The Gateway Drug
Yesterday I went to help my friend Andrea fire her small Philosopher Wood Kiln. A couple of reasons it was important for me to fire that kiln with Andrea.
The kiln design was from a cyber friend Steve Mills of the UK that I befriended on The Clayart Discussion Group more than a decade ago. Steve was instrumental in having me as a presenter at the Aberystwyth International Potters Festival in Wales. I believe that festival is going on in Wales this week. I never got to meet Steve as he died before I could get to the festival. Thank you Steve it was the best conference ever. Participation not bums in seats. Kilns built and fired, pizza ovens built and pizza eaten, short one hour demos. Working demos all the time. The Philosopher kiln was built in the morning by Joe Finch, fired in the afternoon and unloaded the next day. The idea behind the kiln was it could be loaded in a pick up, and taken to do a weekend workshop. I cut my chops on the Olsen fast fire which had the same intent.
It was the gateway drug to bigger harder drugs like two chamber kilns, train kilns, anagamas, bourry box sprung arch kilns.
Secondly, I needed to help a friend that has tasted the smoke from the chimney and inhaled. Although the wee kilns are good to cut your teeth on they make no economic sense. A lot of labour for very little. There is a scale of economy with wood kilns. It takes just about as much labour to fire a small wood kiln as a bigger one. If firings go over 10 hours you will want to invite a helper/partner. That means you need to surrender space in your little kiln to the friend. The Philosopher is 6 cubic feet which I could make pots for in a half an hour.
We fired for 10 hours of constant attention. Not easy peasy but we made it to Cone 9 in a puddle. With what we learned I think it could be an easier 8 hour Cone 10 flat firing. After a few puffs of the wee drug I would recommend you build something at least 30 cubic feet. 40 would be even better. Room for friends and some racers for you. The kiln is the second heart of any potters studio. It dictates the scale of your work, the surface, the quantity and more. It shouldn't be a money furnace.
Andrea was wondering about a name for her kiln. That kiln was up and down like a toilet seat at a mixed party. We had swings of up and down by 100 degrees F.
I suggest "Dammit" as in come on dammit.
Comments
Such a wonderful human being and potter to work with..a joy...and Joe Finch is another.
One thing that Steve used to do, first saw it at the predecessor to the Aberystwyth event, in 1983...to speed up a reluctant kiln, pop a flue on top of the stack = more draw, when temperature reached, remove flue and place a kiln shelf over the gap....
Enjoy yourself!!
While some may think of it as a harmless and natural substance, the reality is quite different. Wood fires can release harmful pollutants, including carcinogenic compounds, that pose a risk to human health.
https://www.devic-earth.com/blog/the-dangers-of-wood-smoke-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=1%20Wood%20smoke%20air%20pollution%20is%20a%20complex,respiratory%20symptoms%2C%20cardiovascular%20disease%2C%20and%20cancer.%20More%20items
The main pollutants in wood smoke that cause health concerns are:
particulate matter (PM)
carbon monoxide (CO)
volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
Wood smoke also contains small amounts of other toxic compounds, including nitrogen oxides and chlorinated dioxins. Nitrogen oxides can contribute to health and environmental hazards like smog and acid rain.
Health risks of wood smoke
Wood smoke can cause:
nausea
dizziness
headaches
eye, nose, and throat irritation
It can make asthma and other breathing (respiratory) problems worse.
Wood smoke can be a significant contributor to smog, which has been linked to severe health risks, including increased hospital admissions and even premature death.
Wood smoke can affect anyone, but these groups are especially vulnerable:
children
older adults
people with heart or lung problems
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/air-quality/indoor-air-contaminants/avoid-wood-smoke.html