Kiln Vent

[Andrea Wolf]

Hi All,

I'm not sure if this is the right place to stick this question / discussion so forgive me if I didn't find a more appropriate topic header.

I've got a very small - garage based studio. I'm adding pieces as I go along and am loving the journey.

My question at the moment is with regard to a kiln vent. 

Question 1 - 

Do folks feel that a vent is necessary? How does it effect the development of glazes? (Obviously it introduces more air / oxygen to the kiln....but what is the punchline of the added O2?)

Question 2 -

My kiln lives on a cart under my slab roller. I find that commercially available kiln vents are mostly designed to be permanently installed somewhere, not in a "space is limited" small studio. Has anyone made/seen an implementation of a vent where the kiln wasn't permanently installed in the space? Ideally, I'd be able to make something that disconnected from my kiln when the kiln wasn't in use.

Thanks Everyone,

Andrea

[George Lewter]

With respect to your second question, have you seen my articles:

I have a Do-It-Yourself Kiln Vent page at http://cone6pots.ning.com/page/doityourself-kiln-power-vent

Some while later I made the vent fan and ducting serve a second function of exhausting a compact spray booth. The page is at Do It Your Self Spray Booth. You could make an easily disassembled version of either or both. Flexible aluminum vent line allows me to change back and forth between the two applications. 

If you are not always leaving your garage door open and possibly running a box fan or equivalent while firing your kiln, then fumes may be accumulating in your garage that are dangerous to your health. Electric kilns are clean, but some of the clay and glaze components generate toxic gases during a firing that will leak out of an unvented kiln.  

[Andrea Wolf]

I hadn't come across those articles yet. Thanks for the pointers. I will definitely look into those and see what I can come up with for a modular, dis-connectable setup.

Thanks George!