C. A. Sanger on mon 14 jun 99
Hi, Mel! Finding the project interesting. What is the castable you are
using, commercial or your own recipe? Also, what's the purpose of the
stainless steel threads? Isn't that an expensive addition, too? My
guys are planning a castable project, a kiln about 6' x 6' x 6' inside,
to fire really large pieces. Any suggestions or warnings?
C. A. Sanger
ShardRock Clay Studio
Kansas, USA
Kurt Wild on tue 15 jun 99
"C. A. Sanger" wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, Mel! Finding the project interesting. What is the castable you are
> using, commercial or your own recipe? Also, what's the purpose of the
> stainless steel threads? Isn't that an expensive addition, too? My
> guys are planning a castable project, a kiln about 6' x 6' x 6' inside,
> to fire really large pieces. Any suggestions or warnings?
>
> C. A. Sanger
> ShardRock Clay Studio
> Kansas, USA
The castable I (Mel was doing plumbing while I made the forms and cast the
pieces) is AP Green Kast-O-Lite 25. It comes in 50 lb bags and requires
90 lbs. to produce one cubic foot of casting. The top of our Bourry box
fire box will consist of two 18" x 36" x 3" thick slabs (101 lbs each after
curing) and the chamber will be covered by 3 slabs each 12" by 36" x3" thick
(67 lbs each after curing). All cast pieces were slowly cured in one of our
other kilns. I used 400 lbs of castable @$27.50 per 50 lb bag. Stainless
steel needles looked about the size of a standard pin without a head and
they come in a 10 lb. box - $41.10. We used them at the rate of about 2% of
the dry weight of the castable used. The needles are an additonal strength
provider.
Cost? We did not have shelves to span the areas we wanted to span and
castable was cheaper than buying shelves to do the job. I also think the
question of expense is rather relative. To some that might seem expesnive
- to me it was not as I wanted something to last - not a band-aid type of
thing!.
Suggestions or warnings --- 1. By all means use a mixer, borrow a cement
mixer. 2. Get a team to do the work. It's not an easy job for one
person. 3. Get curing advise from the manufacturers specification sheets
and advise from the supllier. I did not cure the slabs in as strict a
manner as indicated on the manufactureers specification sheets.
Instructions were for 6" and we only went 3". Slow curing is a must though
to prevent the pieces from exploding. 4. I would not simply oil the forms
but rather use heavy plastic inside the forms. This will prevent any
material from leaking out after pouring and it also makes it easy to get the
castings out of the forms. 5. Puddle the material well! 6. Take Mel's
advise and have a chair available in which to collapse when you are done!
Let me, or Mel know if you have other questions.
--
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Brian Crocker on tue 15 jun 99
One Warning, with such a large inside dimension, can I suggest
some expansion gaps filled with Hot Face Fibre. There will be some movement
and it will either move or crack..
Could you keep the Clayarters posted, it sounds interesting...
Best of luck with the project... Brian C.. from the Land of Oz..
At 05:48 PM2:10: 14/06/99 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hi, Mel! Finding the project interesting. What is the castable you are
>using, commercial or your own recipe? Also, what's the purpose of the
>stainless steel threads? Isn't that an expensive addition, too? My
>guys are planning a castable project, a kiln about 6' x 6' x 6' inside,
>to fire really large pieces. Any suggestions or warnings?
>
>C. A. Sanger
>ShardRock Clay Studio
>Kansas, USA
>
>
Brian Crocker.
4 Erica Street,
Tea Tree Gully 5091,
South Australia. [e.mail] crocker@dove.net.au
The Driest State that's a little wetter now.
Kurt Wild on wed 16 jun 99
"C. A. Sanger" wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi, Mel! Finding the project interesting. What is the castable you are
> using, commercial or your own recipe? Also, what's the purpose of the
> stainless steel threads? Isn't that an expensive addition, too? My
> guys are planning a castable project, a kiln about 6' x 6' x 6' inside,
> to fire really large pieces. Any suggestions or warnings?
>
> C. A. Sanger
> ShardRock Clay Studio
> Kansas, USA
Question - with such a large kiln why use a castable? Why not brick? I
feel brick would be much easier. On Clayart I posted that it too 90 lbs per
cubic foot for castable and that would cost a little less than 100 lbs or
$27.50 x 2 = $55.00 If you figure a 9" brick stack of 3 bricks wide (which
equals 12-1/2") by 5 brick high (which equals 5 x 2.5" or 12-1/2") you have
slightly more than one square foot. If the brick (insulating) costs $2.50
each x 15 brick the cost would be $37.50 or 17.50 cheaper thjan castable.
The disclaimer here is that -- I MIGHT be wrong in my calculations so you
better double check me if you want to be sure.
Just the other day I saw a great solution top a hinged door that must have
been at least 5 feet square. The door was made of 1" thick strips of fiber
blanket the width of the door and about 6" wide the thickness of the door.
These strips were laid one on top of each other like a loaf of sliced bread
on end and then framed with angle iron. In order to hold the strips in
place a few stainless steel rods were driven down through a hold in the
frame and then down through the blanket. Unfortunately I did not inquire as
to the cost f that arrangement. It did make a wonderful door.
--
Kurt Wild
1000 E. Cascade Ave.
River Falls, WI 54022
Phone: 715-425-5715
email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Pancioli on thu 17 jun 99
Dear Mel:
Did I understand that the lids sections to the kiln will weigh 100 pound
each? Is that before or after firing?
Thanks,
Diana
Mo and Les Beardsley on thu 17 jun 99
Kurt Wild wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> "C. A. Sanger" wrote:
>
> > ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> > Hi, Mel! Finding the project interesting. What is the castable you are
> > using, commercial or your own recipe? Also, what's the purpose of the
> > stainless steel threads? Isn't that an expensive addition, too? My
> > guys are planning a castable project, a kiln about 6' x 6' x 6' inside,
> > to fire really large pieces. Any suggestions or warnings?
> >
> > C. A. Sanger
> > ShardRock Clay Studio
> > Kansas, USA
>
> The castable I (Mel was doing plumbing while I made the forms and cast the
> pieces) is AP Green Kast-O-Lite 25. It comes in 50 lb bags and requires
> 90 lbs. to produce one cubic foot of casting. The top of our Bourry box
> fire box will consist of two 18" x 36" x 3" thick slabs (101 lbs each after
> curing) and the chamber will be covered by 3 slabs each 12" by 36" x3" thick
> (67 lbs each after curing). All cast pieces were slowly cured in one of our
> other kilns. I used 400 lbs of castable @$27.50 per 50 lb bag. Stainless
> steel needles looked about the size of a standard pin without a head and
> they come in a 10 lb. box - $41.10. We used them at the rate of about 2% of
> the dry weight of the castable used. The needles are an additonal strength
> provider.
>
> Cost? We did not have shelves to span the areas we wanted to span and
> castable was cheaper than buying shelves to do the job. I also think the
> question of expense is rather relative. To some that might seem expesnive
> - to me it was not as I wanted something to last - not a band-aid type of
> thing!.
>
> Suggestions or warnings --- 1. By all means use a mixer, borrow a cement
> mixer. 2. Get a team to do the work. It's not an easy job for one
> person. 3. Get curing advise from the manufacturers specification sheets
> and advise from the supllier. I did not cure the slabs in as strict a
> manner as indicated on the manufactureers specification sheets.
> Instructions were for 6" and we only went 3". Slow curing is a must though
> to prevent the pieces from exploding. 4. I would not simply oil the forms
> but rather use heavy plastic inside the forms. This will prevent any
> material from leaking out after pouring and it also makes it easy to get the
> castings out of the forms. 5. Puddle the material well! 6. Take Mel's
> advise and have a chair available in which to collapse when you are done!
>
> Let me, or Mel know if you have other questions.
>
> --
> Kurt Wild
> 1000 E. Cascade Ave.
> River Falls, WI 54022
> Phone: 715-425-5715
> email: kurt.l.wild@uwrf.edu
> web site: http://wwwpp.uwrf.edu/~kw77/
Dear Kurt
Is this castable good for cone 10 and over. We need one to put over
our chimney prior to the damper in the Tozan Noborigama
Thanks
Maureen Beardsley
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