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mft repair

updated wed 26 nov 03

 

The Sherman's on tue 25 nov 03


If I were building one I'd put on an arch as well. Don't know if the
builder of this one was just lucky but he (yes I do know it was a him- just
not his name) seems to have gotten the tightness of the retaining rods
(don't know what else to call them- the rods that rim the lid and can be
adjusted) right. This kiln has been fired for 30 years by one owner with
little to no maintenance and still hits ^10 in 7 hours. And reduces nicely
in spite of all the places where the bricks have cracked in half. The roof
does have some sag- including a couple of bricks that are precarious. The
owner is looking at repairing it, not rebuilding it. With her failing
eyesight she fires the kiln more on instinct than anything else and doesn't
want to change too many variables. At it is, the helpers are the ones who
do the physical work and check the cone packs. Its amazing how much she can
tell from the sounds of the burners and the color of the flame! Any
suggestions about using one of the mortars to repair soft brick would be
appreciated. Or any other tips as well.

Thanks,
Marcey Sherman
Zephyr Pottery
Who is getting Bison tools for Christmas/Birthday present...can't wait!











Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 21:49:29 EST
From: Tjo62@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Minnesota flat top repair

Hello,
I built a MFT 4 yrs ago. This spring I built a sprung arch. It may be that
I just didn't do it right, but I just didn't want to keep trying to redo the
roof. I would get 6-8 firings before the bricks were falling out. I love
the
sprung arch!