Kiln opening and results with Simon Leach

[@0nlyLe11ersAndNum6rs]

Great work! Love it 😊

[@scottclay4253]

Always enjoy the magic revealed when you open your kiln. Thank you, Simon! Beautiful!

[@joelhiggins6156]

Solid kiln load there, I didn’t see one second in the bunch!

[@leefang8140]

Great! It seams like salt on surface. What a sound!

[@laurieembry8007]

I love the look!! I'd like to get something similar with an electric kiln.

[@GreyBeardUSA]

Hops are my favorite fruit. I grow hops in Connecticut.

[@KarenTotten]

Nice!

[@deepashtray5605]

Sweet. I was inspired by you to build my own conversion gas kiln, and so far been getting good results. Thanks for sharing your experience. While researching it I got very good information from DIY blacksmithing forge sites, which there seems to be a lot more info available than DIY gas fired kilns. One recommendation that seems to work well (so far) is brushing a 70/30 layer of zircopax and kaolin on the soft brick to help preserve them from getting beat up by the gas flame. Turns out zircopax has some serious refractory properties and it's not quite as gritty as flint. Same mix I use as a kiln wash and to stiffen refractory blanket and hold down the microscopic shards of death the blanket throws off. Have you tried anything like that on the soft brick? I only fire to ^6 BTW.

[@sleachpots]

Thanks for that info, useful. I have not done that but makes sense. Zircopax, just trying to remember what that is ? Guess available from supplier.

[@deepashtray5605]

@@sleachpots I found out it seems it's actually no longer available, I just happened to stumble on a stash from a retired potter. Sorry, didn't mean to get your hopes up. There is a product called Superpax which is made as a replacement, and probably worth looking into. Digitalfire is a good place to get info. When I was putting together my conversion kiln I came across a refractory cement that can take up to 3,000F, and one of the primary ingredients in it is zircopax.

[@spitrock33]

Nice

[@68glp]

❤

[@manolitorastrero]

Uau!