Joseph Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 I have a olson style fast fire kiln. It is about 4 x 4 x 4. The roof is made from arch bricks. I have noticed the center gap in the arch is opening wider the more times I fire the kiln and I'm worried it is going to collapse. I have an angle iron frame with all thread connecting the four corners across the top. The two all thread pieces have a large spring on one end. So I guess I didn't get the all thread tight enough to begin with. I have covered the roof with a layer of ceramic fiber and cement/stucco so I would rather not tear that down. My question is could I gentle unload the arch using a rounded form and a car jack and then suck the walls back in perhaps with a come along? Any ideas would be appreciated. thanks Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Pictures would definitely help. Is the fiber between the bricks and the stucco? Hard brick or soft? Dry stacked or mortared? What kind of mortar? In general, springs don't work very well in my experience. There's just too much force at work for them to do any good, so they allow too much movement of the bricks. Yes, you could put an arch form under it, raise it up to take the weight off, adjust everything and then re-tighten it without the springs. That's only a temporary fix, though, if the bricks aren't lining up correctly. Do they all fit flush to each other for the full height of the brick, or are there little gaps between them? If there are gaps, they should be filled with mortar. Fireclay and sand will work fine. But that means cleaning off the top of the kiln and taking down a portion of the arch to reset the bad spots. It would be worth it if the rest of the kiln is in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 I use springs, car valve springs and usually tightened arches on occasion. I agree with Neil that you should reinsert the arch form and tightened the arch. I would keep or upgrade the springs. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 I agree with Neil springs are a bad idea-never had them work- over time .I would jack it up and remove any springs. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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