Should I repair a “found” kiln that needs work?
A friend of mine found a kiln and has given it to me. It needs a new power cord (it’s electric), and I was planning on using it on a concrete surface and firing it outside (only in good weather!). However, the fire brick is substantially cracked inside and I’m concerned that it might be too damaged to fire well or safely.
Please offer any suggestions, advice, warnings…I’ll include details on the kiln and pictures if that would help!
if the firebrick just wants to disintegrate when you touch it i wouldn’t bother trying to fix it. if the brick still seems to be well intact then i could be worth the effort. the element needs to be intact and have no kinks in it or it will just burn out and break. as long as all the connections still work. about the cracks in the bricks as long as they’re not major it should be OK you just might not be as efficient as it could be. if the cracks are major you can get kiln fiber to fill them or replace the brick (a manufacturer might be giving away broken bricks they have) when i was in college we built a raku kiln (gas) outside out of angle irons from bed frames and bricks from a manufacturer that were seconds. if the bricks are damp and you do fire it leave the lid ajar so the moisture can escape and fire it slow. good luck
|
|
The Electric Kiln (Ceramics Handbooks) $29.76 A must-have reference for any serious potter, The Electric Kiln is a complete manual on how to install an electric kiln, how to use it properly, and how to maintain and repair it. Harry Fraser fully describes the distinctive features, advantages, and disadvantages of both top-loading and front-loading kilns, as well as various other kiln types. He shows the basic effects of heat on clays, glazes, … |
Tags: Pottery
