[Stoves] Crispin´s kiln

[Peter Singfield]

OK -- 

"Side Stroke" is a 

"Site for woodfire potters"

http://www.sidestoke.com/index.html

Much material be there!!

But what should be of interest is:

http://www.sidestoke.com/bourrybox/bourrybox.html

Check out the diagram.

The Bourry Box was designed by French ceramic industrialist Emile Bourry
and first described in his book "Traite des Industries Ceramiques" in 1897.
An English translation 'A Treatise of Ceramic Industries: A Complete Manual
for Pottery, Tile and Brick Manufacturers' was available from 1901. In a
Bourry Box kiln, the flames are pulled down by the kiln draft, so the fire
burns 'upside down'.

Your looking at 110 year old design -- Bottom lit down draft gasifier
specifically for firing a pottery kiln.

This might just be the answer??

Lot's more at the main site.

Peter/Belize

************appended text************

The bourry firebox works on the downdraft principle. The flames are pulled
down by the draft of the kiln, rather than rising as they do in an open
fire, so the fire burns upside down. In the diagram, logs at the bottom of
the stack have burned for the longest time, and fall onto the bed of embers
when they can no longer support themselves. New wood is added to the top of
the stack through the firebox door (coloured dark blue).

Air for combustion enters through the woodpile (“primary air”) and the
secondary air is adjusted to maintain the right proportion of air and fuel
for the oxidising, neutral or reducing kiln atmosphere required. The
purpose of the mousehole air is to keep the embers burning. If stoking is
too enthusiastic or the embers stop burning properly the entrance to the
kiln chamber will quickly clog up and the firebox will cease to operate
efficiently.

At the start of a firing a small fire is started on the floor of the
ashpit, where the embers later build up. When this fire is big enough,
usually when the temperature is in the 350 to 400 degrees C range, logs are
introduced across the hobs. After a transition period, the firebox starts
to operate properly, and all stoking is onto the hobs.