tis refractory season

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tis refractory season

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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Apr 15, 22 12:44 pm Post subject: tis refractory season

yesterday i spotted 7 whole and 14 half kiln refractory bricks when i was putting the bins out

result
4 bullion shaped so they lock together flat or make a "tube"
3 brick shaped
14 half brick shaped

i got a couple of round high temp plates as well

furnace, forge or oven with a bit of stacking

strangely i had been pricing such things recently, that was quite a saving compared to new or pre used, ie i carried them 3 meters while being a good citizen and removing "rubbish" and now they are mine

there are enough for the size of my salamander which will take about a pound of metal or to make a decent bbq or forge hearth

nice find

i got a nice brick as well, nerd time, it is the same composition as the railway bolokows(it was a real brick company

) but this one does not have the name stamped on it unlike my favourite brick which does

very old, 15th century, 17th c, etc puffffh

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8953
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 22 8:37 pm Post subject:
I take it that these were the heavy type not the light white HTIs?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 22 9:55 pm Post subject:
they seem rather more dense than my jewellery making ones which are quite "fluffy" when they have dried a bit i can get a better idea of them whole is about house brick size, they look rather like the things they had for making outdoor artisan adjustable firing they used on pottery throwdown and are similar to things i have seen in kilns and crucible furnaces

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8953
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 22 9:06 am Post subject:
So, white and not obviously clay? HTIs do come in different grades

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 22 10:57 am Post subject:

cream white sort of, with fire stains and inclusions

not "normal" clay, maybe vermiculite among the mix, it looks a complex recipe

coarser and denser than my little silver and gold ones

at a guess drying them out is good before trying making one hot?

if they can handle 1350c i will be very happy, over 1500 would be ace

if they can handle 1350c for a while i will be quite happy

as an soft melt, open hearth or oven i recon they will work fine, metal kilns are hot

i have no plans to cast steel but slapping some alloys needs over 1400 and scorifying only needs about 1300c, in an oxidizing atmosphere for a while may be an issue, refractory hopefully ablation layer if required

soft metal casting and most smithing can be done with a log for a hearth

i like incalloy as a forge metal for rings, i do not have or want oxyacetylene here, i still have plenty of bar, charcoal and a lphv spraypaint blower should i need them

sparking is ideal and needs about 1500c to get a few whacks at a small bit

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8953
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 22 5:50 pm Post subject:
Much of it will be China clay

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15997

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 22 8:07 am Post subject:
The ordinary bricks made in some parts of Devon are quite white as they are made partly with china clay. May have some other stuff added.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 22 2:19 pm Post subject:

gz wrote:

Much of it will be China clay

that seems likely
vermiculite and something small sharp and dark melted into that mix as "glue" when the bricks were made are part of the recipe

the temp test is what matters, free was ace even if they are only bbq and oven resistant

re clay refractory, the fire clay found between coal and other minerals such as ironstone is fairly good
ok for fire backs long term and repairable furnaces for a few firings

re other types of bricks, i am an amateur nerd, my collection is not extensive but it covers a couple of millennia

it is a good way to date buildings/building works
interesting history with a lot of them, not considered treasure but in knowledge terms they often mean more than bling
the mouse castle goes from about dick3 to george 5 and has some ace flemish wool trade ones as well as a variety of 17th c local examples

the thin ones from about 1535 are wonky but perfect, as good as a korean cup from the same era

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 22 9:07 am Post subject: Re: tis refractory season

dpack wrote:

yesterday i spotted 7 whole and 14 half kiln refractory bricks when i was putting the bins out

Are they chewy?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46247
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 22 5:47 pm Post subject: Re: tis refractory season

sgt.colon wrote:

dpack wrote:

yesterday i spotted 7 whole and 14 half kiln refractory bricks when i was putting the bins out

Are they chewy?

probably crunchy

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