Kiln Shelf Maintance to Start Loading the Hobagama
gary navarre
Holy Wuhu Folks,
Seein's how every now and then someone asks about how to clean up a kiln shelf with glaze boogers and then applying kiln wash I figured I'd shoot some of what I run into while getting ready for the firing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tfAIiluMds
Most of us know there is more to it than using a hammer and chisel. I've tried a Moto Tool with minor success but a small chunk of silicon carbide can do wonders with a pinch of grog on a spot with a few drops of water and rubbed until smooth. The clay and oxide bonded shelves are more forgiving where moisture is concerned and it actually helps keep the kiln wash flowing so I can get a thinner coat without the brush globbing up because it dries too fast.
To start loading the tail of the chamber I used a few 22" wide clay half shelves I'd gotten with an old electric kiln someone gave me years ago and was saved the parts. I decided to raise the first shelf 4½" off the brick floor and load under it. I was thinking of just raising it an inch or so with nothing in the void under the whole load so it would get heat underneath the load but realized I might get the same effect with 3½" tall bowls still leaving an inch or so clearance to the shelf and the voids around the pieces will allow for more flame flow to the floor. After the tail got potted up I set three of the 9 1"x11"x24" silicon carbides I get from Dart as a base for the rest of my new and used 5/8"x12"x24" with the same 4½" space underneath. I ended up doing some unconventional shelving between the two stacks because there was just too wide a void there and I might side stoke in a hole in the tail and I don't want the sticks dropping 2' on to the
pots on the floor. I think I have it figured out to have a top shelf I can set some pots on that will act as a grate to suspend the fuel as it burns leaving ash deposits on the pots...
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/ca/kpap/lc/
These stills seem to give more information than waiting for me to get out of the way in the chamber to see with the video. You know how that goes... ya think for two or three hours and fiddle around with different shelf patterns for a while until it falls into place in five minutes so there is no point leaving the camera running just because I can record for 3½ hours on a charge or if I plug in the power adapter I can film until the hard drive is full. That's it for now, break time so stay tuned, stay in there and don't let it fool ya eh!
Gary Navarre
Navarre Pottery
Navarre Enterprises
Norway, Michigan, USA
http://www.youtube.com/GindaUP
http://public.fotki.com/GindaUP/