Kiln lid repair

[Brenda DeMass]

I read that using HT 100 Coating on my kiln lid will seal it well. My lid is dropping crumbs  on my glaze firing. I’ve tried repair cement but that falls off too. But I’m worried that the reflection of heat  from HT100 will  affect the temperature in my  top shelf. And I don’t think flipping it will be any better.  Anybody know anything about this?

Edited September 8, 2022 by Brenda DeMass

[neilestrick]

Most coatings do not bond well to old bricks, especially if there are already at the point of flaking, so I would talk to the ITC folks before doing anything. I don't think the heat reflection should be significant enough to cause any problems, especially since the lid is a major source of heat loss to begin with, and ITC isn't as glorious as some make it out to be.

If you didn't thin out the cement before applying it, it will definitely flake. It needs to go on very thin when you coat the lid.

If your floor slab is in good condition then you could swap it with the lid.

The simplest solution is to put a shelf at the very top of the load to block any crumbs.

Keep a look out for an old used cheap kiln that has a good slab you can use. A new slab will cost you $400-600 with shipping, so finding a used one is a good way to go.