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big shelves

updated fri 3 dec 99

 

Carol Seidman on sun 28 nov 99

Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
Carol Seidman
__________________________________________
NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
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Pottery by Dai on mon 29 nov 99

Hi, Carol - we have cut kiln shelves using an angle grinder with a ceramic
blade/disc/wheel, whatever it's called. We didn't seal the cut edges with
anything---the material is very dense and doesn't seem to crumble away, if
that was your concern. While on the subject of cutting, I have also cut
down broken posts into other lengths, using a hack saw with a ceramic blade;
don't forget to allow for the amount of waste in the "cut" when measuring.
Dai in Kelowna, almost ready to leave for the other side of the Rockies for
the last show of the season---Festival of Crafts, in Calgary. Not looking
forward to the drive, but definitely looking forward to the show and
visiting friends and relatives in Alberta afterwards. Will be off Clayart
till Dec. 15, suffering withdrawal symptoms, no doubt!
-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Seidman
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Sunday, November 28, 1999 7:59 AM
Subject: Big Shelves


>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
>Carol Seidman
>__________________________________________
>NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
>Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
>http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
>

Mark & Pauline Donaldson-Drzazga on mon 29 nov 99


----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Seidman
To:
Sent: 28 November 1999 15:57
Subject: Big Shelves


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
> Carol Seidman
> __________________________________________
> NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
> Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
> http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
>

Hi Carol,

I use an angle grinder with a stone disc in it. Works brilliantly on shelves
and props. Wear goggles.

Happy potting Marek http://www.moley.uk.com

Earl Brunner on mon 29 nov 99

Ceramic shelves will cut fairly easily, however you need to use the right
equipment. Check into renting a diamond bladed tile saw. They use a water
cooling system to keep the blade cool and will cut like butter.

Carol Seidman wrote:

> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
> Carol Seidman
> __________________________________________
> NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
> Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
> http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html

--
Earl Brunner
http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
mailto:bruec@anv.net

Cindy Strnad on mon 29 nov 99

Carol,

Pay a local rockhound to cut the shelves for you. Check with rock shops, the
reference librarian (for gem and mineral club meeting places), and so on.

Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
Custer, SD

Dorothy Weber on mon 29 nov 99

I've had pretty good luck with using the Masonry rated blades. They usually
wear out after several cuts but they are not that expensive, at Lowes or Home
Depot. This assumes you are not trying to cut carbide shelves.

Ronan ORourke on mon 29 nov 99

Hi Carol,

an angle grinder with a stone cutting disk on it, will do the trick.

Wear a good mask and googols, very dusty job.

BFN Ronan

-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Seidman
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: 28 November 1999 15:59
Subject: Big Shelves


>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
>Carol Seidman
>__________________________________________
>NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
>Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
>http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
>

Veronica Honthaas on tue 30 nov 99

I have found it much easier to have the local masonary shop do my heavy
duty cutting. They charge about $.25 to $.50 and do very profeesional
work. For that price it is just not worth the effort or mess to do it
myself. Veronica



At 02:51 PM 11/29/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Ceramic shelves will cut fairly easily, however you need to use the right
>equipment. Check into renting a diamond bladed tile saw. They use a water
>cooling system to keep the blade cool and will cut like butter.
>
>Carol Seidman wrote:
>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
>> Carol Seidman
>> __________________________________________
>> NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
>> Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
>> http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
>
>--
>Earl Brunner
>http://coyote.accessnv.com/bruec
>mailto:bruec@anv.net
>
>

Jacquelyn Lumsden on tue 30 nov 99

>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Carol Seidman
>To:
>Sent: 28 November 1999 15:57
>Subject: Big Shelves
>
>
>> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
>> Carol Seidman


Hi Carol -

I have not cut down a shelf myself, but did have some full shelves done by
the pottery supplier here in town. I just had a very small wedge cut on
either side for a place to hold on to it as it is quite tight and scrapes
the knuckles otherwise! Try making a paper pattern first as it is easy to
take off too much. I think that the straight line might be only about 7
inches or so. For your half shelves you might just have to nip off the
corners.

Jackie Lumsden
Waterloo, Ont
where we had our first snowfall last night.

Vince Pitelka on tue 30 nov 99

>Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,

Carol -
Normal cordierite electric kiln shelves can be cut quite easily. Get an
abrasive masonry blade for your skillsaw. Soak the shelves in water, and
then blot off all excess water. For obvious reasons, you do not want the
shelves dripping wet when you cut them with an electric saw. But if you
soak them in water beforehand, they will cut much cleaner and cooler. It
usually works best to cut them in several successive passes, re-moistening
between cuts, and then increasing the depth of the cut each time.

You do not need to seal the edge at all. You can use a normal angle-grinder
with masonry-grade grinding disk to round off the sharp edges if you want.
Good luck -
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@DeKalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166

Fredrick Paget on tue 30 nov 99


Hi Carol,
The corderite shelves used in Scutt kilns are very easy to cut. There are
a lot of different ways to do it.

If you have a lot of shelves to do and no tools available you can , at
least around here in California, rent a wet tile saw with a diamond blade.
I once rented a 10 inch one for two hours for 25 dollars and got it home
set it up and cut about twenty 12 inch granite tiles to fit my bathroom
floor (tiles previously marked) and got it back to the rent-all place
before they soaked me for another hour. Those saws will cut kiln shelves
like butter. There is no dust to worry about either.

If you have an old table saw a 5 dollar masonry blade will make fast work
of them also but the dust is deadly, AP Green warns about cutting
refractories dry, They say it is about the worst kind of silica dust .

The Beardsleys once told me that they wore out a 200 dollar diamond tile
blade cutting silicon carbide shelves for the Tozan Kiln. I also saw their
son cut one with a hammer and chisel.

In the next block from the Clay People ceramic supply store in Richmond ,
CA , I see a place that cuts stuff with a water jet at 50,000 pounds per
square inch pressure. I stopped in once and asked them if it would cut a
silicon carbide kiln shelf and they thought it would. They have a 90 dollar
minimum for a trial if anyone wants to try it.
In the next block from the Clay People ceramic supply store in Richmond ,
CA , I see a place that cuts stuff with a water jet at 50,000 pounds per
square inch pressure. I stopped in once and asked them if it would cut a
silicon carbide kiln shelf and they thought it would. They have a 90 dollar
minimum for a trial if anyone wants to try it.

I cut down 7 or 8 one inch corderite shelves using a masonry blade outside
in a 30 year old Sears table saw which is on its third motor. The saw is
cast iron and about indestructable. I was wearing a HEPA respirator and
face shield as well as gloves and old jacket. A 10 inch masonry blade will
cut about 10 shelves before wearing down to a nub. I found the Norton
blades to be the best. Blue label.

You can also get dry cut diamond blades in several different quality
levels. All the way from 20 dollars to a couple of hundred depending on
size and quality. The real cheap ones will not cut a hard brick worth a
damn but they will cut a shelf but slowly.

Using an angle grinder for this job is doing it the hard way and the cuts
are done free hand so it is up to you to make a straight cut. Also kind of
risky.
Fred Paget

>> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
>> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
>> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
>> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
>> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
>> Carol Seidman
>

>From Fred Paget, Marin County, California, USA

Bevelynn Harris on wed 1 dec 99

A regular masonry blade will zip right through them, available at almost all
hardware or building supply stores. Be sure to wear a mask as it makes a lot
of dust.
----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Seidman
To:
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 1999 9:57 AM
Subject: Big Shelves


> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Has anyone had success in cutting down kiln shelves? I am about to
> order a new Skutt kiln, and would like the one with 3" bricks rather
> than 2 1/2. This cuts down the interior firing chamber from 23" to 22. I
> have a bunch of 21" half shelves which I would like to cut down. What
> blade for my rotary saw, and can the cut edges be sealed? Many thanks,
> Carol Seidman
> __________________________________________
> NetZero - Defenders of the Free World
> Get your FREE Internet Access and Email at
> http://www.netzero.net/download/index.html
>

Tuckers Pottery Supplies on thu 2 dec 99

At 03:21 PM 12/1/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>A regular masonry blade will zip right through them, available at almost all
>hardware or building supply stores. Be sure to wear a mask as it makes a lot
>of dust.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Carol Seidman
>To:

Also make sure that you wear face and eye protection.Masonry blades wear
very quickly and little pieces break off at a high speed.

Frank Tucker
Tucker's Pottery Supplies
1-800-304-6185
Tuckers Pottery Supplies
1800-304-6185