Heidi Haugen
Pottery
Pottery
Studio/Kiln Tour
We built my shop in 2003 at the same time we were building the house. All of the windows are reclaimed so it gets a touch breezy in the winter but I have a beautiful little Jotul woodstove and baseboard heaters to keep me warm. My electric kiln is also inside (vented) so bisque firings heat it up on a cold morning.
When I decided to build a propane kiln...we had to pour another slab out the back and add a roof (and when I say we...I really mean my husband, Leif.) Also, because the car slides into my shop for loading and unloading, we had to add another room which is great because when I'm not firing, it doubles as my glaze chemical storage area.
When I decided to build a propane kiln...we had to pour another slab out the back and add a roof (and when I say we...I really mean my husband, Leif.) Also, because the car slides into my shop for loading and unloading, we had to add another room which is great because when I'm not firing, it doubles as my glaze chemical storage area.
Building this kiln was an exercise in patience and perserverance and
also quite a comedy of errors. What started as a one summer project
took longer to complete than I care to admit but she is up and running
and I am proud to have completed the job.
I bought a sprung arch kiln from a friend and began by dismantling it brick by brick and transporting them to our house. We stacked and moved brick more times than I care to count.
The car was welded by Donovaon Palmquist (masterkilnbuilders.com) and hauled home from Minnesota in the back of my Subaru.
Once the slab and structure were complete we snapped out the lines and started laying cinder blocks. I decided to put them on their side with the holes facing sideways. I learned early on that if you consult with 5 different people..you will get 5 different suggestions. That can be difficult for a person who doesn't have a clear idea of what they're doing.
I took a basic welding class and borrowed a friend's mig welder to build the frame which I installed after the walls were built. (built and rebuilt several times as I learned about proper stacking and the importance of using a level at all times).
I'm using 4 very old venturi burners with some great retention tips that are attached to a 500 gallon propane tank. I have now fired about 13 times and use between a little over 40 gallons per 10-11 hour firing. good for now.
The car was welded by Donovaon Palmquist (masterkilnbuilders.com) and hauled home from Minnesota in the back of my Subaru.
Once the slab and structure were complete we snapped out the lines and started laying cinder blocks. I decided to put them on their side with the holes facing sideways. I learned early on that if you consult with 5 different people..you will get 5 different suggestions. That can be difficult for a person who doesn't have a clear idea of what they're doing.
I took a basic welding class and borrowed a friend's mig welder to build the frame which I installed after the walls were built. (built and rebuilt several times as I learned about proper stacking and the importance of using a level at all times).
I'm using 4 very old venturi burners with some great retention tips that are attached to a 500 gallon propane tank. I have now fired about 13 times and use between a little over 40 gallons per 10-11 hour firing. good for now.
