A Kiln is Born (well reborn really)

So today I started work on converting my electric kiln into a gas kiln. It went pretty well if I do say so myself. I haven’t had a chance to fire it yet but I’m very optimistic about it reaching at least a bisque temperature (which is about 1850F/1010C or 1283.15 Kelvin). I started this project by cutting a way a circle of the thin metal that surrounds the kiln near the bottom. I was hoping to be near the floor of the kiln without cutting into the actual bottom. I was not successful in avoiding the floor, but I realized this before I cut into the floor. So I had to move my hole up about two inches which was fine, although now it looks a little goofy. I used a hammer and chisel to cut through the metal and the soft brick, I was originally going to use a drill but I didn’t have one big enough and the smaller one I did have was having trouble getting through the metal. Here is a picture of the resulting hole for the burner.



After running amuck on the burner port I moved onto the flue. Which in this case is a hole roughly the same size as the burner port. This hole was also created using the hammer and chisel method, although it turned out better because I didn’t have to worry about cutting into anything that I wasn’t supposed to. I beveled the edges (inside and out) to give the flue a more finished look, I didn’t want it looking unfinished you know.



I will be using a kiln shelf to open and close the flue to help regulate the temperature inside the kiln. Also this will help when I attempt my first high fire reduction, which I have never done with an updraft kiln (which is what this type of kiln is now, basically the heat/exhaust goes from the bottom through the kiln and out the top).



Here is a picture of the kiln with the lid up, so you can see both the flue (at the top) and the burner port (at the bottom).



I have two venturi burners that I acquired through my journeys as a graduate student. I plan on using one of them for this kiln, I believe it is small enough that one will be enough, but if I need it I have the other one waiting in the bullpen. I did need to find some pieces so that I could connect the burner to a propane tank (I’m using a small tank similar to the one used for barbeques).



This is the first piece it’s a 90 degree 3/8 flared nipple, I wanted a straight one but lowes didn’t have any and that’s where I work so I didn’t go anywhere else.



The next piece I needed was the regulator that attaches to a barbeque propane tank.



This was attached to the burner via the nipple, and here is the finished burner all assembled and working. I fired it up just to make sure it works, and managed to burn some of the hair off of my forearm in the process.



I’m hoping that it rains here for the next few days because I know we need the rain. But at the same time I’m hoping it doesn’t because I would really like to see if this setup works. I was going to fire it today but I might as well have it filled and ready for a bisque load when I do, so I don’t waste the fuel. I wish I would have had the fore thought to make some cone packs before today, but I didn’t so now they are drying out so they don’t explode in the kiln. The cone packs are used to determine the temperature in the kiln. Each cone is design to melt at a specific temperature. I use four of them so that I have an idea of how much longer the kiln will need before it’s finished.