Rain doesn’t melt pots it cleans them and I had a couple dusty ones that could use the rain. Every thing is set up and ready to go. My previous offer of free beer has been revoked but replaced with free hard liquor. My buddy Greg Madetski found me these sweet red wood shelf systems on his treasure hunts in the back woods. My thanks to him. So come on out and bring your friends. I have lots to do and see. Try and throw a pot, See my kilns, split some wood.
May 19th and 20th, from 9 to 5 
I will be having a home show with all my work recent and old. I will be throwing pots, and giving tours of my studio and kilns. Free beer will be served to those of age with 2 forms of proper identification. I will be posting a map with directions to my farm.
I am calling this kiln the Bank Vault, cause this door is money. I am in love with it, you can move it with one finger the machine work is so good. Now I am just left with the chimney to build. Bummer for me I do not have any new clean bricks left and cleaning them is difficult and boring.
I sunk this 5 inch steel pole 30 inches down under this floor, I would have gone deeper but my arm is only 30 inches long. I got a couple days till the concrete sets up and I can open this bad boy up. Some one when to a lot of trouble enginering this thing. Best I can tell this is some ones custom work. I don’t know anything about where this kiln, other than how to make it work and that I found it in St. louis. The previous owner died and her kids gave me the kiln. If any one knows anything about who built this door, I am curious to talk with them. The design of the door is complex and simple all at the same time, and it glides with ease, at least it did, and if I did my job right, it will again.
This door is enormous, 600 lbs is a conservative number. Good thing for the Minniapolis Moline G604 with a loader. I had to move this door once before only 20 feet by hand on a dolly and that damn near killed me. The door mounts on the center pins to I beams that hang off a five inch pole. I spent the night hammer drilling out a hole in the floor. 8 inches of 60 year old concrete does not go quetly into the night. To my surprise I also had to chop through a tree root. Once the door is hung it swings 360 degrees. and swings well clear of the kiln for easy loading. This kiln is every opposite of my wood kiln.
I will be having a home show may 19th and 20th 9-6 each day. later if you call first. I will have all my work set up out on my lawn. I will also be giving tours of my kilns and studio. I have work ranging in price from $10- much higher. I have sinks, pitcher, small bowls, serving bowls, cups, platters, shot glasses, teapots, beer stiens, and other things that have no other purpose than to look great. Hope to see you there. contact me with any questions you may have
This is by far the easiest way to get the arch frame out of the kiln. Even though this is a gas kiln it looks pretty good with some wood burning in it. It feels great to get the arch up, it starts to look like a kiln once you get the arch up. There is still so much work to do, the damper and the chimney still have to be constructed and the biggest job will be getting the door hung. The door is a 600 lb monster, that hangs off a 5 inch steel pole.
This arch has not been much fun. I attribute that to the reclaimed brick, cracked and chiped bricks, some just plain missing. It makes you appreciate the new bricks when you can get them. This arch frame was cool looking then after I got it in there I realized there was no way to get it out after the arch is complete. This will be the first arch I have ever burned out. That will be the fun part.
I have been working on this for a week. This kiln is a six burner down draft that will fire cone 11 reduction.
I have more pictures on my kiln page, they are all jumbled up right now but I will have that straightened out soon.
these are out of my latest fire, colors where fantastic, weather was a bitch. The wind blew so hard that it reversed the draft of the chimney and knocked pots off shelves inside the kiln, making a couple odd tumble stacks. 
