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four-sided kilns | or tumblers at electrictumblers.co.uk |
MAKING SQUARE AND RECTANGULAR KILNS AT PARAGON |
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Kiln bricks, also called fire bricks or refractory bricks, are made from high-temperature ceramic. Typically, bricks are good insulators and are used to line the inside of the kiln, minimising heat loss and reducing energy use.
Kiln bricks can be cut or moulded into different shapes and sizes, as hard bricks or soft bricks. Hard bricks are strong and dense, can withstand extreme temperatures, are largely unaffected by gases in the kiln, and are generally used for structural support. Soft bricks are less dense, are excellent insulators, and are generally used for insulation.
Kiln manufacturers usually use a small range of shapes and sizes assembled in different arrangements. Sometimes, as in a kiln lid, they're cemented together but, as in a kiln body, they're arranged in sections or stacked layers making it easy to replace any damaged ones. The elements in Paragon kilns are in dropped recessed grooves, so don't need retaining pins.
Although butt joints are the simplest, they're not the strongest, so lapped and notched joints are used, as in the third photo. For durability, the meeting edges of a lid and body are hardened with refractory cement, as in the fourth photo.