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diy kiln posts

updated sat 8 aug 98

 

David Hendley on fri 7 aug 98

At 09:38 AM 8/6/98 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Does anyone out there have a formula for making your own extruded kiln shelf
>supports?


I make all my kiln posts, and they are better than anything I can buy.
I extrude them with a 1 1/2" square die with a 3/8" hole in the center.

Here are some paragraphs I cut and pasted from
some of my posts last year:

This is how I get rid of my crumbled and broken insulating fire bricks.
The idea is to use as much firebrick grog as possible and still be able to
extrude a reasonably smooth tube.
I run the broken bricks through a hammer mill and screen
through "window screen" mesh.
If you don't have a mill, a good 3 pound sledge is just about as fast.
Try for about half and half - bricks/fireclay with 10% ball clay to
add a few fine particles.
Slake well and dry to soft plastic consistancy.
You need all the plasticity you can get, so don't skip the wet slaking.

I got the idea for this years ago when I learned that the Paragon Co.,
that makes electric kilns in Texas, did this with the small pieces that
are left over when bricks are trimmed for a 12 sided kiln.

Why are these posts better than what I could buy?
Since I fire a wood kiln, after extruding my kiln posts I roll them
in alumina hydrate for a good thick coating on all 6 sides.
It stops ash build-up and sticking to the shelf.

David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
http://www.farmpots.com