Great Grate

Well, we hope. I guess we will see very soon when we test it out in December. Yes, you are hearing right the Chicken POT Pie fast-fire kiln is finished. We have a few little things around the kiln barn to do to get ready like wrapping kao-wool around exposed wood beams near the kiln, but as far as the kiln itself goes it is ready to fire. I can hardly contain myself and Eric is hard to hold back too. If it was up to him he would have a fire in it right now. We just have to get through Thanksgiving and a Holiday Sale at MHCC and we'll be ready to go!!!!

I hope everyone has a Fantastic Thanksgiving filled with love, laughs, and of course grand food.
Cheers!

As it stands

So here we are. As you can see Eric built himself a cat walk in front of the chimney so he could go through the roof and away he went. Up, up, up and now we are only about 3 ft. short of being finished with the chimney. So what's left is insulating the arch and side walls and putting in the grate for the firebox. We may fire the first time with the hearth open like the original plans, but ultimately I think we will manufacture a door for the firebox and not have to deal with all that heat and air. My goal is still to fire it for the first time during the winter break in December. The final picture is one of our staff members, William. In this picture he is doing his impersonation of Superman.

Two steps forward, One step back

Eric did another great day of work and got the second, ware chamber, arch in. We took the form out and within an hour we were putting it back because the arch started pushing out the wall. He thought he would have to rebuild the arch, but he just made adjustments and put a rubber mallet to work. It was saved. So now we know before we take the form out we make sure we have the metal frame in position. No problem, Eric is already on it.

I have to say sitting inside the ware chamber was pretty cozy. I may be arachnophobic and acrophobic, but I'm not claustrophobic.

So much progress

I've been neglecting my little blog and I do apologize. Eric has been working so hard on the kiln and it's going pretty well. We of course make time for socializing and other events. Life isn't just work, work, work ya know.

So the pictures here show what has happened in the last month. We got the refractory granola stuffed in tight around the firebox arch and then the ware chamber floor all nice and laid out. Then there is the flu shot, or it is flue shot? And of course the dampers. Things are moving along nicely and at a fairly stress free pace. Eric gets a little frustrated and loses sleep a bit, but that is normal for him and not just that his mind is on the kiln 23/7...somedays he takes an hour for Perry Mason.

Diamonds ARE a girls best friend!

I didn't realize I loved diamonds until now. Sure, most ladies like diamonds hanging off their ears...just ask Cindy McCain, but the diamonds I like are embedded into a 14'' circular blade and can cut through brick like butter. Eric has been cutting the channels off of some of the brick to make flats. This is a picture of the little brick crosses we end up with. Get thee behind me Satan.

Romans would be proud

Well, maybe they would laugh at us. We built an arch. We had NO idea what we were doing, but it stayed up when we pulled the form out so I think we did a good job. My arms are killing me this morning from lugging the brick around, but no pain no gain, right? It was around 100° yesterday, but with the shade of the kiln barn it only felt like 95°. We are going to have another hot day today, they say even hotter, but we are going to stay in the shade, cook out with Eric's family visiting from Rockford, and take it easy. It's 8:30 am and I have a ton of things to do, but I'll be honest I want to go back to bed.

Namaste, B