UK
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: postbox=40the-coa.org.uk
If you experience difficulties accessing our web site,
please e-mail me=21 Thank you=21

-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Sautier =3Csot=405sl.org=3E
To: mailingliste ton =3Cton=40rana.hempelmann.com=3E
(THIS IS THE GERMAN CLAY ART ADDRESS)
Date: 24 October 1999 19:27
Subject: ton: ein Brennofen f=FCr Afrika


Ich w=FCrde gerne einem T=F6pfer in Ghana eine Anleitung zum Bau eines =
einfachen
Brennofens schicken. Seine Frau und er machen bisher Meilerbrand,w=FCrden =
aber
gerne etwas h=E4rtere Gef=E4=DFe (v.a. P=F6tte f=FCr Palmwein) herstellen.
Nun k=F6nnt ich ihm nat=FCrlich das =22kiln book=22 schicken, aber dann =
verzweifelt er
nur daran, dass es all die sch=F6nen Materialien in Ghana nicht gibt, oder =
er
sich's nicht leisten kann...

Aber aus schlichten Backsteinen oder Mauerziegeln l=E4sst sich ja im 1000
Grad-Bereich auch einiges machen... Also hat jemand so eine Anleitung (auf
englisch =21=21=21) ? Oder Tipps ?? Oder gar selbst mal in Afrika =
Brenn=F6fen gebaut ?