Can I store a kiln outside?

you certainly can store &/or fire the kiln outside - under a shelter.

i keep mine outside under a simple roof. although in southern california it's certainly not weather prone like London, England.

the foot stands you likely have under the kiln keeping it off the floor are indicators of how close to a wall you might get.

don't let standing water be around the kiln. cement floor i assume?

see ya

steve

griz wrote:

remember

It's encouraging...

Yes, I have one bit which is concreted over and I could put the kiln on raised blocks, but not sure how much permanent shelter I could give it. Sometimes, the rain here is horizontal ....

Presumably your roof is much larger than the kiln?

many thanks

How about making a pole structure with a good roof to keep out the worst of the rain, then use tarpaulin to make the walls, securing it well to the 4 corner posts and making an overlap where you want to enter/exit. Make it nicely bigger than the kiln and possibly make it so you can let the tarpaulin up at the bottom to let heat out.

Whatever you do, don't just cover the kiln with plastic/tarpaulin - as you run the risk of condensation doing worse damage than the rain would.

Marianne

In your shoes I would make space in the conservatory, I store clay outside (under a small plastic tarpaulin) and bring it in when I want to use it, also I have stored mixed glazes outside in plastic buckets with lids. These things can be re-constituted if need be, a Kiln with accumulated damp in its electrical components will not! The soft brick used in these Kilns absorb water like a sponge from the atmosphere. I have stored a gas kiln outside (under a Tarp), which was OK provided I spent time drying it out! the one time I didn't dry it out properly I got a series of small but destructive explosions inside it which ruined several pieces inside it. Don't leave it outside in the UK, put it in the conservatory!

Steve Bath UK

In article , griz writes

Others have answered most of your questions. Regarding rust, I don't think there should be much rustable metal on most kilns, which have stainless jacket, Kanthal elements, etc. But I'd be concerned about the controller getting wet, especially if it is electronic. Even covering with a tarpaulin will not keep the humidity out.

But the wiring is more likely to be a problem. You do indeed need heavy wiring, and you will probably need to have a permanent outdoor outlet installed. The longer the run from the mains box, the heavier the wires needed. Even if your electrical code allows you to run a monster cable out an open window, that's probably not very practical. I suggest you look at this aspect first before getting too involved with your plans.

Best regards,

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

As a matter of interest, Kanthal wire is an alloy of iron/chromium/cobalt/aluminium (can't remember the proportions) and it WILL rust if exposed to wet conditions. Rusty Kanthal wire has a reduced service life due to pitting - keep it dry!

Dave

Dave, thanks for this info. I knew Kanthal contained iron, but then again so does stainless steel. Does it actually produce iron rust (as in reddish-brown powder, etc), or what? I've never seen Kanthal exposed to really wet conditions, but a spool stored in a typical moderately-humid basement shows no sign of any rust or corrosion after many years. On the other hand, elements that have been through a heating cycle are definitely not the same as a spool of shiny new wire!

Best regards,

Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis

Bob,

I had 12 years as a kiln technician and builder, and saw kilns in all sorts of sad conditions.

I was given a roll of unused Kanthal A1 pitted with rust spots after storage near the ocean, admittedly for many, many years. I couldn't use it because of the pitting.

As you would know, used elements are protected by a coating of aluminium oxide, but when exposed to high moisture conditions, such as a water saturated kiln, this seems to break down and the element will become pitted with rust after a while. Not really sure how long it would take, I guess that depends on moisture and temperature, etc. It's not really powdery rust, more like hard "scabs" on the surface which eat into the wire, but definitely iron oxide. When fired, the elements fail at the pit holes.

Interestingly, a faulty element will also rust in the same way when the kiln is fired several times with the element not operating.

Regards

Dave

Just found the composition of Kanthal A1 (approximate)

Chromium 22% Aluminium 6% Iron 72%

Dave