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Hello! I've decided to start using flamware clay to make cooking pots and I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or knowledge to share. I worked with an artist for several months who works with flameware so I know a fair amount, however my knowledge is limited to her techniques and glaze recipes. The artist I worked with soda fires her work to cone 11. Has anyone tried firing flameware in a wood kiln? Thanks!

Hello, I am considering building a new kiln. I want to build a downdraft kiln, using the Minnesota Flat Top design from the book 21st Century kilns. I have natural gas at my house. I am wondering if there has been any research or experimentation in building a 2 chamber kiln, that would have a place for glaze ware, and a chamber for soda glaze ware, in the same kiln? I have only space for one kiln. I am so drawn to soda glazed ware, and would like to try this, but not having any experience in soda glazing, I am reluctant to "put all my eggs in one basket" so to speak. I have extensive experience (20+ years) doing cone 10 and cone 6 reduction ware...and think I could figure it out- but think it would be so much cooler, if I could have 2 chambers so I don't have to make the choice... Ideas and feedback needed! Thank you!! Pat Schultz

Warnings are necessary: 1. I'm chock full of cockamamie ideas; try not to roll your eyes too much. 2. The Kiln Book and The Art of Firing are literally on their way to me in the mail, so I may understand in a week or so why my ideas won't work. But. I've just brought home a new (to me) kiln. It's currently electric, with 5" thick soft brick walls/floor and a 4" thick fiber lid. Internal dimensions are 27.5" wide, 41.5" long, 30" high. I'm using it for single-fired soda (I realize soft brick and fiber don't agree with soda), fired with two Venturi burners. And I really hope to add a bit of wood, as well. I'm currently planning cross draft, with both burners on one short end, chimney on the opposite. I'm really hoping for a more front-side/back-side look to my pots, that's why I'm hoping to do cross draft. I have a specific idea in my head of how I'd like to do it (although am quite perplexed about the chimney), but am first open to your seasoned suggestions. If you had this nice, open, unadulterated cube, what would you do? Or what do you think I shouldn't do?

Since it's been a pretty slow week here on the forum, I thought I'd post some eye candy to keep you all busy. On my blog HERE you can see photos of the soda kiln Doug Jeppesen and I built a couple of weekends ago at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago. We knocked it out in about 30 hours over 3 days, from scratch. The interior of the kiln is all hard brick, with soft brick used wherever possible on the exterior. Doug and I had built the previous kiln, too, which lasted 3 1/2 years, and new record at Lill. They tend to go through soda kilns pretty quickly. When we started on the previous version, we found that the kiln was supported on a metal framework that attempted to level the kiln since the concrete floor was really out of whack. The frame was not ideal, but due to time constraints we had to use it. This time, since we knew what we were getting into, we made them toss the frame and pour a level concrete slab. This should be their longest lasting soda kiln yet. The first firing is this weekend.

Here's a dreaded copy-and-paste from my blog. Wanted to make sure I shared it here, too. I've had an awful lot of help from folks here. Maybe someone someday can glean something helpful from this story. --------- In the Summer of 2012, I brought home this little Paragon electric kiln (from the next province over - and oh, what an adventure this trip was!) and parked it in the driveway, covered in a bright blue tarp, for the winter. My neighbours were pleased, I'm sure. This Spring, we moved it to the back yard. Where we covered it in a bright blue tarp. The opposite-side neighbours were even more pleased. I'm sure. I named her Strega Nona. We immediately set to work, converting her to burn propane (and eventually play with soda). We initially used a large bit for the holes - burner port and the first soda port - but that didn't go so well. At all. So we switched to the grinder for the metal, then a smaller bit for the brick portion of the smaller soda ports. She was a mess afterward.

Hi all Pietro Maddalena has built a new Soda Kiln at La Meridiana/Tuscany and there's a workshop, including the baptism of the kiln (scheduled for Oct 4th), with Jayson Lawfer. Here are the links: http://meridianaceramics.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/our-new-soda-kiln-is-built-by-pietro/ http://www.lameridiana.fi.it/pottery_workshops_jayson_lawfer_39_13.htm Best regards Evelyne

So I've converted another little electric kiln to run propane. My plan is to use it exclusively, for soda firings (by exclusively I mean I have no other kiln to use - even for bisque, so this one has to work, somehow). I've done two firings - one straight propane, the other with soda (Gail Nichols' method of chunks, but inserted with pieces of tree bark). They were successful in that nothing blew up (note they weren't bisqued) and they reached them, but not so much for the soda. The system I currently have is far from perfect, and will probably never work the way it's set up. (I have three shelf supports placed in front of three separate ports, where I gently place the soda/wood. It pretty much just sits right there, doesn't disperse through the kiln more than an inch or two.) I'm thinking of remodeling it. And am wondering: Is there any reason I can't make this thing a cross-draft? Is there a particular size need for a firebox - a size I wouldn't be able to obtain? Will a cross-draft concept not work with a flat roof? Here's my thought: Make two chambers like this fella did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD3hcHQrfkY One for the chimney, as he did, and one on the opposite size of the kiln, but with the board going only part-way up, acting as a bag wall. Having no knowledge of kilns, I'm certain this idea of mine is ridiculous. But wondering why. I realize I'd be left with a very small stacking space, but I already have that now, as I'm staggering 1/4-shelves all over the place and leaving large spaces to introduce the soda. I'm hoping that, if I can do this crossdraft thing, I would 1. Be able to concentrate the soda introduction into one, protected, space - the firebox. And 2. Have an easier time stacking the shelves - as they would be uniform size and shape, each stacking on top of another (instead of cantilevered between two or three other shelves and the floor). Any help would be so greatly appreciated. I should add I have another, smaller kiln (the one described above is ~ 7 cu ft and the smaller one is ~ 3 cu ft) that I could use ... Not sure how. As a firebox, somehow? Hmm. Would love to hear any ideas you have. I might post pics...