Jamie, I should explain some more please forgive me I got caught up in the rush of just getting it done with no injury's or major errors [language edited by monitor]. The lime kiln's in the photo's are unique in the world as they use sea sand to make lime instead of crushed limestone, henceforth their size is larger then normal. They run at about 900 degree's C and hottest at the end of the rotary kiln/smoke camber part, the cooler area's are at the top where the sea sand enters and then go thou a number of cyclones that heat up the material to produce very high quality quick lime used in the mining industry. The air cannon's stop the build up of material on the cyclone walls and cone areas by delivering the whole volume of air at 110 PSI in the tank down a 4" transition pipe into a fan-jet nozzle to sweep the area clean in a third of a second, the air cannon fires 6 times a hour a archive this. Will post some photo's of the build up inside the cyclone when I find them again. That's for the honest interest. More Red Wine please Michael.

Now I get it...sounds very interesting, but what do they do with the lime, or should I say what's it's purpose in the mining process???...it's amazing what they can do now-a-days with modern technology. I hope these questions aren't stupid...I just never knew any of this.

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

Hi Michael,

Thanks for sharing...how long has this job taken you to? How's the red wine?

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

Jamie,
Good to hear from you again. I did drop off the planet for a while as you do when doing too many things at once. To answer your question, the first stage mounting and installing the air cannon tanks took about 2
weeks with five people working 10 hour days on site and we had 3 days rained off the job as well. The next stage is installing the nozzles and transition pipe(4 " dia h/wall) from the nozzles to the tanks on the 5 of September when the kiln is off and have access to the inside. I find it very eerie being on the inside of the kiln and will post some photos to see what you think, has some very interesting shapes in material build up on the walls.
Have also helped build a shed 18m long X 7:5m wide X 3 high in the last 8 weeks plus normal living things and I feel stuffed.
The red wine is going down very well thanks.
Bye for now,
Regards Michael.

Hello Michael,

The job sounds intense! I'm assuming the kiln is made of metal...right? So, are the shapes in material build up on the walls from what ever is being burned on the inside to heat up the kiln? How big is the kiln...quite large if you can go inside, right? Does the kiln stay on most of the time?

Again, I'm full of questions...you have been extremely busy. I've been busy as well...I received some orders for my work, and so I've been busy creating...

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

Inside Lime Kiln: This whole tower is the lime kiln plus a large rotarty kiln at the base of the tower that looks like the space schutle laying down. In the middle of the photo is cyclone 4 with the orange air cannons attached and is about 8 to 10 Metres in dia and about 30 M tall.The next photos show what it looks like on the inside.Lime Kiln: This image shows the area the left clear of build up (lime dust gone hard)because of the air cannons blasting build away before it sets and on the right you can see the build up on the cyclone wall. You can also see some cracks in it and normaly without the cannons this will eventily fall of the wall and block the narrow cone area at the base of the cyclone. Some of these pieces are 2m x 1m and can weight over a tonne.Inside Lime Kiln: This is a close up of the wall near the roof of the cyclone and as you can see has some interesting forms which embed in my mind.

Inside cyclone 4 showing the the installed nozzles for air cannons before refactory is sprayed in.Me cellbrating 53 years of lifeInside Cyclone 4 Installing nozzles for air cannonsInside cyclone 4 Kiln 5 level 4: When I started kiln 5 shut down ( total isolation ) it was my 53 birthday and I was going to smile all day no matter what happened until I found the lift was not working. After counting over 1000 steps I stoped counting.( not happy Jan). Away When I entered the the cyclone early in Morning the sharft of light comming through the entery hole uplifted my resole and will share this with a few of the photo's to give you a feel of whats happening with me at present. Artwork is what I wish I was doing however earning a living is what I am doing. Foregive me for not being present. Cheers Michael.

Hello Michael!

Happy Birthday! This has been an interesting process to see. Nice to hear from you again. I hope you got out and some fun for your special day.

Please post more soon!

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

Hope your finished with your major project and are basking in the money made....have a Happy Birthday drink on me....!!
It's definitely wine-o-clock!!!SteelyJan

Hi SteelyJan,
It is wine o clock when I walk in the door at home which at the present is about 7:30 pm and I leave home at 5:30am in the morning so about 9:30 pm I have had about two to three wines plus a meal and will be in bed sound asleep. Could be boring for most people however it is only short term and the rewards are high both personaly and financilly. Hey check out our work group we are very different but we formed the best team I have had in five years.
Cheers for now Michael.

Hello Jamie,
I agree at present my work is very intense as shut downs always are. It dose have it's rewards in the people you meet and work with. My roll as supervisor is to oversee the the installation and how we interact with other work groups. At the end of everyday I thank higher powers that everybody in my work group has had a injury free day, the paper work will kill otherwise.Only two more days to go and should finish up on this Saturday the 13/9/08, weather,electrical power and lift working will all have a impact on this date. My family made me feel special on my birthday however was still in bed by 9:30 at night as normal otherwise I don't function the next day.Will post a photo my our work group we are a very multicultural group.That's me on the left.
Cheers Michael.Air Cannons

Congrats on finishing the job...it's always nice to finally get to the end of a long project. Sometimes they seem to take so long that it seems at times never ending. It looks as though you've enjoyed yourself and the crew, and that's a plus, for it's really about the journey and not the destination.

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

Hi Jamie,
I have to say I am amazed to see you are still with me on this project you may see the connection between what I do for a living and my artwork? I know there is a influence and except this however I do like to not use a tape measure when doing my metal work as I see this to be the instrument of limitation yet the opposite applies in my work life.
There you go letting it out,Transition Pipe Work Installed After Nozzles Installed on The InsideInside Cyclone 4 Kiln 5 After Hot Facing Is Sprayed In Around NozzlesInsulation Sprayed in Around Nozzles about 100mm( 4" thick) Before Hot Face Refactory Is Sprayed InTime Out To Take In The View Near Sun SetView Of Kiln 6 With Cross Over: Have Installed About 108 Air Cannons over the last 6 years at this site and have many menorieys and experenices to draw from.Nozzles Installed Fit Transition pipe Work Next- Get On With !!Install Level 3 Cyclone 3Another Level we Are Changing Cyclone 4 Cone Section
Cheers Michael.

Hello Michael,

Yes, it's interesting to me to see the development of this project. I think we can agree that life has more facets to it then just having fun with the medium of our choice in creating our art.

I too have to work for a living, and do like the three jobs I juggle to make all ends meet. One of them I'm weening off of, and one is just to bring in income, and yes of course I'm learning tons from, and developing better skills, which helps me in the third which is the one I'm trying get to take off.

It's nice to hear that you like to break away from the measuring tape...that's something I'm learning to use more, which I'd rather eyeball it, but in jewelry most of the time measurements need to be accurate.

This job is something I had no concept of until you started posting, and although I don't really understand all that's going on I still find it interesting to see, and quite erie as you put it earlier in your post. Maybe that's from all the horror movies I've watched growing up.

This might be a dumb question, but do you weld much on this job??

Cheers,

Jamie Santellano

John and Me at the endThis is Jake one of the colourfull people on site!!Finished 4" dia transition pipe workHello Jamie,
I must admit I have been physically and mentally exhausted after the last stage of installing the nozzles and transition pipe work. Your question about welding is not a dumb question at all it made me realize just how much welding took place so hear goes.What you must realize all welding is usually 3 runs with a 2:5 mm dia electrode as we are only using 140 amp caddy single phase welders, power supply did not allow us to use bigger power units.So lengths below you can times by three!!
Installing the tank stands- 12 meters
Nozzles and cover plates - 54 meters
Transition pipe work - 89 meters
Times by three to convert to feet approx.
Just when I believed it was all over for another year I am now quoting to install 40 double ender air cannons on kiln 6 to install in Jan 09 oh no not that far away- need time off to recover.
Will post just a couple more photo's to view.Finished refactory work looking at the nozzles: Looking at the nozzles after finishing the refactory work.Finished 4" Dia transition pipe workFinished 4" dia transition pipe workFinished 4" dia transition pipe work

Hi Michael,

Sorry it took so long to reply. It sounds like you have lots of steady work on your side...that's great!! With the elections and our unbelievable economy steady work for some is hard to find.

Congrats on the job, and take a nice break from it all!

Cheers!

Jamie Santellano

Hi Jamie,
Work is is still on the up and up as the mining boom is still going with China's demand on our resources for iron ore ,nickel and alumina. The way to go is to try to pace yourself out to last the distance. I try and the pace gets away from me all the time so I just move the priority of different clients. You would not believe the area I have to cover in square miles, very large !! but that s Western Australia very large.
Warm regards Michael.