s6x Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 Can I fire a 27" tall piece in a 27" kiln? or how much extra space do I need to accommodate for airflow etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 With a base shelf and half inch risers underneath it, you'd be down to 25.5" to start (given 1" shelf). My experience* says leave a smidge of room for expansion. Although everything gets hot and therefore expands, perhaps not all at the same rate, so leave a quarter inch, at least? Mainly to avoid touching and therefore melting together, also a) extra space between wares and the elements to reduce any spitting of bits/droplets onto the elements, and b) extra space between wares where reducing fuming** is a concern. Use a tape measure or ruler to get the available space. If you're throwing/making to the available vertical, the subsequent clay shrinkage should leave plenty of wiggle room... Check back later for more input from other Forum members! *I'm typically firing three to five levels in my 27" kiln. Sometimes I leave just a quarter inch from top of the ware to the next shelf (or the lid); so far, a-ok. **I like how my red glaze picks up some blue/cobalt. The chrome seems to get around as well. Callie Beller Diesel, Bill Kielb and s6x 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Longtin Posted January 11 Report Share Posted January 11 Hulk gives good advice, however, there is nothing that says you have to fire on a kiln shelf. You run the risk of the glaze running onto the kiln floor, but if that's a problem you can live with, firing on the floor is no problem. Does your glaze run? A kiln shelf helps to distribute weight if your piece is heavy. (If your piece is heavy it might stress the bricks if fired without a shelf.) You might also check to see how much your kiln lid sags. (If at all?) This too affects how tall you can fire. Its been my experience that most clays shrink about 5% from wet to bone dry. (At least my cone 6 slip cast porcelain does.) Doing a little test will help you determine the amount of shrinkage of your clay. As Hulk suggests leaving 1/4" space between the top of the piece and the kiln lid is good. I might make it 1/2" if I'm unsure? Bill Kielb, s6x and Hulk 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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