chuck hackbarth on thu 30 apr 98
How do I repair my the lid of my old alpine electric kiln? The bricks are
loose and ready to fall. It has been repaired once before with Amaco kiln
cement. That is not holding. I do have sodium silicate for adhering
insulation to a raku kiln Is this usable for the Alpine electric?. Sally
Hackbarth
lpskeen on fri 1 may 98
chuck hackbarth wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> How do I repair my the lid of my old alpine electric kiln? The bricks are
> loose and ready to fall. It has been repaired once before with Amaco kiln ceme
I am interested to know if there is anything one can put on cracked
bricks in the electric kiln. When I moved mine into the kiln house at
UNCG, I leaned across the kiln and braced my hand on the brick, which
promptly crumbled off. I pressed the brick back into place, and it
hasn't fallen out, but there are a couple of other places where patches
are needed. What is this kiln cement? Why doesn't it work, and is
there a better alternative?
--
Lisa Skeen
Living Tree Pottery & Soaps
"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful
words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of
the good people." -- Dr. M. L. King, Jr. 4/16/63
Vince Pitelka on fri 1 may 98
>How do I repair my the lid of my old alpine electric kiln? The bricks are
>loose and ready to fall. It has been repaired once before with Amaco kiln
>cement. That is not holding. I do have sodium silicate for adhering
>insulation to a raku kiln Is this usable for the Alpine electric?
Sally -
I have fixed many electric kiln lids with refractory cement, and when
repaired properly they last indefinitely (until someone drops the lid
closed, which is usually what makes them go bad).
Get some high quality high-duty refractory cement, such as APGreen
Greenpatch 421, or National Refractories Trowel-Eze. Remove the lid from
the kiln and lay it on the floor. With a screw driver, loosen the clamps in
the back of the lid next to the hinge (that is where the clamps seem to be
in most electrics). Lift the stainless steel band away from the outside of
the lid and set it aside. Spread the bricks apart along all the joints
where they are loose. Use a putty knife and a wire brush to remove all soft
or flaky cement from the bricks, making sure to put them all back where they
go. If you are worried about mixing them up, take a felt pen and label
adjacent bricks A-A, B-B, C-C, etc. Once you have thoroughly cleaned all
the bricks, lay them out in order on a flat space on the floor or a flat
table, covered with plastic sheeting. Start at one edge cementing the
bricks back together. Before applying cement to the bricks, dip them
completely in water. This is absolutely essential, because you will not get
a strong joint if the porous bricks suck the moisture out of the refractory
cement immediately. It needs time to cure. Quickly apply refractory cement
to both brick surfaces, and press them firmly together on the floor or
table. When you cement on the next brick, do not move those you have
already cemented. Continue this until you have reassembled the whole lid.
If the lid has cracked along irregular lines, you may have to plan your
reassembly strategy, as the parts may key together in a certain order, like
a puzzle.
After you have finished reassembling all the bricks, place the stainless
band around the lid, squirt a little oil or WD-40 on the band clamps, and
tighten them up securely. Leave the lid on the floor or table for 48 hours
or so, and then attatch it back on the kiln, prop the lid open a few inches,
and turn the bottom element on low for 24 hours or so. You should be able
to fire the kiln after that.
If you use a built-in prop to hold the lid open, make absolutely sure it is
functioning properly, and locks in place securely. You only have to drop
the lid closed one time to ruin a new lid or a new repair job.
Good luck -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
Home 615/597-5376, work 615/597-6801, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
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