L. P. Skeen on wed 9 oct 02
Hey y'all. A teacher on another list has found an article about using =
firebrick (I'm assuming it's soft brick) for students to carve. She =
thinks there is aesbestos in the firebrick tho, which would make this =
practice unsafe. (The article is from about 1956.) Anybody know what's =
in a firebrick?
L. P. Skeen www.living-tree.net
the Viscountess Standing Turtle
Living Tree Studios, Summerfield, NC
"Who was the first person to see a cow=20
and say, "Hmmm...I think I"ll squeeze
these dangly things here and drink=20
whatever comes out." ?"
vince pitelka on wed 9 oct 02
Lisa Skeen wrote:
"Hey y'all. A teacher on another list has found an article about using
firebrick (I'm assuming it's soft brick) for students to carve. She thinks
there is aesbestos in the firebrick tho, which would make this practice
unsafe. (The article is from about 1956.) Anybody know what's in a
firebrick?"
There's no asbestos in IFB, but there is silica, so they should not be
carving it if they are creating any dust at all. Even if the students wear
dust masks, they will get the dust in their clothing and breath it later.
I'd stay away from this project.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
iandol on thu 10 oct 02
Dear L. P. Skeen,
There are two forms of fire brick, the dense and the insulating. The =
first is a heavy, dense, hard material, the second, a lightweight, =
porous, friable material.
Neither are useful as sculpting media even though they do not contain =
Asbestos. The powder which would be generated during carving is =
dangerous. It would contain Free Silica. This is known for its ability =
to cause serious lung disease.
I'm sure there will be other similar comments.
A better medium for free carving is Hard Gypsum Plaster. But in this day =
and age, I would not use it because of the dust problem.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis
Edouard Bastarache on thu 10 oct 02
Hello Vince,
lots of refractory bricks, soft or hard, made by dozens
of makers, contain silica crystalline or amorphous.
Best thing to do is to check the MSDS.
In my career in the metallurgical world, I have checked
hundreds of them.
Later,
Edouard Bastarache
Irreductible Quebecois
Indomitable Quebeker
Sorel-Tracy
Quebec
edouardb@sorel-tracy.qc.ca
http://sorel-tracy.qc.ca/~edouardb/
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/smart2000/index.htm
Ron Roy on fri 11 oct 02
I am not sure what temperature fire bricks are fired to but - with no flux
present I am sure they have significant cristobalite - a more dangerous
form of silica than quartz - if they are bricks from a used kiln fired to
stoneware temperatures they will be loaded with cristobalite - run away!
Same deal with kiln wash - loaded - grind with a strong wind at your back
and a proper dust mask.
RR
>There's no asbestos in IFB, but there is silica, so they should not be
>carving it if they are creating any dust at all. Even if the students wear
>dust masks, they will get the dust in their clothing and breath it later.
>I'd stay away from this project.
>Best wishes -
>- Vince
Ron Roy
RR#4
15084 Little Lake Road
Brighton, Ontario
Canada
K0K 1H0
Phone: 613-475-9544
Fax: 613-475-3513
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