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kiln gasket?

updated mon 20 nov 06

 

Fred Parker on fri 17 nov 06


My used Skutt 1027 has an area around the lid handle where the firebrick
is worn down somewhat. I assume this is from propping the lid open with a
kiln post of fire brick during the first hours of firing. The result is a
leak around the lid when closed. I can see a gap of maybe 1/8" by 10"
under the handle when the interior is hot enough to glow.

Is there any product for sealing this? Should I just ignore it and write
off the heat loss?

Many thanks for the advice,

Fred Parker

Frank Colson on fri 17 nov 06


/Any size and thickness gasket can stop heat leakage with a piece of ceramic
fiber blanket, thick or thin!

Frank Colson
www.R2D2u.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Parker"
To:
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 12:07 PM
Subject: Kiln gasket?


> My used Skutt 1027 has an area around the lid handle where the firebrick
> is worn down somewhat. I assume this is from propping the lid open with a
> kiln post of fire brick during the first hours of firing. The result is a
> leak around the lid when closed. I can see a gap of maybe 1/8" by 10"
> under the handle when the interior is hot enough to glow.
>
> Is there any product for sealing this? Should I just ignore it and write
> off the heat loss?
>
> Many thanks for the advice,
>
> Fred Parker
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>

Eleanora Eden on fri 17 nov 06


Hi Fred,

I use strips of kaowool for a gasket to make a better seal between lid and rim.
This would certainly work for your situation.

Eleanora




>My used Skutt 1027 has an area around the lid handle where the firebrick
>is worn down somewhat. I assume this is from propping the lid open with a
>kiln post of fire brick during the first hours of firing. The result is a
>leak around the lid when closed. I can see a gap of maybe 1/8" by 10"
>under the handle when the interior is hot enough to glow.
>
>Is there any product for sealing this? Should I just ignore it and write
>off the heat loss?
>
>Many thanks for the advice,
>
>Fred Parker
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>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.


--
Bellows Falls Vermont
www.eleanoraeden.com

Cindy Gatto on fri 17 nov 06


we have the same situation we use a product labeled "ceramic rope" it is a
insulating and gasket rope material! I know Ceramic Supply in Lodi NJ has it
but I'm sure most suppliers will have it It works well.

Cindy Gatto & Mark Petrin
The Mudpit
228 Manhattan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11206
718-218-9424
_www.mudpitnyc.com_ (http://www.mudpitnyc.com/)
mudpitnyc@aol.com

Patrick Cross on sat 18 nov 06


I didn't follow this from the beginning but might I suggest a cheap low-tech
solution...If the area of the gap isn't all that large, why not just roll a
small coil of soft clay to stick there right before closing the lid? Sure
you might have to do it everytime you fire the kiln but how hard would that
be?

Patrick Cross (cone10soda)


On 11/18/06, Vince Pitelka wrote:
>
> Frank Colson wrote:
> > /Any size and thickness gasket can stop heat leakage with a piece of
> > ceramic
> > fiber blanket, thick or thin!
>
> Frank -
> As a published expert on kilns, do you really want to recommend ordinary
> ceramic fiber blanked as a gasket, knowing that with each use it will be
> releasing volumes of carcinogenic fibers, when one could choose instead to
> purchase woven ceramic gasket material that is specifically designed for
> this application? Most of the makers of ceramic fiber also make a wide
> variety of other products, including woven gasket material.
> - Vince
>
> Vince Pitelka
> Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
> Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
> vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
> http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
> http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> 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.
>

darrell calhoun on sat 18 nov 06


I just bought a fiber blanket material from an Ebay store at a great price. I plan to create a gasket on the electric kiln lid. I decided to buy this particular fiber because it is lung soluable. I feel this will be less hazardous for the students and, of course, me. Go to ebay and search: "safe" ceramic refractory fiber. It pops right up


Fred Parker wrote:
My used Skutt 1027 has an area around the lid handle where the firebrick
is worn down somewhat. I assume this is from propping the lid open with a
kiln post of fire brick during the first hours of firing. The result is a
leak around the lid when closed. I can see a gap of maybe 1/8" by 10"
under the handle when the interior is hot enough to glow.

Is there any product for sealing this? Should I just ignore it and write
off the heat loss?

Many thanks for the advice,

Fred Parker

______________________________________________________________________________
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.



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Curtis M. Kularski on sat 18 nov 06


There is this stuff called Kiln Cement made by Amaco and I imagine other companies make it as well. It can be used to patch problems in firebrick. The worn down brick shouldn\'t really be a problem, and you aren\'t loosing that much heat (unless you have noticed a difference in firing times between now and previously in your logs). The space that is open is probably about the equivilent of a peep-hole. I am missing small amounts of brick on my personal kiln from a similar thing, and it hasn\'t caused any problems, but I am planning to patch it to prevent further erosion. There was an oval kiln at my University that fired fine while missing a large chunk out of the top layer of firing brick. That kiln has since been retired from bisque use, but is still in use as a raku pit.

Vince Pitelka on sat 18 nov 06


Frank Colson wrote:
> /Any size and thickness gasket can stop heat leakage with a piece of
> ceramic
> fiber blanket, thick or thin!

Frank -
As a published expert on kilns, do you really want to recommend ordinary
ceramic fiber blanked as a gasket, knowing that with each use it will be
releasing volumes of carcinogenic fibers, when one could choose instead to
purchase woven ceramic gasket material that is specifically designed for
this application? Most of the makers of ceramic fiber also make a wide
variety of other products, including woven gasket material.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/