How to build a pottery raku kiln out of a trashcan - Corvus Moon Pottery & studio

[@petes_ventures]

Cool, now with my soon to arrive $100 ebay pottery wheel, backyard dug clay and this kiln as a future project, I think I'm set to make some nice pottery. Cheers

[@corvusmoonstudio]

You might have some difficulty bisque firing your pottery in this type of kiln. It would take many hours and you wouldn't want to spend that much propane. You can, however, use this kiln set-up to fire stoneware glazed pottery.

[@clayeasy]

Great Tutorial! Greetings from Finland..

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Hello and thank you!

[@lisalovelylpa]

Hi … thanks for the video … I designing a kiln with the trash can for bisque firing etc , as I don’t have any kilns lol The kiln .is also a sculpture of sorts. I purchased the MR 100 .

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Thanks for watching - hope it helps.

[@lmfdno40]

Awesome Thank u for sharing

[@corvusmoonstudio]

You're welcome.

[@craftyoldman]

I am completely new to firing pottery and on a budget. Can you please give a list of the items needed with quantities and where you purchased them? It would be greatly appreciated. Also, could you do a second shelf in the kiln? I am considering making mugs, coffee cups, plates, saucers, and now, possibly funerary urns - thanks to your video. I am close to retirement and my brother and I are looking for something we can enjoy and create a small income from.

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Hi Scott, You will probably have difficulty using this particular kiln to fire 'greenware' pottery. This is exclusively a RAKU kiln. The raku process demonstrated in this video, is done on bisque fired pottery. That's pottery that has already been fired in an electric kiln to make it ceramic. The items you mention, 'cups-plates-etc' are stoneware fired and are much more vitrified (harder) than raku earthenware. Raku ware won't hold water. You 'can' use this kiln to fire to stoneware temperatures, but the cost and amount of the propane fuel necessary might be prohibitive. The kiln isn't designed for sustained (5hrs +) firings.

[@golfncrypto1542]

My wife is asking me to make her a kiln. I’ve got plenty of bricks on site and stuff to use. But what we are debating is: what’s the best source of heating ? I think we should go with a gas burner, I looked at the Wards selections.. She wants to go wood burning. But I think that’s going to take a lot more work in the long run maintaining the fire. What’s your opinion?

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Sure, you could go wood burning - It would take a long time and unless she's familiar with wood firing, it might be more trouble than it's worth. I'd stick with good ole propane for the first couple of firings to get used to the kiln, then convert it later if you still wanted to use wood. The good thing about propane is that if something goes wrong - you can always turn it off.

[@golfncrypto1542]

@@corvusmoonstudio hey man, I have another question. Is there a certain reason that I should go with a raku burner kit ($200+) Or can I buy me a $40 Harber freight propane torch and use that? I will get a digital thermometer too. But google says those propane torchers get up to 3000 degrees.

[@corvusmoonstudio]

@@golfncrypto1542 Sorry I just now saw your question - I'm sure you've made your decision already. The "Weed Burners" as we call them do work - just not a well as the actually venturi burners. If you need to save the cash, try it.

[@Sabiroahahmed]

Can I use normal gas instead of propane gas? Please answer me

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Hello, In order to use "City Gas" or natural gas in this kiln the hole in the venturi burner (orifice) needs to be changed. I'm unsure at this time whether it needed to be slightly larger or slightly smaller. Natural gas is far less volatile than propane so your firing times would be different to. I haven't fired raku using natural gas (yet).

[@spreerider12]

no you cant the pressure is too low for a residential service to run a venturi, you need a different burner style like a ribbon burner.

[@corvusmoonstudio]

@@spreerider12 I forgot about that too - A friend of mine was using it but his burner had a blower attached.

[@Blk_Swan95]

Why not use this for bisque firing? just curious your thoughts. Also, what was the total fire time?

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Bisque firing typically takes longer than most finished, glaze firings. (up to 10 hours). You COULD use this little gas kiln for that, but you would go through a ton of propane. Maybe if you had it hooked up to city natural gas it would be a possibility. These raku firings only take 30 minutes to get glaze melt.

[@spreerider12]

rigidizer is not good enough to prevent fibers from melting and escaping as micro particles that cause cancer, you should coat in a sold refractory after rigidizer

[@corvusmoonstudio]

@spreerider12 what, like a solid, ceramic refractory? That would be WAY TOO heavy for a tophat designed kiln. Most people aren't Tarzan.

[@spreerider12]

@@corvusmoonstudio no you put a layer of refractory over the wool, also not all refractory is extremely heavy, soft bricks are refractory and they are what most lids are made of.

[@corvusmoonstudio]

Yes, that's why we fire outdoors and don't inhale heavily inside the exhaust column.

[@kevinjamiesonbelou]

Your use of tin snips is infuriating! Lol.

[@corvusmoonstudio]

To watch or reproduce? - lol