Disrepair in Full Color

It occurred to me that after seven years of hammering the old wood kiln it was starting to look pretty shabby and needed not only cosmetic repairs, but also a number of more important functional updates: the stoke doors/bricks have always been a nuisance, there are major cracks inside the firebox and corners of the arch, and of course, the fiber/stucco covering is crumbling. Here are a couple of full color pics I took with Stacey's new camera this morning.

the backside of the arch showing

spy plugs and soot from 29 firings

The lower end of the arch, showing,
grate bars and primary air flues(bricked up)

The kiln has cooled quickly to about 700*F last time I checked. The dampers were left open about 2 inches and this morning I opened them to about 4 inches. The Obama-ware has to be in NY by Friday! I will try to get the door down tomorrow, but if you've read this blog before you know my kiln takes foreevvvvvver to cool. So, cross your fingers.

a maple tree in the wood yard

a goldenrod