Paul Haigh on wed 10 mar 10
My door has, until recently, been k23's more or less leftover from my kiln =
build a few years ago now. I sprayed them lightly with ITC100 to reduce iss=
ues with ash buildup. Many are broken, so I purchased some 2600F IFB's.
The new bricks are a smoother texture and less hard than my other K26's- wh=
ich seemed more macro-porous and rough. The new bricks are breaking like ma=
d- more than half are broken after one firing and a bisque.
What is a durable option? Do people just use hard bricks? I've seen cast bl=
ocks as well (in pics)
-pH
http://wileyhill.com
James Freeman on wed 10 mar 10
Paul...
For both the salt kiln and the wood kiln at the local college, we used
cast blocks for the doors.=3DA0 Each course is three blocks wide.=3DA0 I bu=
ilt
a block mold out of plywood, but with a little difference.=3DA0 The mold
has a flat bottom, which forms what will be the front or back of the
block. and two plumb long sides, which form what will be the top and
bottom of the block.=3DA0 For the two short sides, which form the ends of
the blocks, I made two different panels.=3DA0 The first panel is plumb,
and the second is a pair that slope at about 10 degrees.
For the two end blocks, I installed one plumb end and one sloped end,
such that the cavity was wider at the top.=3DA0 The blocks cast in this
manner will have a square end which goes up against the door jambs,
with the wider part of the other end toward the inside of the kiln and
the smaller face out.=3DA0 The center block thus needs to be keystone
shaped, so both ends of the mold get sloped panels.=3DA0 The resulting
block fits into the center opening, with all of the sloped faces
mating.=3DA0 This gives you a very good seal, and has the advantage of
being completely adjustable should your door opening ever shift wider
or narrower.
I also made a tapered wooden block which could be screwed to one of
the long faces before pouring the castable.=3DA0 The block would leave a
tapered peep hole on the edge of the block, for which a mating soft
brick plug can be fashioned.
The plywood for the form needs no finish.=3DA0 A coat of kerosene or
diesel before each cast protects the wood and serves as a mold
release.
The blocks in the salt kiln lasted for probably 100 firings.=3DA0 The
blocks in the wood kiln have probably 30 firings on them so far, and
show no deterioration whatsoever.
Here is a sketch, in case my description is unclear (assuming the
formatting holds). This is a top view of one row:
______ ____ ______
| / / \ \ |
|____/ /_____\ \____|
Hope it helps.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. =3DA0I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Paul Haigh wrote:
>
> My door has, until recently, been k23's more or less leftover from my kil=
=3D
n build a few years ago now. I sprayed them lightly with ITC100 to reduce i=
=3D
ssues with ash buildup. Many are broken, so I purchased some 2600F IFB's.
>
> The new bricks are a smoother texture and less hard than my other K26's- =
=3D
which seemed more macro-porous and rough. The new bricks are breaking like =
=3D
mad- more than half are broken after one firing and a bisque.
>
> What is a durable option? Do people just use hard bricks? I've seen cast =
=3D
blocks as well (in pics)
Paul Haigh on wed 10 mar 10
This is a very good description. Hank also suggested cast blocks. The angle=
s take care of my concerns about direct view through the spaces. I assume t=
hese were fired before use. Were they hard castable or insulating?
Thanks!!
-pH
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Freeman"
To: wileyhill@comcast.net
Cc: Clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:18:09 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: Door bricks
Paul...
For both the salt kiln and the wood kiln at the local college, we used
cast blocks for the doors. Each course is three blocks wide. I built
a block mold out of plywood, but with a little difference. The mold
has a flat bottom, which forms what will be the front or back of the
block. and two plumb long sides, which form what will be the top and
bottom of the block. For the two short sides, which form the ends of
the blocks, I made two different panels. The first panel is plumb,
and the second is a pair that slope at about 10 degrees.
For the two end blocks, I installed one plumb end and one sloped end,
such that the cavity was wider at the top. The blocks cast in this
manner will have a square end which goes up against the door jambs,
with the wider part of the other end toward the inside of the kiln and
the smaller face out. The center block thus needs to be keystone
shaped, so both ends of the mold get sloped panels. The resulting
block fits into the center opening, with all of the sloped faces
mating. This gives you a very good seal, and has the advantage of
being completely adjustable should your door opening ever shift wider
or narrower.
I also made a tapered wooden block which could be screwed to one of
the long faces before pouring the castable. The block would leave a
tapered peep hole on the edge of the block, for which a mating soft
brick plug can be fashioned.
The plywood for the form needs no finish. A coat of kerosene or
diesel before each cast protects the wood and serves as a mold
release.
The blocks in the salt kiln lasted for probably 100 firings. The
blocks in the wood kiln have probably 30 firings on them so far, and
show no deterioration whatsoever.
Here is a sketch, in case my description is unclear (assuming the
formatting holds). This is a top view of one row:
______ ____ ______
| / / \ \ |
|____/ /_____\ \____|
Hope it helps.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Paul Haigh wrote:
>
> My door has, until recently, been k23's more or less leftover from my kil=
n build a few years ago now. I sprayed them lightly with ITC100 to reduce i=
ssues with ash buildup. Many are broken, so I purchased some 2600F IFB's.
>
> The new bricks are a smoother texture and less hard than my other K26's- =
which seemed more macro-porous and rough. The new bricks are breaking like =
mad- more than half are broken after one firing and a bisque.
>
> What is a durable option? Do people just use hard bricks? I've seen cast =
blocks as well (in pics)
Paul Haigh on wed 10 mar 10
Sorry- I am mixing responses here, I see that you told me Mizzou...
Must get more coffee...
----- Original Message -----
From: wileyhill@comcast.net
To: "James Freeman"
Cc: Clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:40:51 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: Door bricks
This is a very good description. Hank also suggested cast blocks. The angle=
s take care of my concerns about direct view through the spaces. I assume t=
hese were fired before use. Were they hard castable or insulating?
Thanks!!
-pH
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Freeman"
To: wileyhill@comcast.net
Cc: Clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 10:18:09 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Re: Door bricks
Paul...
For both the salt kiln and the wood kiln at the local college, we used
cast blocks for the doors. Each course is three blocks wide. I built
a block mold out of plywood, but with a little difference. The mold
has a flat bottom, which forms what will be the front or back of the
block. and two plumb long sides, which form what will be the top and
bottom of the block. For the two short sides, which form the ends of
the blocks, I made two different panels. The first panel is plumb,
and the second is a pair that slope at about 10 degrees.
For the two end blocks, I installed one plumb end and one sloped end,
such that the cavity was wider at the top. The blocks cast in this
manner will have a square end which goes up against the door jambs,
with the wider part of the other end toward the inside of the kiln and
the smaller face out. The center block thus needs to be keystone
shaped, so both ends of the mold get sloped panels. The resulting
block fits into the center opening, with all of the sloped faces
mating. This gives you a very good seal, and has the advantage of
being completely adjustable should your door opening ever shift wider
or narrower.
I also made a tapered wooden block which could be screwed to one of
the long faces before pouring the castable. The block would leave a
tapered peep hole on the edge of the block, for which a mating soft
brick plug can be fashioned.
The plywood for the form needs no finish. A coat of kerosene or
diesel before each cast protects the wood and serves as a mold
release.
The blocks in the salt kiln lasted for probably 100 firings. The
blocks in the wood kiln have probably 30 firings on them so far, and
show no deterioration whatsoever.
Here is a sketch, in case my description is unclear (assuming the
formatting holds). This is a top view of one row:
______ ____ ______
| / / \ \ |
|____/ /_____\ \____|
Hope it helps.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Paul Haigh wrote:
>
> My door has, until recently, been k23's more or less leftover from my kil=
n build a few years ago now. I sprayed them lightly with ITC100 to reduce i=
ssues with ash buildup. Many are broken, so I purchased some 2600F IFB's.
>
> The new bricks are a smoother texture and less hard than my other K26's- =
which seemed more macro-porous and rough. The new bricks are breaking like =
mad- more than half are broken after one firing and a bisque.
>
> What is a durable option? Do people just use hard bricks? I've seen cast =
blocks as well (in pics)
James Freeman on wed 10 mar 10
Paul...
I believe we used cast-o-lite. I'll try to find my notes. Yes, you
have to cook the blocks a certain way the first time they are used.
The castable company provides complete instructions.
Take care.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 10:40 AM, wrote:
> This is a very good description.=3DA0 Hank also suggested cast blocks.=3D=
A0 T=3D
he
> angles take care of my concerns about direct view through the spaces.=3DA=
0 =3D
I
> assume these were fired before use.=3DA0 Were they hard castable or insul=
at=3D
ing?
>
Ann Brink on wed 10 mar 10
Hello James,
I too made cast blocks for my gas kiln and they held up well, for a while,
but shrank enough to where I have to fill in the cracks with refractory
fiber. I am thinking of making a new set. I used crosspieces of plywood
connected by slits, and set them up on the driveway on some plastic
sheeting.
I like your idea of sloping the bricks-thanks for the explanation.
Would you mind sharing the recipe for the castable you used?
Ann Brink in Lompoc CA
(mostly about pottery)
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Freeman"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 7:18 AM
Subject: Re: Door bricks
Paul...
For both the salt kiln and the wood kiln at the local college, we used
cast blocks for the doors. Each course is three blocks wide. I built
a block mold out of plywood, but with a little difference. The mold
has a flat bottom, which forms what will be the front or back of the
block. and two plumb long sides, which form what will be the top and
bottom of the block. For the two short sides, which form the ends of
the blocks, I made two different panels. The first panel is plumb,
and the second is a pair that slope at about 10 degrees.
For the two end blocks, I installed one plumb end and one sloped end,
such that the cavity was wider at the top. The blocks cast in this
manner will have a square end which goes up against the door jambs,
with the wider part of the other end toward the inside of the kiln and
the smaller face out. The center block thus needs to be keystone
shaped, so both ends of the mold get sloped panels. The resulting
block fits into the center opening, with all of the sloped faces
mating. This gives you a very good seal, and has the advantage of
being completely adjustable should your door opening ever shift wider
or narrower.
I also made a tapered wooden block which could be screwed to one of
the long faces before pouring the castable. The block would leave a
tapered peep hole on the edge of the block, for which a mating soft
brick plug can be fashioned.
The plywood for the form needs no finish. A coat of kerosene or
diesel before each cast protects the wood and serves as a mold
release.
The blocks in the salt kiln lasted for probably 100 firings. The
blocks in the wood kiln have probably 30 firings on them so far, and
show no deterioration whatsoever.
Here is a sketch, in case my description is unclear (assuming the
formatting holds). This is a top view of one row:
______ ____ ______
| / / \ \ |
|____/ /_____\ \____|
Hope it helps.
...James
James Freeman
"All I say is by way of discourse, and nothing by way of advice. I
should not speak so boldly if it were my due to be believed."
-Michel de Montaigne
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesfreemanstudio/
http://www.jamesfreemanstudio.com/clayart/
On Wed, Mar 10, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Paul Haigh wrote:
>
> My door has, until recently, been k23's more or less leftover from my kil=
n
> build a few years ago now. I sprayed them lightly with ITC100 to reduce
> issues with ash buildup. Many are broken, so I purchased some 2600F IFB's=
.
>
> The new bricks are a smoother texture and less hard than my other K26's-
> which seemed more macro-porous and rough. The new bricks are breaking lik=
e
> mad- more than half are broken after one firing and a bisque.
>
> What is a durable option? Do people just use hard bricks? I've seen cast
> blocks as well (in pics)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
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23:33:00
shane mickey on thu 11 mar 10
paul,i have found the new soft brick coming out of china to be of a lesser =
q=3D
uality than the american soft brick from the big manufacturers. that said d=
i=3D
pping them in a very thin(very watery) air setting mortar will harden them =
a=3D
bit and make them last a bit longer. if they broke in the first firing i w=
o=3D
uld suspect it maybe your door set up. is the threshold that you lay the fi=
r=3D
st layer on nice and level? how are you stacking the door, does it get off =
l=3D
evel or are bricks spanning uneven gaps? I don't think highly of some of th=
e=3D
ifb's on the market but have not experienced the problems to the extent yo=
u=3D
speak of, sorry to hear your woes. check that threshold. hardbrick is an o=
p=3D
tion, but is a pain in the butt to put up, you could get some insulating ca=
s=3D
table and make blocks that are manageable in size to build the door out of.=
=3D
good luckshane=3DC2=3DA0shane mickey kiln design services.http://www.shanem=
ickey=3D
potterslife.blogspot.com/
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Robert Briscoe on thu 11 mar 10
Hello all. I use bricks to make my door as well and when they break (and
they will) Just glue them back together with a "Sair-Set" ready made bric=
k
mortar or some other brand if it not available. They will be stronger than
the original. I have many "repaired" bricks in my kilns and kiln doors.
The essential trick is to dip each broken face in clean water for about 5
seconds each before dipping into the mortar mix. Once you have dipped then
put the bricks back together and press the two parts together with some goo=
d
hard pressure. Scrape off the mortar that oozes out later after you have
assembled a few and them let sit standing up untouched for a day. Handle
with a little care until ther are fired in your door the first time. Of
course they will now be about a 32nd of an inch bigger but what the hell,
its a whole brick again.
This works great. I have many of these "fixer" bricks in one of my kilns
that I repaired in 1976. I love to get boxes of broken bricks to salvage
instead of paying $3 each or whatever they cost these days. Don't forget t=
o
dip in water! Bob Briscoe
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