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Electric Kiln Top Rim Coating?


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Wondering if anyone uses coatings to help protect the top rim of soft brick in their electric kilns?  

 

Lately I've been having lots of abrasion wear on top rim of my kilns for some reason, not sure if it's careless loaders or short people, haha.  Was considering using a coating of some sort, to help resist the wear a little bit, since I just replaced a lot of brick several months ago.  Not sure what coating would be ideal in this location - thinned kiln mortar/cement, ITC coating, kiln wash, the fancy colloidal silica recipe mentioned in this forum, etc are what come to mind.  I have seen people make fancy plywood jigs that protect the kiln when loading - perhaps I'll make some, but I still want to know about coatings.

Thanks!

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I sprayed the top of my smaller Skutt years ago-I used it a few years before I upgraded to larger used kiln.

It held up well.

I would stay away from mortars as they may crack and flake.

The idea is to strengthen soft brick from abrasion-ITC or my colloidal silica recipe will do this -both need heat to set well and both should be sprayed for even coating on sealing surfaces. My suggestion whatever you use make it thin-that is keep it very thin so it does not get to thick a coating.

For both sprays you should moisten the bricks so they suck up less.

If your short students are leaning in maybe the wood will work better-I may be wrong but I think Randy Newman had a song about just this issue.

Mark

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You can just use watered down brick mortar. As long as it's on thin, it won't flake off.

 

I put a towel on the top edge when I'm working in a kiln. It protects the bricks, but more importantly it protects my shirt from abrasion on the bricks. I've lot a lot of shirts to holes in the belly, especially when replacing elements all day.

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Neil - great idea! I was wondering why I was suddenly getting holes in my shirts there, never had the issue before so when I read your post I went AH HAH! I will drape a towel over the lip from now on.

 

Thanks!

 

T

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thanks to all.  i think i'm going to thin down some kiln cement to milk consistency and brush some on after spraying down the bricks.  i've done this to re-coat sections of kiln floors when glaze removal leaves exposed soft brick (i do use kiln wash too, but it doesn't stop the bad glaze drips or certain glazes)

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