Almost all top loading cylindrical Kilns have cracks in the base. When
you consider the edges of the base are pinned down by the sides, and the
middle expands and contracts with each firing I'd be amazed if they
didn't crack. We bought an Olympic 4 cube in 1979, by the time we moved
workshops in '84 it had done over 1000 firings. We stopped counting
then. It has been fired 3 to 4 times a week ever since. Over the years
we've replaced several sets of elements and about 6 bricks. the floor is
cracked to hell and as solid as it ever was. Despite looking very beat-
up it still fires brilliantly.

I have no connection with the company; just a satisfied customer.

Steve
Bath
UK


In article , Bri "Share,D,Computer"@boein
g.com writes
I've been told that the cracks don't matter and if you want you can use
the kiln mortar to patch them up.


Doug Porter wrote:

A couple weeks ago I finished my first glaze firing in my brand new
Olympic Kiln----WHAT A DISASTER!!!!
I am still trying to chisel pieces of glaze and pottery off of my
shelves. Anyways, to add to my misery I noticed, post firing, that
the fire bricks on the bottom of my kiln have cracked. How could this
have happened and what should I do about it? I did put kiln wash on
the bottom per recommendation of the instruction manual---could that
have contributed? I also put two shelves on posts down there so I
wasn't loading directly on the bottom---also per recommendation of the
instruction manual. However the cracks are nowhere near the post
locations. Will I be able to fire with the bricks like that? Is this
normal? HELP PLEASE!
LMac

--
Steve Mills
Bath
UK