Hobagama- no pictures just notes
gary navarre
Even though fooling around with all this pre-heating with charcoal or fires in the pignose is not part of the real firing yet I'm getting a lot of information for what to do if I get stuck firing in the cold again and am not able to load and light in one falling swoop. We will find out during the firing or when the kiln is opened if there was any moisture left to freeze and cause damage. For now though, I checked the thermometers and it looks like it is still about 45ºF on the top mid-front shelf and the two cans of charcoal were lit a day and a half ago so I don't think the shelf wads will develop any frost before drying. I might get a heat lamp of some sort just to see what happens , like how warm can I get it with a hundred watt flood, but this is good enough for now.
I did some math for a minute and figured it costs about $.40 a coffee can (1200g.) of charcoal to do this but I'm not certain how to calculate what electricity would cost for a small heater. Since I don't plan on firing in the cold every year propane or oil heaters would tend to cost more for the equipment than the number of times I'd really use it, although having a non-electric heater would be an advantage if we get hit with downed power lines and my furnace won't work.
Looks like flurries are starting and the temperature in dropping for that storm and I still need to go to the Carhartt store and see their bibs. I tried some almost my size insulated at Wal*Mart and I had a hard time figuring out how to slip them on cause they wrapped around and zipped up the front. Probably keeps the wind out but hard to grab my camera and inconvenient if caught by an urge of nature. I like the more open cut of my Carhartt bibs and I bet you would get too warm working in those from Wally World and you know I don't wanna break a sweat workin so stay in there eh!
Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Navarre Enterprises
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://www.youtube.com/GindaUP
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/