Clay inserts

[Bosaiya]

Does anyone have any information on the successful inclusion of clay bowl inserts? I've made a few and can't help but think that it's possible to do without completely botching the job.

The purpose is mostly utilitarian, just something to line the bowl for better heat distribution. As much as I enjoy a nice relaxing smoke in my easy chair the sad reality is that most times I indulge while deeply engrossed in other things. Strict attention to detail is not always possible and although I like a good fire as much as the next person I prefer to set them intentionally and preferably further away from my face.

The wife wouldn't mind if I singed off my beard which, of course, makes it a personal mission of mine not to do so.

[KurtHuhn]

The wife wouldn't mind if I singed off my beard which, of course, makes it a personal mission of mine not to do so.

I'm afraid I don't have any insight on clay inserts, but that line right there is hilarious! My wife threatens regularly to take a scissors to my beard after I've fallen asleep.

[Bosaiya]

I tried to accommodate the wishes of woman-kind this weekend by burning most of the hair off my left arm in a yard cleaning incident but that wasn't good enough and just got me yelled at for filling the house with a different type of foul-smelling smoke. You can't win, can you?

I figure we're okay until they learn about reverse psychology. When that day comes it's time to head for the hills (and caves).

Some further reading of olden pipes has piqued my interest. I have a few clay-clay pipes and of course the usual collection of meerschaums and whatevers. Back in school I did some work with fired clay and even made a few pretty wild pipes, but the projects were, um, more free form. I'm already pretty dangerous with a torch for minor tool forging, I'm not sure adding a homemade kiln into the mix is such a safe idea. No doubt my brand-new burned-though Carhartt's would agree.

[justintdunn]

i have recently been making clay pipes. it depends on the type of clay you are using and what cone you are firing the clay at. if you are just letting it dry, it may not do well for you. but, for instance if you fire your stoneware (which is what i am using) at a cone 6, it will naturally glass over and make a good insight. HOWEVER, the problem i have found, which i have not solved yet is how to size it. as the clay shrinks as it dries and it shrinks even more as you fire it.

[e Markle]

shape the chamber to fit the already fired clay bowl.

[PiperandPotter]

You can calculate the shrinkage of the clay from "wet stage" through bone dry and "fired" with a simple technique. This would only make sense if you had a very small kiln, such as a test kiln, unless you also make other things in clay quite often and would be ale to fill a normal sized kiln. What you do is roll out a slab of clay and then cut it into a rectangular shape. Then take a ruler and cut a shallow and straight line into the clay, mark a 10 cm distance along the line and then let dry. Make sure to dry slowly or turn it over after it has reached leather hard so that the slab will not curl. Fire the piece and then measure again:

1- (fired length/original length) x 100= shrinkage %