fire bricks

Hi,
I just got a bunch of "fire bricks" given to me. I'm guessing
that they might be refractory bricks and good to make a kiln with.

I dont know much about the different types of bricks.
I seem to have three kinds,
1) brand new, bright white, sort of light in weight, and fragile
2) new darker, much heavier and solid flat smooth
3) used in a furnace, dry stacked cream colored, very light in weight
and very friable.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I may have and what I can
best use them for.

Al

Give them to me....
Heavy hard brick takes higher heat and last longer but conducts heat to the
cold side faster.
(I used it on one of my kilns)
Soft brick will stand about 2200F I think and will lose much less heat.
You can loose stack them and use a weed burner to melt metal if thats what
you want to do.
I say that because Al haunts all my news groups
Les



On 23-Oct-2003, Alpinekid wrote:

Hi,
I just got a bunch of "fire bricks" given to me. I'm guessing
that they might be refractory bricks and good to make a kiln with.

I dont know much about the different types of bricks.
I seem to have three kinds,
1) brand new, bright white, sort of light in weight, and fragile
2) new darker, much heavier and solid flat smooth
3) used in a furnace, dry stacked cream colored, very light in weight
and very friable.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I may have and what I can
best use them for.

Al

wrote:
Give them to me....
Heavy hard brick takes higher heat and last longer but conducts heat to the
cold side faster.
(I used it on one of my kilns)
Soft brick will stand about 2200F I think and will lose much less heat.
You can loose stack them and use a weed burner to melt metal if thats what
you want to do.
I say that because Al haunts all my news groups
Les



On 23-Oct-2003, Alpinekid wrote:


Hi,
I just got a bunch of "fire bricks" given to me. I'm guessing
that they might be refractory bricks and good to make a kiln with.

I dont know much about the different types of bricks.
I seem to have three kinds,
1) brand new, bright white, sort of light in weight, and fragile
2) new darker, much heavier and solid flat smooth
3) used in a furnace, dry stacked cream colored, very light in weight
and very friable.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I may have and what I can
best use them for.

Al


what can I say, great minds think alike:-)
Al

wrote:
Give them to me....
Heavy hard brick takes higher heat and last longer but conducts heat to the
cold side faster.
(I used it on one of my kilns)
Soft brick will stand about 2200F I think and will lose much less heat.
You can loose stack them and use a weed burner to melt metal if thats what
you want to do.
I say that because Al haunts all my news groups
Les



On 23-Oct-2003, Alpinekid wrote:


Hi,
I just got a bunch of "fire bricks" given to me. I'm guessing
that they might be refractory bricks and good to make a kiln with.

I dont know much about the different types of bricks.
I seem to have three kinds,
1) brand new, bright white, sort of light in weight, and fragile
2) new darker, much heavier and solid flat smooth
3) used in a furnace, dry stacked cream colored, very light in weight
and very friable.

Can anyone enlighten me as to what I may have and what I can
best use them for.

Al


I'm asking here because I picked up enough for a kiln, if I got what I
think I got. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a
penrose shaped floor tile for my new house. Nothing really fancy or
artisy but I have to find something unique for the place. So far it
just looks like the cracker box I'm currently living in.

I really feel for a house tile, join a ceramics class(mine cost $200) and
tell the instructor what you want to make.
Then you can use there clay, glaze, and kiln to fire it in.

Clay must be fired quite close to its temp. for a floor tile to stand up
traffic.

Wall art is another story, that can be quite weak and still serve its
pourpose(sp).

You may want to look into Raku, I have even sold one of the faces I made and
I'm not such a great artist.

Les

On 24-Oct-2003, Alpinekid wrote:

I'm asking here because I picked up enough for a kiln, if I got what I
think I got. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a
penrose shaped floor tile for my new house. Nothing really fancy or
artisy but I have to find something unique for the place. So far it
just looks like the cracker box I'm currently living in.

wrote:
I really feel for a house tile, join a ceramics class(mine cost $200) and
tell the instructor what you want to make.
Then you can use there clay, glaze, and kiln to fire it in.

Clay must be fired quite close to its temp. for a floor tile to stand up
traffic.

Wall art is another story, that can be quite weak and still serve its
pourpose(sp).

You may want to look into Raku, I have even sold one of the faces I made and
I'm not such a great artist.

Les

On 24-Oct-2003, Alpinekid wrote:


I'm asking here because I picked up enough for a kiln, if I got what I
think I got. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a
penrose shaped floor tile for my new house. Nothing really fancy or
artisy but I have to find something unique for the place. So far it
just looks like the cracker box I'm currently living in.


Thanks for the advise. I have this on-going problem in my life. I get my
toys before I get the toy box built.

This whole brick thing started last week when I was minding my own
business and drove by a dumpster full a fire bricks. They had come out
of a dry stacked furnace. No mortor to clean up or anything. Just some
chips around the edges from being dumped into the dumpster. I knew they
wouldnt be there after I got the house build:-) so I snaged them.

I will be looking for a class but not until I get the roof up. Plus
right now I just got a short job type gig but they want me to showup and
do work before they will give me the money:-) What is a guy to do?
Its not much but it helps and who knows where it will lead.

Al

I'm asking here because I picked up enough for a kiln, if I got what I
think I got. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a
penrose shaped floor tile for my new house. Nothing really fancy or
artisy but I have to find something unique for the place. So far it
just looks like the cracker box I'm currently living in.


Thanks for the advise. I have this on-going problem in my life. I get my
toys before I get the toy box built.

This whole brick thing started last week when I was minding my own
business and drove by a dumpster full a fire bricks. They had come out
of a dry stacked furnace. No mortor to clean up or anything. Just some
chips around the edges from being dumped into the dumpster. I knew they
wouldnt be there after I got the house build:-) so I snaged them.

I will be looking for a class but not until I get the roof up. Plus
right now I just got a short job type gig but they want me to showup and
do work before they will give me the money:-) What is a guy to do?
Its not much but it helps and who knows where it will lead.

Al


They actually want you to show up and WORK before they pay you?
Is there no end to the abuse??!! LOL
Depending on what part of the country you are in, firebrick (soft brick) can
cost
$2-3 each or more, tax and shipping not included, so if you got them from a
dumpster, you
did very very well for yourself, friend. If you "have enough for a kiln",
you have just
saved yourself somewhere between $1000 and $3000.

Color me avocado with envy :)

Wayne in Key West

wayneinkeywest wrote:
I'm asking here because I picked up enough for a kiln, if I got what I
think I got. I have been toying with the idea of trying to make a
penrose shaped floor tile for my new house. Nothing really fancy or
artisy but I have to find something unique for the place. So far it
just looks like the cracker box I'm currently living in.

Thanks for the advise. I have this on-going problem in my life. I get my
toys before I get the toy box built.

This whole brick thing started last week when I was minding my own
business and drove by a dumpster full a fire bricks. They had come out
of a dry stacked furnace. No mortor to clean up or anything. Just some
chips around the edges from being dumped into the dumpster. I knew they
wouldnt be there after I got the house build:-) so I snaged them.

I will be looking for a class but not until I get the roof up. Plus
right now I just got a short job type gig but they want me to showup and
do work before they will give me the money:-) What is a guy to do?
Its not much but it helps and who knows where it will lead.

Al



They actually want you to show up and WORK before they pay you?
Is there no end to the abuse??!! LOL
Depending on what part of the country you are in, firebrick (soft brick) can
cost
$2-3 each or more, tax and shipping not included, so if you got them from a
dumpster, you
did very very well for yourself, friend. If you "have enough for a kiln",
you have just
saved yourself somewhere between $1000 and $3000.

Color me avocado with envy :)

Wayne in Key West



I just finished sorting them. I picked up about 400 bricks. They all
have dings in the edges but most have one clean edge and some have 2 or
more. I'm thinking that with some refractory morter I can make
something. I'm not sure how big. I dont even know how big backyard kilns
need to be to be useful. I'm looking for a good book.

I have given a few away to my blacksmith friends. They only seem to need
a dozen or so for forges. I dont mind spreading the wealth amoung
friends. One hand washes the other and all that kind of stuff.

I have been studing the propane burners that the blacksmiths use for
forges and casting furnaces. I have noticed that they use colors for
heat but the pottery folks use something called cones. I guess these are
like the colors to a blacksmith only you have to buy them and watch them
melt. Clay does glow like metal does.

What would be a good reference that to give me more info?
Al

I just finished sorting them. I picked up about 400 bricks. They all
have dings in the edges but most have one clean edge and some have 2 or
more. I'm thinking that with some refractory morter I can make
something. I'm not sure how big. I dont even know how big backyard kilns
need to be to be useful. I'm looking for a good book.

I have given a few away to my blacksmith friends. They only seem to need
a dozen or so for forges. I dont mind spreading the wealth amoung
friends. One hand washes the other and all that kind of stuff.

I have been studing the propane burners that the blacksmiths use for
forges and casting furnaces. I have noticed that they use colors for
heat but the pottery folks use something called cones. I guess these are
like the colors to a blacksmith only you have to buy them and watch them
melt. Clay does glow like metal does.

What would be a good reference that to give me more info?
Al

Al:
Try the kiln book by Olsen. Excellent reference!. I just came back from a
3day
workshop in NC, where we built a gas fired Minnesota Flat Top kiln, and
ocnverted an electric to electric/gas (which lets you do reduction firing)
You can view the pictures here
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i...21b3512cf40558

Also, do a search on your news server for
"wood". There is a wood kiln group that recently started a group online.
Lot of helpful people.

Good luck!
Wayne Seidl