Rex Johnson Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 ...wondering...my saggar kiln made from a 50 gallon drum seems to take longer to fire after a couple years of use. Yes, it sits outdoors, but it normally stays covered with a tarp in the winter. Just seems to fire slower. Maybe 2 1/2 hours in the past, but at least an hour longer to get to cherry red/orange. better days...don't have a recent pic on hand but she's getting uglier woth age... but hey, here's a pic of the studio cat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputty Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 22, 2016 Report Share Posted September 22, 2016 The only thing that would slow it down is moisture and you live where there is NONE-maybe cobwebs in the burner offices? or mud-dobbers in the burners. How about the cat distracted you and you never turned up the burner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Fiber does deteriorate. The heat, plus fumes from the pots will slowly degrade it, and any time it gets touched the fibers compress which lowers its insulating ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Ok I assumed you do not touch it. You can put a small amount of sodium silicate via spray on it and that will make the surface a bit tougher. My zircon spray I have posted about here also will make a hard surface (glass blowers coat their glory holes made from fiber with this ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiselleNo5 Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I have no answers on this topic, I just stopped by to see the cat pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I use rigidizer, a commercial product for spraying on fiber to keep it from breaking down. I got a gallon and it goes a long way. It doesn't go bad like sodium silicate. Easy to spray. ITC is great. If you apply it too thickly, it can peel away. It looks like your fiber may have had some ITC on it where it is gray or that could be from fumes. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Rigidizer is usually liquid colloidal silica-(thats what laguna's is) It works great for this . It also the liquid part that I mix with ground milled zircon for that spray I mentioned that works on most surfaces.I use it in burner areas on bricks and fiber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayjay Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 I have no answers on this topic, I just stopped by to see the cat pictures. Me neither, and to make it worse my cat is a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Some rigidizer is colloidal silica with some ball milled ceramic fiber mixed into it. Looks milky white. All refractory materials slowly break down over repeated firing cycles.... fiber included. They are not immune to the impacts of repeated heating and cooling.... just resistant to it. The insulating value of a fiber wall will slowly drop over repeated firings over time. If you are firing a lot of work that gives off compounds like sodium and potassium... those will work to flux the fiber's silica. As the fiber slowly gets less fibers per cubic inch (the fibers melt together)... the insulating value from the dead air spaces decreases. Flame impingement ion high velocity areas can also cause what is know as "flame erosion". Flames are fluids. And like water... they can cause the picking up of material either moving it or causing it to 'dissolve" (melt in this case). best, ...............john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SydneyGee Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Is this an invitation to post cat pictures?!? It is, isn't it?!? Say it is! Here's my cat helping with the kiln build. He's good like that... Oh my gosh I love his poofy carrot tail!! No good pictures of the resident cat, but she likes to sit on the kiln (WHEN IT'S OFF). I too, have nothing to add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted September 27, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2016 ...whoa! Some catty answers here The barrel kiln is about 2 years since building it, looking a bit ragged. Probably a good 20-30 saggar firings, so yes, lots of copper carb, Miracle Grow, salts, combustibles in the saggars. And it has set outside a couple winters. It was ridgidized. I have some new fiber to re-line it, I've just been strapped for time and pretty much not looking forward ti doing it all over again. ....maybe...Junior will help me...Naw, he does whatever the heck he wants... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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