Should I pre-fire new fire bricks?

[gizzmogirl]

I just picked up some fire bricks from the local hardware store. I needed some more weight to dam a 2″ thick piece during full fuse. They look fairly damp, and I am wondering how hot I should get them in a pre-fire to dry them out. Can I use the same temp. I would for drying my kiln shelf (1000 rate to 500 for 30 mins) or should I get them hotter as they are thicker than a kiln shelf? I have 9″ x 4.5″ x 1.25″ bricks.

[Stephen Richard]

To dry out wet bricks without breaking them you need to soak/hold for a long time just below boiling point (say 95C).  This keeps the water from turning into steam and bursting the birck.  So the bigger the item, the more careful you have to be to keep it from breaking from steam formation.

Leave any ventilation holes open to allow the moisture out.  You can hold a mirror or sheet of clear glass over the ventilation hole, or above the propped open door to see if the fogging of the glass has stopped.  When it has stopped all the moisture in the kiln has been driven ot

Stephen Richard

blogs at: http://www.verrier-glass.blogspot.com/ and  http://www.glasstips.blogspot.com/

[Stephen Richard]

To dry out wet bricks without breaking them you need to soak/hold for a long time just below boiling point (say 95C).  This keeps the water from turning into steam and bursting the birck.  So the bigger the item, the more careful you have to be to keep it from breaking from steam formation.

Leave any ventilation holes open to allow the moisture out.  You can hold a mirror or sheet of clear glass over the ventilation hole, or above the propped open door to see if the fogging of the glass has stopped.  When it has stopped all the moisture in the kiln has been driven ot

Stephen Richard

blogs at: http://www.verrier-glass.blogspot.com/ and  http://www.glasstips.blogspot.com/

[Author]

Posts