Building The Kiln
Original site
Site challenge – 3 foot drop!!
Building the slab form
Salt Kiln starting to pour the pad Dec. 2014
6000 lbs of concrete!!!
Adjacent door to the kiln area Feb 2015 Supports in place for th
Planning the kiln shed construction – Feb 2015
Kiln shed rises Feb 2015
Post and Beam in place
Kiln shed coming along
Roof lathe in place
Roof frame in place! April 2015
Decking and pad in place!
Decking around the concrete pad
Note the bevel on the beams
New roof on kiln shed! Norm Jackson and John Reid Excel
Kiln shed and slab ready to go! Where is that Gas Permit?!
Kiln shed layout Sept. 2015
Lots and lots of bricks!
Placing arch supports
Still cutting more bricks
Getting the arch up
Flue channel
Cutting more bricks
Base of chimney w/ clean out port
Burner supports in the process
Burner supports – the final version
Supports for Chimney frame
The propane tanks are arriving Sept 2015
Propane tanks arrive
Up the hill with the tank
Installing the propane hook ups (removable burners)
Pilot light orifice details
Burner in place with clamps
Burner Port
Bricking up the door!
Cones and rings in place 05/16
Minding the kiln!
Inside the kiln during firing
Firing into the night Apr. 2016
Salt Port
Before Firing
After Firing!
Cones are down
Graham Sheehan Potter on Gabriola Island 2014
Mudpuppy Studios has built a 15 cubic foot propane fired salt/soda kiln. This process took about 18 months including procuring the gas permit from the Province of British Columbia. A hands on inspection had to be booked after all the construction was completed and trouble shooting by a certified gas fitter.
The process began with the construction of a concrete pad that would be able to hold the weight of the kiln. 6000 pounds of concrete was hand mixed and poured as the concrete truck could not make it up the lane. A post and beam open-walled structure was built over the pad and next to an existing single-car garage and a tin roof was installed to keep everything nice and dry.
The kiln was then put up one brick at a time in preparation for the catenary arch. The structure was left to cure for about a week then the arch and vermiculite as well as fibrefax insulation was installed.The chimney/damper was constructed to the roof line, cut through then to 13 feet height from ground level.
A welder came in to build the support structure. As I live in an earthquake zone a frame was built around the chimney to the top. I am by the ocean with salty air so the burners had to be removable, otherwise any metal component would rust out promptly. The burners are removed and stored between firings. The welder constructed a cradle to hold the burners during firing. The door was installed and the kiln was ready for it’s 1st firing. This occurred on April 19th 2016. The kiln fires to Cone 10 which is 2350F.