Kilns
Burners are registering @ Cone 10 (2380 Fahrenheit) Final Glaze Reduction
My main studio kiln is a natural gas kiln that has 100 cubic feet of loading space. The kiln is approximately seven foot square with six 150,000 BTU aspirating burners. Each of the burners are equipped with a 60 cubic foot per minute shaded pole blower to help economies the burner performance. At peak performance the kiln is consuming close to one million BTU's. With retention tips, the kiln is gentle enough to avoid vapor reduction, physical and chemical water issues and powerful enough to ease to a 2380 degree Fahrenheit safely. A normal Cone 10 firing takes around 12 hours after a slow over night warm up. At peak temperature, the kiln is turned off, and allowed to cool for 24 hours. The cooling part is a very important element for the crystals to grow and allow a bright pallet of color to mature. The walls are 9 inches thick and constructed of insulating refractory material. As the peak temperature is reached the burners are turned off the damper is closed and each burner port is blocked with insulating fiber. The kiln really holds its temperature and remains blocked up to cool naturally. At the 24 hour mark the damper is opened slightly and the fiber is removed from the burner ports. When the kiln cools to around 300 degrees Fahrenheit, the car is pulled out to unload. The kiln is truly a gentle giant and a phenomenal asset to the studio.
With the addition of equipment comes a concern to learn operational safety. Every kiln has its own personality. A kiln requires attention towards ventilation, exposure to heat and ultraviolet light to name a few. Helpful files are located at the bottom of this page concerning safety and kiln operation. Happy Trails!
With the addition of equipment comes a concern to learn operational safety. Every kiln has its own personality. A kiln requires attention towards ventilation, exposure to heat and ultraviolet light to name a few. Helpful files are located at the bottom of this page concerning safety and kiln operation. Happy Trails!
