WOODFIRING
KIRKWOOD SMALL KILN
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a kiln at the studio's of Jeff Shario. We
added a few new features and made
changes as requested from our client.
The main changes we made are in the
chimney structure, wall thickness and
air inlets. We also added some other
minor options. They are subtle, yet
play an important role in how easy and
fast this kiln fires.
First, we made the wall thickness to be
9 inches thick, not 4 1/2 inches. This
was to keep the kiln hotter for a longer
period of time. The main thing we did
was to extend out the base of the
chimney and taper it back into a 9" x 9"
stack as you can see from the
photographs. This provides a
collection box of sorts which in turn
helps the draw and lowers the chimney
size.
We also decided to make sure it was
very insulated. We used a new
castable mix for that. The castable is a
commercial mix that is like adding a
smooth coat of soft brick. We have
learned to love this stuff.
the kiln. In fact, if you choose to, you could use four burners, two in the front and two in the back. We think that
may be a little extreme though. There are also 4 sets of peep holes (two on each side) for viewing cones. We also
put cone peep holes in the door. There are two sets of passive dampers in the rear of the kiln. As well, we have
active dampers to seal it off when the firing is done. The active damper slots are next to the chamber exit flues,
not in the chimney. This helps keep the heat where it belongs, in the chamber. We use the passive dampers for
flame and atmosphere control. There are also two sets of ash pits, front and back, as well as two sets of stoke
ports in both front and back. The grate bars are stainless steel and are incorporated into the bagwall but notched
for easy removal or replacement. This is basically a small downdraft kiln capable of easily firing alone or with
others. Lastly, we added two sets of air inlets on each side of the kiln for better control and burning of the ember
bed. For those just starting out woodfiring or those who wish to keep costs down, this is a perfect little kiln. As an
additional feature, there is little to no smoke from the chimney (if fired properly) due to the way the chimney was
changed and constructed. To give you an idea how fast this wood kiln will fire, the second firing we did we went
from cone 012 to cone 10 in 4 hours. We then soaked it for a couple of hours before closing it up. The shino work
which made up the bulk of pottery inside came out great. Our client was very happy to say the least.