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Salt Kiln Build And Alternative Roof System


Mark C.

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I found my slat kiln build photos

Alternative kiln roof and metal frame work for a high fire kiln. The metal is all sprayed with high heat aluminum paint

I read an article about 15 years ago from Mel Jacobson using fiber modules he was given .It got me thinking about building a roof from fiber, which I designed around my own needs. At that time I was working on a salt kiln in side yard-it was in the planning stage

Here’s some photos from that build-the fiber is cut in u shapes that you fold-then a stainless steel rod threaded at ends is pierced thru and two iron flat stock bars hold it under tension.

The walls are mix of hard and soft k28 bricks, the floor is three layers-two hard with a soft sandwiched between. The stack is all hard brick and a stainless steel chimney.

The door pipe hinge was scraped from another potters car kiln door and I added the 360-spin feature to it –it’s the best door design I have ever had.

I used heavy steel on the frame as this is a salt kiln and after a decade it’s still holding up well.

Care must be used when handling fiber.

I have never seen this roof design using the fiber folded this way. It would work very well in a reduction kiln and you can span large distances, it has yet to sag at all. In the detail photo you can see the spiked thread ends. The wire is used to handle it and suspend it while placement then removed.

The photos of the group was our 1st fire. I'm the guy on the right in all photos next to kiln.

That was years ago.

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I had a few to many photos for 1st post

I forgot to add the roof design is made to carry away salt fumes well.

It works like a charm 

The kiln is coated in my own salt resist spray which I'm keeping to myself for some more years.I worked on it for many years.

It an ITC alternative .

As you can see I laid the door starting with the outer layers.I use large fiber tubes for cone viewing spy plugs.

You can see the sleeved pyrometer striped to the door as well.My doors are usually 6 layers of 1inch 8# fiber

I have used 6# on the outside as well but 8# is best near and on hot faces.I made my own buttons as well.

The stack of kiln shelves is getting sprayed in kiln with slat resist.

This is when it all looked best as it was new-now its a bit more rusty 14 years later.

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I'm curious how the fibre holds up to salt corrosion. The soda kiln door at Medalta is a sliding steel frame that's stacked with soft brick, and it's half eaten at this point in its life. The door frame needs 2 people to shift, and would be impossible to use hard brick in, so they designed it to be easily rebuilt.

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Because the door is out of the way of the salting process (bag walls and spray ports) it's held up pretty good. Most of the original hot face is still intact . Its been coated about every 3rd time.  A few spots have been repaired.The thing about soft bricks and fiber they cannot hold up at all to direct salt spray or heavy salt fume paths.

The door could have been hard brick as the hinge and pivot are made like a tank. I wanted to try new ideas with materials to see the outcomes. Sure I could of used hard brick as I have plenty horded away but thats what everyone does.This kiln only needs to last until I'm done with it (my lifetime).

A few points need to be mentioned-parts of this kiln are experimental and outcomes where unknown-like a fiber roof or door or soft brick in certain areas. The cost of firing this under $50 for natural gas. The speed is as fast as you want to get it going as well. The down side is after every fire there is some maintenance. Where in a all hardback kiln that would not be the case.Decades ago I have stashed boxes of fiber and cases of soft bricks as well as piles of hard brick over time. So I could do what I wanted. when making this kiln. The only thing I had to buy at the time was steel - and burners-and wood/roof for the structure. I had run gas and poured the slab in the 70's-I have lots of time to get this the way I wanted it. I got a 199 class credit in collage  for the slab and pipe work.I had just built a kiln for the school back then.

If the hot face fails I can just put a new one on. If the roof gets eaten I can flip it  once and then later add an traditional arch pretty easy.

Since I stock enough of all these materials its no big deal. I still have cases of fiber and over 500 soft brick and hard bricks.The roof was the largest learning curve to produce and its worked well. I should have used my best fiber on it and I did not. I did use that on the door face. If you are going to use this fiber technique . Go with 2600 degree fiber and always use 8#.I had a few boxes of 4 foot wide 2400 degree fiber and it shrunk on one fire that went a bit to hot.

The beauty of this roof is you only need two foot wide material as you can fold that in half and cut whatever length the span is.

Having kiln building materials for me is like thread and fabric for sewing folks-I always have lots on hand.

I can address what I have learned about using these material as time goes by.

The last note is this kiln is not in a school situation or art center-its in my backyard away by itself and used very lightly.

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