Loading for a first firing!

The time has finally arrived!  I loaded my new kiln on 2/8/12 for a first firing.  I made a bunch of smaller pots for this "test" firing.  In loading, I realized how many pots this kiln can load.  I always like to pack my kilns tight, especially for bisque, but hadn't made enough pots to do that, so it's "loosey goosey".  At any rate, it's loaded and ready to take off!
What a treat being able to roll the door closed!  Wow!  I'll never get tired of doing that.  (Except that it IS a heavy door).

Construction is finished!

The construction of the kiln is finished!  The arch is up and looks beautiful!  Notice how tightly the door closes against the wall of the kiln.  It really took some shaving of brick - a very vital step to having a tight seal for a safe, efficient firing.
The burner system is real simple.  We used a pair of "Big Bertha" burners, black pipe, and a couple of gauges.  Tom swears by these burners.  Says they burn more efficient than any burners he's ever used - and he should know!
The last thing that needs to be done is to have the propane company come and hook up a pipe line from the propane tank to the union, with a 10 lb. regulator.  I''ll be setting up an appointment to have that done this week.

Right now, I"m making a bunch of smaller pieces to fill the kiln for the first firing.  Hopefully, I'll then feel confident enough to fire the lion dogs in the next firing.  Stay tuned!

Building the arch

Now that the roof is up, we can build the arch of the kiln.  Tom had saved the beautiful arch form he built out of wood, a number of years ago when he built this kiln before.


First, we supported the arch form on top of 2 x 4's, then placed the bricks on top of the form, and worked from the outsides toward the center.  The final, center row was the trickiest, as it needed to be a tight fit to be sure the bricks would maintain the arch shape once the form was dropped and pulled out.

We then covered the top of the arch bricks with a thin layer of kaolin and sand, for extra seal.  Next, the arch will come out.

Chimney is finished and roof is on!

The chimney is finished and the roof is attached.  Having different colored roofing wasn't my first choice, but it was all that was left, and I wanted to get the roof finished sooner than later.  The part of the chimney above the roof was made from chimney flue and block, mortared together.  The bottom block, closest to the roofing was flashed to prevent leaking around the chimney.  Angle iron was welded around the corners for added protection.  It sure is great to have a roof over our heads, and not have to deal with covering the entire project with large pieces of plastic.

Building The Chimney

The chimney has to be completed in order for the roof over the kiln can be finished.  It will be a relief to have the roof done, as we've had to protect the kiln with pieces of plastic and tarp.

Notice the hard brick laid on the interior of the chimney stack.  That's to give a solid base for the chimney flue to sit on.

Tom is cutting flashing to fit around the block so that when the roof is placed, the flashing can be attacked to the steel roof to prevent any water from coming through.

The top of the last chimney block is mortared shut.

Attaching Angle Iron

Tom cuts and welds an angle iron frame to envelope the entire kiln.  The door of the kiln is also secured from the top with angle iron and a steel rod.  This will keep it in place at all times.

Building Up The Walls, Phase 2

The walls of the kiln are stacked along with the chimney.  We cut a clay shelf to span across the bricks where the damper will sit.