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Kiln Pointers
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Coating the Kiln Lid |
On a top-loading firebrick kiln, the inner side of the lid and top rim of wall bricks can be coated to last longer. Liquid Kiln Coating is a refractory cement that we have formulated for coating firebrick lids here at the factory. The door or lid of ceramic fiber kilns and front-loading firebrick kilns do not need the coating. The door of a front-loading kiln is not subjected to as much wear as the lid of a top-loading kiln. The coating hardens and protects the firebrick surfaces. One application lasts through many firings even though the coating will seem to disappear after you fire the kiln. You can also use Liquid Kiln Coating to cement firebricks together. However, you must work quickly. The coating sets faster than kiln cement. Avoid getting the coating on heating elements. If you splash the coating on an element, do not fire the kiln until the coating is completely dry. Coating that is applied too thick will flake off the lid after you fire the kiln. If this happens, remove the flaked coating with sandpaper or grit cloth. If you are coating over a patched firebrick surface, first allow the cemented patch to dry completely. LIQUID KILN COATING INSTRUCTIONS 1) Shake the container until the coating is thoroughly mixed. Pour some of the coating into a bowl. Stir the coating just before you apply it to the firebricks. 2) Apply the coating with a large, soft sponge such as the type used for wallpaper. Moisten the sponge with water; then squeeze out the excess water. 3) Dip the sponge into the bowl of kiln coating. Wipe the coating over the lid surface. The coating should be thin enough so that you can still see the brick seams underneath. 4) Allow the coating to dry completely before firing the kiln. SHARING KNOWLEDGE Gaff Pearce of Winston-Salem, North Carolina wrote, “Recently I fired student-made pots and a commissioned piece as a demonstration for a local high school. As we raised the kiln and started to pull pots there were oooo's and ahhhh's, but I found myself watching the students’ faces as their pots came out of the fire and they saw color for the first time. I am now a believer...if you have never been involved with helping young people fire their pottery, you have missed a large part of life. My ‘commission’ for firing a pot for the school's office was free coffee until I retire (which is soon). But I really got much more than that. The point: Share your knowledge and joy!” Last week I was off work for three days due to sciatica. This was the first time I had experienced sciatica in about eight years. I can walk without pain now; I treated the condition with a heating pad. I have decided that one of our greatest joys is to stand straight and tall and to walk without pain, which I can do now. Most of us take the simplest joys for granted. With best wishes, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P. – Better Designed Kilns 2011 South Town East Blvd. Mesquite, TX 75149-1122 Voice: 972-288-7557 & 800-876-4328 / Fax: 972-222-0646 ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Feel free to email this Kiln Pointer to friends. PRIVACY NOTICE: Under no circumstance do we share or sell your email address. Copyright 2006, by Paragon Industries, L.P. |
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“Custom and standard Kilns and Industrial Furnaces for ceramics, pottery, heat treating, enameling, |
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