repair chips on firebrick after replacing elements?

[elaine clapper]

Yesterday my husband and I successfully replaced all the elements in my Skutt KM-1027 kiln.  Unfortunately we chipped some of the firebrick as the old elements were brittle and tough to remove. Photos attached. Do I need to repair those chips? if so what do you use to repair (kiln cement? what type?).  I saved the chips that came out. Thank for your help.

[Pres]

Uhhhhh, tough when bricks chip no matter how careful you are. Some of those may need a pin to hold them in, the bottom picture with brick definitely needs to be replaced. I would have usually pinned where a full corner(chips on each edge) occurred. Others may know more, as it has been over 20 years since I have had to pin or replace bricks. . . my kiln is an ols L&L that uses their trademark element holders.

 

best,

Pres 

[neilestrick]

You can't repair them. Cement will not hold little pieces like that in place, and it'll get on the elements. For now just use pins to keep the elements in place so they don't flop out of the grooves. The small chips won't be much of an issue with one or two pins. If you still have the piece of brick from the big break, put it back in and pin it in place. If you don't have the piece, then use a few pins as hangers to suspend the element in place. If that one flops out, it won't be a big deal since it's on the bottom. If it flops badly you can just pin it to the floor. Next time you replace the elements, replace the bricks with large chips.

Your other option is to order new bricks now and replace them before your fire the elements and they get brittle, but I don't think that's really necessary.

[CactusPots]

I'm guessing this is mostly a high fire issue.  My kiln looks a lot like this one, but as I only bisque at 06, the elements don't seem to get any movement.  I had to have a lot of bricks replaced when I first bought the kiln.  Unboxing it, I didn't realize the bottom had no connection to the sides.  One time mistake.

[Mark C.]

I have repaired a brand new kiln that fell over off a forklift-it was afriends kiln and had breaks like your 2 3/4 inch piece you showed and much worse. I protected the new elements with. paper dam (wrapped around element so it could slip off later )and used brick cement and pined it. I think it worked fine. I ordered the cement from L&L and paragon  if I recall.It was premixed in a plastic jar.Those small chips I would not worry about and as Neil says use pins. In all your photos pins will work just fine really.

 

[Bill Kielb]

I agree with all and only would add that if and when you do use patching material, most advise that the material itself should not come in contact with an element. I believe it’s probably electrically conductive.
Pinning works great and an occasional torch and reset of crawled elements is pretty easy if you stay after it. There are several videos out there by paragon, etc.... that show how to do this easily.

[Mark C.]

If you use cement you need to wet (spary ) the bricks down a we bit so the cement does not dry to fast.

[elaine clapper]

thanks all

 

[Denice]

I have repaired a lid for my Skutt  with the Paragon patch,  it worked great.    I had bought a new lid with bad bubbled up coating on it,  it was really cheap .   The first time I fired it I put the bubbled side up,  the flat new finish also bubbled up.   So I called Paragon tech and they told me that it would work great on a lid that hadn't been fired much,  I wouldn't have to deal with bricks moving.   They also said to follow the directions exactly.   After several firings the patch starts to look thin so I put a couple more coats on it.      Denice