Burn-off fumes -permanant or transient?

Melissa · Post by **Melissa** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:10 am

Hi! Here is a question I really don't want to hear the answer to, unless its the RIGHT answer! But common sense is winning out - so I will try to accept whatever answer comes!
I have a wonderful and huge kiln from Phil Teefy, but unfortunately, either he or I mis-measured the door to the basement where I intended to use it. The result is, it could only fit through my front door, and is now in my house - which is more or less open plan.
I think the kiln is beautiful, so that is no problem, but the problem is the burn-off of Thin Fire shelf paper and some paints, specifically Hanovia gold.
I have the kiln cracked until about 650, and until then it is really a terrible smell. After that it seems to have burnt off. I leave all doors and windows open during that time, and I also go somewhere else - like the garden or the basement. If I am in the main house I get a very bad headache during the burn off time. After that all is OK and no smell. So my question is...is the smell, just a smell - and after it's gone, it's gone. Or is that an illusion? And really some toxic residue/substance remains in the house/air? In which case (here is the reason I dont want the answer!) I have to build a shed especially for the kiln, which I can sweep and vacuum and aerate...
(my house is filled with all sorts of clutter, so that if there is a real residue, it will have lots of crevises and surfaces to sit and be toxic on.)
Thanks for your input!!!!!
Melissa

Cliff Swanson · Post by **Cliff Swanson** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 8:30 am

Melissa,

An alternative to building a new enclosure for your kiln would be to get a kiln vent. I am firing my kiln in a similar situation, in that we live in a single story house that has no basement. My glass shop area is in the front room of the house; a room that sane people would probably use as a reading room or living room. My solution to the identical problem you describe was to buy an Orton kiln vent. The kiln is situated in a corner, and there are windows within about 6-8 ft of the kiln on each of the walls that form the corner. I fabricated an insert out of plywood and mounted a dryer vent into it. I don't use the kiln vent for most firings, but when I'm firing an item with organics that will burn out, I open the window, put the plywood/dryer vent apparatus in, and close the window down on it. I attach the flexible 4" hose from the kiln vent to the window apparatus, turn on the vent, and fire the kiln. No odors, no headaches, and it's not terribly complicated at all to make this a reality.

Cliff

Melissa · Post by **Melissa** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 10:34 am

Thanks! That looks a great idea, as long as I can put the vent into Phils kiln. I looked at the Orton website, and it seems as though I just need to drill holes in the kiln - but I will check with Phil first.
As a matter of interest (and in the period before I get and set up the kiln - do you know if the particulates are solid?
Thanks again
Melissa

Cliff Swanson · Post by **Cliff Swanson** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 1:43 pm

I'm not sure what particulates you might be referring to, Melissa, but general reference to anythign particulate indicates a solid as opposed to a vapor. For instance, dust is a particulate material, whereas a liquid that vaporizes is tiny droplets (I mean itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny droplets) that evaporate into the surrounding atmosphere. Our nervous system interprets the evaporation as an odor when the molecules come in contact with the moist membranes of our nose and/or mouth. Generally a particulate material leaves a dust film as it settles onto a surface. I hope this helps you interpret your situation.

Regarding drilling holes into your kiln for the Orton vent... This is a very easy task. Fire brick is not dense, and is quite soft. It's so soft, in fact, that the recommended method for drilling the required holes is to simply twist the drill bit (normal 1/4" drill bit, supplied with the vent) into and through the brick by hand

It's very easy. The exact location and number of holes you might need to drill depends on the volume of your kiln, and the recommendations for this are supplied with the vent as well.

Do a search of postings here because there recently was a discussion of the use of kiln ventilation and some sharing of opinions about the relative merits of locating the vent holes in different places in the lid or sides of a kiln. I have a Jen-Ken 24" dia x 13" deep kiln, and I drilled according to the Orton recommendations. One hole is directly in the center of the kiln floor (over the larger hole in the stand for the vent), and one in the lid, at the back and close to the edge (but still inside of the fire brick that forms the kiln wall of course).

Cliff

Jim Wixon · Post by **Jim Wixon** » Wed Apr 23, 2003 2:29 pm

I would check with Phil about how to best vent your new kiln..he would know if the Orton hood or floor vent model would work best. I have floor vents on 2 kilns and do not use them because they affect the heat distribution and are not predictable...and the room ventalation is ok
jim

Lynne Chappell · Post by **Lynne Chappell** » Thu Apr 24, 2003 12:18 am

According to my fibre supplier, the binders burning off are not toxic although they certainly don't smell nice and there is something there that instinct says "don't inhale this". There may be some particulates left behind because it is an organic substance burning off and there would be some carbons (just have a look at the fibre while it's cooking).

Not so for the Hanovia Gold. I'm told that the carrier is pretty nasty stuff. Cancer causing and all. Don't know about residue.