Ellen Currans on tue 21 dec 10
A good potter friend here in Oregon wants to tear down and rebuild her
salt kiln after about 60 firings, 50 of them to cone 10. The bricks are
high alumina but she doesn't know the make or anything else about them.
She has been told by another potter who teaches in a local ceramic
department, that if there is any flashing of salt on the bricks they=3D20
cannot be
reused. Of course, she was hoping to save money by using the same=3D20
brick.
What do you experts say?
If she can't reuse the salted inside bricks, would it be alright to use=3D2=
0
the
outer layer on the new inside and replace the outer face with soft=3D20
brick,
perhaps for better insulation?
Thanks for any advice you have. I will pass it on to her.
Ellen Currans
Dundee, Oregon
gwynneth rixon on tue 21 dec 10
Hi, I have been offered a dismantled kiln by a saltglaze potter- if she
reckons that the hard bricks are ok to re-use that is good enough for me!
(All I need is somewhere to build)
We reuse hard bricks every time we brick up the wicket on the salt kiln, so
it sounds fine to re-use them for a whole kiln.
Gwynneth
On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 5:51 AM, Ellen Currans wrote:
> A good potter friend here in Oregon wants to tear down and rebuild her
> salt kiln after about 60 firings, 50 of them to cone 10. The bricks are
> high alumina but she doesn't know the make or anything else about them.
> She has been told by another potter who teaches in a local ceramic
> department, that if there is any flashing of salt on the bricks they cann=
ot
> be
> reused. Of course, she was hoping to save money by using the same brick=
.
> What do you experts say?
>
> If she can't reuse the salted inside bricks, would it be alright to use t=
he
> outer layer on the new inside and replace the outer face with soft brick,
> perhaps for better insulation?
>
> Thanks for any advice you have. I will pass it on to her.
>
> Ellen Currans
> Dundee, Oregon
>
John Britt on tue 21 dec 10
I would not "reuse" any of the bricks! I say that from experience. I ha=
=3D
ve rebuilt multiple kilns and inevitably, some old ones got stuck in and =
=3D
then in the=3D20
subsequent firings they foamed and bloated. (Of course it intermittent an=
=3D
d some=3D20
work and some don't.) You might get away on the outside but I wouldn't do=
=3D
it,=3D20
unless you are prepared to replace them if they bloat. Probably not worth=
=3D
savings=3D20
for the potential rebuild hassle!
But, as always, you do what you want. (Just trying to save you the troub=
=3D
le we=3D20
had!)
John Britt
www.johnbrittpottery.com
Vince Pitelka on tue 21 dec 10
Ellen Currans
"A good potter friend here in Oregon wants to tear down and rebuild her sal=
t
kiln after about 60 firings, 50 of them to cone 10. The bricks are high
alumina but she doesn't know the make or anything else about them. She has
been told by another potter who teaches in a local ceramic department, tha=
t
if there is any flashing of salt on the bricks they cannot be reused. Of
course, she was hoping to save money by using the same brick."
Ellen -
I have known many people who have rebuilt salt kilns using some previously
salt-fired bricks. The "other potter" gave her faulty advice, because of
course hardbricks develop some flashing as soon as they are salt-fired the
first time, and then last for many years after that. She should just examin=
e
each brick piece by piece, and if there is evidence that the salt has reall=
y
penetrated, i.e. if there is any spalling or deep cracks into the surface,
then discard the bricks or use them in a patio. Otherwise they will be fine
to use, even if there is a good salt glaze on one surface.
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
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