yet another back breaking brick laying adventrue

well well well you blog people. yes, the lost boy of blogging is back. well not back as in i will blog everyday, but,,, well i won't even say it. So The crew (me, will baker, micah cain) drove down to asheboro to start the build for Donna Craven's new barrel arch tube kiln. This is a fairly big kiln, not a giant pot eater, but for donna and her working style i think the design and size is perfect. She currently is using a smaller version of this style thats maybe 40 inches tall inside and 3 feet wide and about 6 feet long. This new kiln is 60 inches at the crown, almost five feet wide and 10 feet long. I didn't just use regular and usual kiln dimensions on this one as far as firebox length, and firewall height because i hope that i can achieve a similar firing style to Donna's old kiln. The exit flue wall will have multiple exit flues side to side and up the wall. I even plan on putting in a couple 4.5x5 flues above the dampers! Donna crash cools her kiln which can be dangerous with really big pots. The idea is a quick cool down to 2000 degrees rather than 1800, then the kiln will still cool quickly due to the open flues. We got to the point you see in the last image. Tomorrow Evan and I will drive down early, with Ross Edwards signing on to help, work for 7 or 8 hours laying the chimney and back exit flue wall (they go up at the same time becuase they are shared up to the top of the arch) Hopefully if the roof is up by now we can go ahead and unroll the fiber on the arch. I will likely be going down the next 3 weekends to work and fire the kiln with Donna. I will post pictures of the finished kiln and possibly the firing!!! This kiln was almost the death of my kiln building career, at one point after 4 12hour days my back was so locked up i could barely walk. But never fear, Shane Mickey kiln designs is open for business, so tell your friends and neighbors. see ya round the brick yard shane