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soda and salt kilns

updated sat 30 dec 06

 

Craig Martell on thu 28 dec 06


The irony in the message below is that after I queued it up to send I was
given the kibosh. The phones went out again for about 3 days. Modern
Living, what a pain in the butt! Anyway, I'm sending this one plus two
others that were back burnered.


Hello Again:

More time to post now since the phone lines have been fixed and I've cut up
most of the downed trees following last Thursday's big blow. Tree
count: 3 Port Orford Cedars, 1 Noble fir, 1 Maple, 2 Pacific Madrona, 2
very huge White Oak. Seems like a lot of trees but we have a lot of forest
acreage here. What can you do? At least nothing fell on the house or
studio! 8>)

I just wanted to say one short thing about salt or soda. I salt fire
sometimes and one thing that helps the kiln longevity is making a cast
firebox floor with a trough for the salt. I cast the firebox floor with AP
Green Mizzou Castable. This helps because you don't have salt slag sinking
into the floor brick joints. I also introduce smaller amounts of salt at a
time and allow the kiln to clear before the next shot of salt. It takes
about one and one half to two hours to salt the kiln but why hurry. I spend
a lot of time on the pots and I want things to come out well so I don't try
to fire them on my lunch hour.

later on, Craig Martell Hopewell, Oregon