This is actually a note to myself, but I'm posting it here -- comments or discussion is (of course) always welcome.
I've been looking around at kilns online in my spare time for the past few evenings. What I've been doing is taking a look at sites about kiln-building, but also checking out sites of potters who show the kilns that they're using for their work. Fortunately, it seems like a lot of potters are very generous about showing their kilns on their websites, so it hasn't been difficult to find a wide variety. Actually, it's been kind of fun to see what people are working with in order to fire a variety of different kinds of pots, etc...
One thing that I seem to be discovering is that many potters are making use of all kinds of kilns for firing. Several potters that I've come across seem to be very much into experimenting with more primitive kilns... even people who already have big car kilns for for firing most of their work. Some of them are building pit kilns, bank kilns and Korean or Japanese-type kilns so that they can create unique glaze effects.
Anyhow, what strikes me most, as I look at photos of these kilns, is that they are using all kinds of materials and construction methods to build these kilns. Seems like almost anything goes. I've seen kilns made of heaped up mud and turf or peat blocks, ones made by digging holes or pits and filling them full of straw and sawdust, others made by stacking up layers of bricks, and then there are the more complex designed Asian kilns... often simple materials, but with the most interesting and complex chamber constructions. Some of these are then wood-fired, and some are gas-fired.. It appears to me that this kiln-building and firing is becoming something of a form of art all of its own. In any case, the BEST thing about seeing all of these different kilns is that, it makes me think that this is one of those times when the rule is that there is no rule. You just try it and if it works, it works, and if it doesn't, then you just try something else. Fortunately, as I don't mind experimenting with stuff, this isn't a big problem. (o:
Well, gotta run... busy day. But here's a site to take a gander at if you feel like it. A potter in Bristol, VT, who seems to do a lot of work with woodfired kilns and so on. Neat pic in the corner of the page... However, if I built something that flamed quite that much, I think I might have to spend some time out in the dog house... (o:
robertcomptonpottery.com |
