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vents and chimney ideas

updated thu 12 oct 06

 

mel jacobson on wed 11 oct 06


i use a stainless pipe through my ceiling of studio,
to vent my electric kiln.
(this is my 1966 skutt 181 baby kiln..bisque only,
that is inside my work space...i only fire it at night,
when i am not in the area.) i still do not totally
trust the vent....works well, but ...why fire a kiln
when you are sitting next to it making pots.)

i got a piece of four inch stainless pipe about 12 feet long
and added a one inch pipe to connect the electric kiln
to it.
you may have a trick to weld stainless, or have a person
do it for you..not easy. but, when you have it done.
bingo...nice vent.
pipe goes through the ceiling.
and, into the kiln. open bottom and top..and it
sucks the crap out of that kiln in a jiff.
picture of it on my website...clayart page.
quick drawing... i am more and more thinking
that a piece of four or five inch plastic sewer pipe
would work as well. not that much heat actually as
the fresh air coming from the bottom cools the vented
gases. still would need a stainless pipe to go into the kiln.'


for my gas kiln is used spiral pipe that i had made.
almost no sheet metal people use crimped pipe any longer.
so, it is one piece 12 feet long, 10 inches across.
18 gauge (i think) it is heavy.

i soaked kaowool liner sleeves in itc 100 and dropped
them down the stack to the double venturi top of
my kiln. they squish when they hit. then add another
and another. they squish together and make a perfect
once piece liner. i know it works as there are no
hot spots on my pipe....you know, where the gap in
the liners allow hot flame to hit the galvanized.

so. no need at all for a stainless pipe that big...it would
cost a fortune...the spiral pipe cost me about 60 bucks, and
then the guy threw in three scrap pieces that were a bit
bent...we used those on the salt kiln.

we put a twelve inch pipe over our ten inch pipe and lifted
it off the kiln with broken kiln shelves...that outer pipe
did not even get hot. the cool air came in the bottom.
mixed and went out the top./

so, flue liners are slick, and safe, and last a long, long time.
well worth the expense...and add the itc 100 soak
and they will last forever.
and, no leaking.

i think my spiral pipe/flue liner stack is the best
i have ever seen...at most any price.
and tight as a drum head.
mel


from: mel/minnetonka.mn.usa
website: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/

Clayart page link: http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html