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crusader repair

updated tue 19 may 09

 

ncwhite on sun 17 may 09


My ancient Crusader, the best kiln I've owned, was damaged in the move =3D
to my new home. =3D20
There are a few chunks of brick approx. 3" by 1" laying on the bottom =3D
plus some granulated brick. Elements are sagging in a few places.
The kiln is 24" ID.
220v power supply.

I bought dry kiln cement and element pins.

To what consistancy do I mix the cement?
Apply to both surfaces of the chunks?
Press into place immediately?
Should I make a paste of the granulated brick and attempt to replace the =
=3D
damaged element groove?
Do I fire the kiln empty to set the cement?

This old kiln heats to ^10 faster than my 18"ID Paragon. Nowadays, I =3D
stick to ^6 but it's nice to have the "workhorse" capability.

Thanks for any assistance.
Neva in Yuma, AZ where it's hitting 104=3DBA today.

Arnold Howard on mon 18 may 09


From: "ncwhite"
There are a few chunks of brick approx. 3" by 1" laying on
the bottom plus some granulated brick. Elements are sagging
in a few places.
-----------
Element grooves are usually difficult to cement back into
place. It is easier to hold a small section of broken groove
with several element staples than to cement it. A broken
groove that is only a couple of inches long needs no repair.

Another technique: If an element starts to bulge out past
the broken groove, you can hold the element in place with an
element staple.

Most brick damage is at the top of the brick walls. The
easiest way to repair is to slide out a top brick and
replace with a new one.

Another technique is to cut out the damaged section of brick
with a hack saw blade. Then make a replacement piece from a
new firebrick and cement it in place. The trick is to make
the repair piece fit so precisely that you can barely see
the seam after the repair is finished.

Click here to download firebrick repair instructions:

http://www.paragonweb.com/files/manuals/IM234_Firebrick_Repair.pdf

Sincerely,

Arnold Howard
Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA
ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com