Paperclay kiln
parrotpotterstudio asked:
I’m making a multi use kiln/furnace to be used for raku, lost wax casting aluminum, paperclay sculpture, and melting scrap metal. I’m using a paperclay refractory and making it in a compressor tank.
Aluminum Metal Casting
Posted in Howto | 
Tags: Aluminum, aluminum metal, casting aluminum, compressor tank, Metal, paperclay
7 Responses to “Paperclay kiln”
Never used the ceramic fiber, if this were just for raku I’d go with that. This is more of an experiment than a build out of necessity.
For melting metal the burner will have a blower to supply the oxygen. My burner for ceramics is going to blow up through that hole in the floor, but only about ½” clearance around the burner. I’ll ream it out a bit more before I fire it up the fires time. Do you think it will be OK just firing up onto the bottom of a kiln shelf with about an inch clearance around the edge?
The burner shown in the video is for melting aluminum in a crucible that sets on a pith over a 4″ hole in the bottom floor. The pith gets an “X” in its bottom to allow access for aluminum to exit should a crucible leak so that it can safely exit into sand below.
Holes not big enough for good combustion. you want an inch all the way around the burner. The burner being at an angle is not as much as a benefit as you would think it makes a hot spot on the first edge and a cold spot opposite its better to shoot straight in and deflect the flame underneath the first shelf.I have a chunk of brick in the middle that pushes the flame to the side and lets some to the back. Have you explored ceramic fiber?
make me one!!!
Great idea, but my neighbors would freak! Protecting it would be the only problem, paperclay is absorbent, and it has refractory qualities, you’d need to build a kiln around the outside of it to glaze it.
paperclay is great stuff! You should make an outside kiln using paperclay and a wire armature.