Dual Fuel, Stoneware Wood Fired Kilns.

Over the past couple of decades, I  built some small portable, stoneware capable, wood fired pottery kilns. These little kilns can also be adjusted to fire to Stoneware in reduction using LP gas burners, or using wood fuel. But not at the same time. They are very easy to fire with either fuel and are such fun.

The new improved version 10. see image below, still uses the same kiln shelf setting of 375mm x 430mm as last year.

wood fired setting height = 350mm high. This gives a wood fired setting volume of 2 cu. ft. approx. or 55 litres.

Gas fired version setting shelf size is 375 x 430.   The setting height in gas mode = 600mm. This gives a setting volume of 3 cu. ft. approx. or 85 litres.

In gas fired mode. No chimney is used and a pair of gas burners are fitted. This kiln was designed to be fired off 2 x 9kg. LP gas BBQ bottles.

The small kiln in Wood fired mode with chimney fitted and fire box open.

No. 11/  The volume of the new bigger version of the kiln in wood fire mode uses a kiln shelf of 450 x 450 or 18” x 18” sq. and a packing height of 430mm. or 17”.

The packing volume is almost exactly a cube of 3 cu.ft. or 85 litres. approx.

Gas fired version setting height = 700mm. using a kiln shelf of 500mm. x 450mm. This gives a packing volume of 158 litres or 5.5 cu ft.

The newer, larger, iteration was made in two seperate sections. This was to allow the kiln to be fired in gas mode as either a small or large kiln.

  

Thus allowing you to choose the kiln size to suit the amount of work that is needed to be fired. It can be both a test kiln and a small production kiln.

The test firing for this new larger version was very easy and only took me 2 1/2 hrs. to get to stoneware, cone 10 down, in reduction. I wouldn’t recommend this speed of firing as a ‘norm’, but the kiln is sufficiently powerful to achieve it.

This was an hour quicker than last years model.

If I can fire it this fast and this easily, you will be able to fire it as fast or as slow as you desire.

I fabricated all of these kilns from stainless steel sheet using spot welded monocoque fabrication techniques and a stainless steel custom-made fire grate,

Using a combination of elm garden prunings and some thinly split eucalypt (many thanks to our friends, Susan and Dev, who helped split a lot of side stoking wood with us a month or so ago.) Janine was able to fire up to Stoneware in reduction in 4 1/2 hours. A perfect firing for a little portable kiln.

At the end of the firing, Edna the chicken came to check it out. Janine and Edna had a little chat, cooing and clucking together. The gist of it was probably around the matter of if there was anything for a chicken to eat?

If you find this interesting, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email. I hope that this answers your questions. I am currently preparing a book on this topic that will have a full set of plans and instructions on how to build one. Watch this space!

hotnsticky@ozemail.com.au