Walnutcreek Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 I want to make a small but effective Raku kiln. Does anyone have a plan to make one? My hubby is VERY handy and resourceful, and I know we can put something together! Thanks in advance! Bonnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HerbNorriss Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 The Lark Ceramics book Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques has plans and photos to make a raku kiln that is about 7 ft3, which is a good size : http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_17?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=alternative+kilns+%26+firing+techniques&sprefix=alternative+kilns Also, Steve Branfmans latest edition of Mastering Raku: Making Ware * Glazes * Building Kilns * Firing also has plans and photos, for a similar sized kiln: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Raku-Making-Building-Ceramics/dp/1600592953/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324402822&sr=1-3 Both are good books, and will get you up and firing in no time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 My raku kiln is in Mel Jacobson's book on 20th Century Kilns. I made it out of Hardware fabric and metal straps from Home depot. It is counter balanced with a bucket of rocks. I posted a picture of a a while ago on this forum. My raku pieces are in the Alternative kiln and Firing book as well as Mastering Raku mentioned in the previous post. The kiln can be seen here http://ceramicartsda...album&album=167 Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HerbNorriss Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Marcia, I remember seeing your horse pieces in the Alternative book, as well as a couple of other places. I made my kiln out of hardware cloth also, even though many books say that it is too lightweight for the job. It's too hard to find expanded metal around here these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bciskepottery Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Simon Leach did a series of videos on building a raku kiln. Here is a link to his videos on YouTube >> http://www.youtube.com/user/sleachpots/videos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Marcia, I remember seeing your horse pieces in the Alternative book, as well as a couple of other places. I made my kiln out of hardware cloth also, even though many books say that it is too lightweight for the job. It's too hard to find expanded metal around here these days. I use thick ceramic blanket and the kiln is holding up just fine. It is light weight so I can lift it with a gentle pull on the bucket of rocks. The kiln is large and can get smaller or larger by changing the bottom courses of the bricks. It is very efficient. I fire on 3-4 pounds pressure on my propane tanks and they last for many days of firings. My kiln is put together with metal straps from Home depot I also used the straps for the hooks for the pulleys. I sent the whole construction in pictures to mel Jacobson for his book ,but he only used one shot of it finished. Maybe I will add some to the gallery pictures. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Marcia, I remember seeing your horse pieces in the Alternative book, as well as a couple of other places. I made my kiln out of hardware cloth also, even though many books say that it is too lightweight for the job. It's too hard to find expanded metal around here these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I use thick ceramic blanket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I use thick ceramic blanket. had trouble posting again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HerbNorriss Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Wow, that is something I need! I want to fire some larger pieces, and that kind of design looks like it might be just the thing...It looks like it is about 12 ft3 or so, is that right? What do you use to fire it, one burner, two? As I remember, you have Ward burners. I also used the heavier blanket, rated to 2300F. I held it in place with some button made from a cone 10 stoneware. They are starting to crack, so when they need to be replaced, I will use some 1" kiln posts as buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyewackette Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I want to make a small but effective Raku kiln. Does anyone have a plan to make one? My hubby is VERY handy and resourceful, and I know we can put something together! Thanks in advance! Bonnie How 'bout ? This one doesn't sound to complicated either. Or if you don't want to use a drum, here is a whole series by Simon Leach about building a raku kiln from hardware cloth and ceramic fiber: I kind of like this guy's idea for getting your kiln classified as a "Portable Gas Appliance" to meet fire codes. And here is a guerilla kiln built out of a garbage can (with appropriate warnings) I'd like to do something similar so I could low-fire (REALLY low, like 014 to 018) for burnishing, but this isn't really very practical in an apartment, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 My buttons are made of raku clay . In the past when I just put 2 holes in a flat disc, they would crack This shape works better and lasts longer.. The kiln is 27" by 36" with the height variable by adding or reducing the courses of bricks in the base. I have 2 burners , each hooked up in tandem to two propane tanks. They don't freeze . I use kanthal wire to hold in place. Nichrome wire works too. I fire the buttons to ^06 bisque temp. so they can take the thermal shock because they are not dense/matured. The kiln is 18.5 cubic feet usually if I have three courses of bricks in the base. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walnutcreek Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Thanks to everyone who replied on this! Lots of good resources! Bonnie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLowes Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 I made my raku kiln, similar to the "Portable Gas Appliance" one, but used metal lathe ($6 per sheet) instead of hardware cloth for the outside supporting frame of the round barrel portion, wiring the overlapping lathe together. I used 1"x1" angle to make a frame bolted to a sheet of expanded metal from , to hold a single layer of insulating firebricks for my kiln bottom. I also equipped the expanded metal/angle bottom with casters underneath so I can move the kiln around while it's still hot. All of the foregoing was purchased at Home Depot. For the barrel interior I used 1-inch thick fiber insulating blanket, 2300 degree F rated, wired with buttons to the lathe. The lid is a layer of the fiber wired with buttons to hardware cloth, cut square and corners turned down so it can be removed and laid aside with the corners holding it off the ground. The top just lays on top of the barrel portion. The kiln bottom is 2300 deg rated insulating firebrick turned with the 4"x 9" side horizontal. The interior is 20 inches in diameter and 24 inches high. My weed burner from Harbor Freight heats the kiln through a "burner port" cut into the side of the barrel portion. I use two half shelves supported on kiln posts a bit higher than the burner port opening inside. The burner is propane, fed from a single 20 pound tank, and keeps up just fine. I generally get 5 or 6 firings from a tank. I do not have a picture of mine, but it is similar to the one by Daryl Baird shown in the June/July 2007 Pottery Making Illustrated article "Raku Lite", if you can find a copy. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuche Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 My raku kiln is in Mel Jacobson's book on 20th Century Kilns. I made it out of Hardware fabric and metal straps from Home depot. It is counter balanced with a bucket of rocks. I posted a picture of a a while ago on this forum. My raku pieces are in the Alternative kiln and Firing book as well as Mastering Raku mentioned in the previous post. The kiln can be seen here http://ceramicartsda...album&album=167 Marcia please Marcia, can you give me a list of the materials for making a kiln.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Nuche, I went out and looked at the kiln. I used insulating fire brick and I have several boxes standing by if I need to make the kiln chamber larger by adding more courses. The base is 28 bricks per 2 layers and 14 bricks per course except for the 2 courses where the burner ports eliminate two bricks. 96 in all. Insulating Firebrick 4 boxes (25 each) will do. I used one roll of 8# 1 inch x 25 ft. x 2 ft. About 15 feet of kanthal wire I got from Archie Bray Foundation Clay Business. This kiln used the metal lathe, two sheets. The straps were 8 36" straps, 8 24" 4 16" straps and 2 12" straps for the handles..I don't use the handles about 58 1/2" bolts with washers and nuts to hold the straps to the mesh. 4 wire loops, 5 cable clamps, about 30 ft. of airplane wire (very pliable) from home depot 4 pulleys welded to a piece of steel on my steel roof. They were from Wichita Falls, TX. I had an old one from ages ago (like 30 years ago) and it had Wichita Falls on it, so I tracked them down. You might be lucky to find them in a real hardware store, but Lowe and Home depot didn't have them. One metal bucket with rocks and sand.I built this about 6 years ago. So I can't tell you the costs. But it seemed very reasonable to me. I got the fiber on ebay. I had the bricks. I use 4 30 gallon propane tanks plumbed two tanks per burner. Mark Ward custom built them for me. I fire at 3-4 pounds on each regulator for each burner. I can fire many, many firings. 20-30 firings but this includes sag gar firing which is lower temp. You can see the tanks for one burner system in the picture. The bucket is balanced to match the weight of the kiln and it is easy for me to do alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 I am having a lot of trouble posting with 5 oops messages. Lost the photo. I hope this helps. You can see the straps clearly. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 I am having a lot of trouble posting with 5 oops messages. Lost the photo. you can see the straps clearly and the propane set up. The photos have disappeared. Since I have now reposted the same post and yet again no photos. I give up. I can email you a picture. I was able to post them in the gallery: straps http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=images§ion=viewimage&img=1441 kiln http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=images§ion=viewimage&img=1440 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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