search  current discussion  categories  kilns & firing - misc 

rusty kilns,

updated thu 26 sep 02

 

Lily Krakowski on tue 24 sep 02


If I appear distracted this morning, it is that my first e-mail told me of
the death of a good friend. Expected, yes, a spear through the heart, also.

Clay is immortal however....

A lot of these remedies suggested for rusty kilns do not, to the bet of my
knowledge, withstand the intense heat kilns generated. So unless you want
it for decoration only, I think you are wasting your money.

Then. Again, in my experience, kilns don't rust. What looks like rust is a
deterioration called something or other scale. Is it fire scale? It
happens to old kitchen ovens too. As far as I know there is no cure.

If you are concerned with holding the kiln together I have used automotive
hose clamps braised or welded together to make them long enough. What gave
me the idea of the hose clamps is that on my kilns the steel bands are held
together BY hose clamps. If they are good enough for the manufacturer....

What I have done with fire scale--pretty sure that is the name--is to steel
brush--a hand held brush, not one in a drill--and vacuum up the dust. As to
stuff falling in the kiln, maybe your solution could be to put a shelf over
your last loaded shelf.








Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

Rob Van Rens on tue 24 sep 02


Lily,

My sincerest condolences on your loss.

Kilns can indeed rust. As is evidenced by mine...why would you think that
kilns do no rust?

Fire scale _is_ rust. It's just an iron oxide (rust) that forms at a higher
temperature, usually in a reducing atmosphere, and therefore is black
instead of red.

I'm a blacksmith. You can beleive me when I say, with some authority, that
a kiln can and indeed will rust. Just because the jacket is stainless won't
stop it. just retard it. Stainless rusts, too, particularly when exposed to
high heat.

As far as the cure goes, you're right - there isn't one. Wire-brushing it
off and vacuuming it up sounds like as good a methods of dealing with it as
any others I've heard.

Sorry if my typing is incoherent - had a tooth extracted and several
repaired yesterday, I'm still feling more than a little woozy.

Robert Van Rens, Workshop Coordinator
Otto Kroeger Associates
703-591-6284, x110 Phone
703-591-8338 Fax
www.typetalk.com

A lot of these remedies suggested for rusty kilns do not, to the bet of my
knowledge, withstand the intense heat kilns generated. So unless you want
it for decoration only, I think you are wasting your money.

Then. Again, in my experience, kilns don't rust. What looks like rust is a
deterioration called something or other scale. Is it fire scale? It
happens to old kitchen ovens too. As far as I know there is no cure.

If you are concerned with holding the kiln together I have used automotive
hose clamps braised or welded together to make them long enough. What gave
me the idea of the hose clamps is that on my kilns the steel bands are held
together BY hose clamps. If they are good enough for the manufacturer....

What I have done with fire scale--pretty sure that is the name--is to steel
brush--a hand held brush, not one in a drill--and vacuum up the dust. As to
stuff falling in the kiln, maybe your solution could be to put a shelf over
your last loaded shelf.








Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

Lily Krakowski on tue 24 sep 02


Thank you Rob. Clear, precise, informative, and a corrective even to my
correction. Let me try again. Fire scale is NOT normal rust that we all
know and hate from when we leave our bicycles in the rain. Fire scale is a
special subspecies of rust and in my experience comes from FIRING not
standing around.

Thank you for the condolences. Sorry about your tooth.



Rob Van Rens writes:

> Lily,
>
> My sincerest condolences on your loss.
>
> Kilns can indeed rust. As is evidenced by mine...why would you think that
> kilns do no rust?
>
> Fire scale _is_ rust. It's just an iron oxide (rust) that forms at a higher
> temperature, usually in a reducing atmosphere, and therefore is black
> instead of red.
>
> I'm a blacksmith. You can beleive me when I say, with some authority, that
> a kiln can and indeed will rust. Just because the jacket is stainless won't
> stop it. just retard it. Stainless rusts, too, particularly when exposed to
> high heat.
>
> As far as the cure goes, you're right - there isn't one. Wire-brushing it
> off and vacuuming it up sounds like as good a methods of dealing with it as
> any others I've heard.
>
> Sorry if my typing is incoherent - had a tooth extracted and several
> repaired yesterday, I'm still feling more than a little woozy.
>
> Robert Van Rens, Workshop Coordinator
> Otto Kroeger Associates
> 703-591-6284, x110 Phone
> 703-591-8338 Fax
> www.typetalk.com
>
> A lot of these remedies suggested for rusty kilns do not, to the bet of my
> knowledge, withstand the intense heat kilns generated. So unless you want
> it for decoration only, I think you are wasting your money.
>
> Then. Again, in my experience, kilns don't rust. What looks like rust is a
> deterioration called something or other scale. Is it fire scale? It
> happens to old kitchen ovens too. As far as I know there is no cure.
>
> If you are concerned with holding the kiln together I have used automotive
> hose clamps braised or welded together to make them long enough. What gave
> me the idea of the hose clamps is that on my kilns the steel bands are held
> together BY hose clamps. If they are good enough for the manufacturer....
>
> What I have done with fire scale--pretty sure that is the name--is to steel
> brush--a hand held brush, not one in a drill--and vacuum up the dust. As to
> stuff falling in the kiln, maybe your solution could be to put a shelf over
> your last loaded shelf.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Lili Krakowski
> P.O. Box #1
> Constableville, N.Y.
> (315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
>
> Be of good courage....
>
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
> melpots@pclink.com.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.



Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389

Be of good courage....

william schran on tue 24 sep 02


Lily suggests kilns don't rust. This may certainly be true of
stainless steel banded kilns, but the Amaco HF series is constructed
from painted steel and they do rust!
Bill

Penni Stoddart on wed 25 sep 02


> Lily suggests kilns don't rust. This may certainly be true of
> stainless steel banded kilns, but the Amaco HF series is constructed
> from painted steel and they do rust!
> Bill

Thanks for that Bill. I was beginning to think I had not only touched off a
HUGE debate but that I was going nuts looking at my rusty kiln. I may be
lots of things but stupid about what rust is, I ain't!

Indeed my Amaco _is_ painted steel and is in fact green (where it's not
rusty mind you!). I have a stainless kiln I bought used from a friend that I
have yet to afford kiln shelves etc. for and it is certainly NOT rusty.

Really, all I wanted to know was... if I could get rid of the rust (which I
do occasionally with a shop vac only) can I then paint it with BBQ paint.
Thinking that the BBQ paint would withstand the heat that gets out to the
top of the kiln lid area.
I think I got my answer a few times over and thanks to all for that. I shall
hop to the Home Depot this week to check out their supplies.

~~~~
Penni,
In London Ontario Canada, where the fall weather has finally arrived and it
is cool and crisp in the mornings (not that I am a morning person mind you
but I like the fall) =o)