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butler bricks

updated fri 8 feb 02

 

Brandon Phillips on thu 7 feb 02


I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler" impressed
in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior of
one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than normal
high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've heard
that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I put
them to good use.

Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX

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Roger Korn on thu 7 feb 02


Brandon,

If you are worried about deterioration at ^10, just spray the inside with a light
coat of ITC100. I've built ^10 kilns from K24 IFB (NOT recommended for ^10) and
coated them with ITC, and they have stood several years of hard use, are still just
fine.

No connection..., never even met..., etc, etc, just a very satisfied user of ITC
products.

Roger

Brandon Phillips wrote:

> I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler" impressed
> in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior of
> one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than normal
> high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've heard
> that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
> give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I put
> them to good use.
>
> Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.

--
Roger Korn
McKay Creek Ceramics
In AZ: PO Box 463
4215 Culpepper Ranch Rd
Rimrock, AZ 86335
928-567-5699 <-
In OR: PO Box 436
31330 NW Pacific Ave.
North Plains, OR 97133
503-647-5464

Longtin, Jeff on thu 7 feb 02


Do a search on Google.com. Apparently they're a local brick
manufacturer,Barton Springs?

-----Original Message-----
From: Brandon Phillips [mailto:phillipspottery2@HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 12:35 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Butler Bricks


I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler" impressed
in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior of
one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than normal
high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've heard
that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I put
them to good use.

Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.

David Hendley on thu 7 feb 02


Butler Bricks are real common around Central Texas.
The are indeed 'low-duty' bricks, manufactured for
things like fireplaces more than for kilns.
How you use them depends on your financial situation.
They are fine for foundations, but if you have the
funds you would be better off with heavy-duty bricks
for a cone 10 kiln, such as AP Green Empires.
If you don't have the money, go ahead and use them, but
they will be more prone to cracking and spalling.
Try to at least get at least a few hi-temp bricks for around
fireboxes, spanning flues, etc.

Abilene is UGLY?

"Abilene, Abilene
Prettiest town I ever seen.
Folks down there don't treat you mean
In Abilene, my Abilene."


David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
hendley@tyler.net
http://www.farmpots.com




> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brandon Phillips [mailto:phillipspottery2@HOTMAIL.COM]
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 12:35 AM
> To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
> Subject: Butler Bricks
>
>
> I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler"
impressed
> in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior
of
> one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than
normal
> high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've
heard
> that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
> give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I put
> them to good use.
>
> Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX
>

Dewitt on thu 7 feb 02


Looks like they're just down the road in Elgin, Tx. See
http://www.elginbutler.com/products.htm. Their site mentions only
"Residential Fire Box Brick" so you probably should contact them
regarding the rating of their brick.

deg

At 09:52 2/7/02 -0600, Longtin, Jeff wrote:
>Do a search on Google.com. Apparently they're a local brick
>manufacturer,Barton Springs?
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Brandon Phillips [mailto:phillipspottery2@HOTMAIL.COM]
>Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 12:35 AM
>To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
>Subject: Butler Bricks
>
>
>I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler" impressed
>in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior of
>one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than normal
>high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've heard
>that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
>give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I put
>them to good use.
>
>Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
>
>____________________________________________________________________________
>__
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.

---------------------------
Dewitt Gimblet
dewitt@texas.net
Austin, TX
---------------------------

MOLINA, RAFAEL on thu 7 feb 02


Brandon:

I used Butler bricks for the ware chamber floor, vertical front and back =
walls and chimney of a catenary arch cross draft wood kiln I built when =
I worked for the Dallas Community College District. The firebox floor =
and the arch were made with AP Green Empire brick. My thought was that =
if I had to repair or rebuild an area it would be easier to access those =
areas of the kiln where I used the Butlers than to tear down the arch.

I sprayed the inside with ITC. The school bought one gallon and Alice =
was kind enough to send me an extra gallon.

While I was there we fired the "Cat" about a dozen times. I didn't =
notice any deterioration of the Butlers and we fired to cone 13 (2450 =
F).

The one criticism I have of Butlers is that they are not flat. They =
have a slight bow to them. So you have to stack the floor or walls =
carefully by constantly rotating, flipping, and adjusting the bricks to =
get them to stay somewhat level. I believe the Butlers are not flat =
because brickmason's mortar them and they are stacked vertically not =
horizontally. The mason's can adjust for any irregularity in the shape =
of the brick with the mortar.

BTW, I always dry stack the kilns I build. I find it counter-intuitive =
to my training and experience to mortar kilns for firing ceramics.

Chao,

Rafael


Rafael Molina, MFA
Assistant Professor of Art
Department of Music, Art, and Dance
Tarrant County College-Southeast Campus
2100 Southeast Parkway
Arlington, TX 76018-3144
(817) 515-3711
(817) 515-3189 fax

=20

-----Original Message-----
From: Brandon Phillips [mailto:phillipspottery2@HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 12:35 AM
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Butler Bricks


I've recently aquired about 1200 hundred firebricks with "Butler" =
impressed
in the side. Has anyone heard of these before? They lined the exterior =
of
one of the kilns at a local university here. They feel lighter than =
normal
high duty firebrick, but they've withstood a cone 10 firing. But I've =
heard
that med. duty fire bricks take several firings before they start to
give/warp/melt etc. Just wondering if anyone had some info. before I =
put
them to good use.

Brandon in UGLY Abilene, TX

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at =
http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

_________________________________________________________________________=
_____
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org

You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/

Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at =
melpots@pclink.com.