ceramic fibre board

Kath and Hank,

Ceramic fibre board contains binders which burn out during first firing - there will be lots of smoke and a horrible stink.

However, there will very likely be a problem with your lid construction. Fibre board is very fragile once fired, and will crack very easily, whatever coating you might use on it. It will be a lot worse in your case because you will be moving it all the time. You will probably need to create a metal frame to hold the lid together, or it could fall to pieces very quickly.

Dave

Although there are several *Hardeners* on the market in the UK (including ITC which is a bit pricey), there isn't anything I know of that would be appropriate for what you are doing, I suggest you leave the board untreated. Dave's absolutely right that you need to make some sort of frame to support your lid, I suggest in addition you attach some 6mm lid seal fibre to the contact side of the board with cement to prevent abrasion by the brick body of the kiln Thermal Ceramics 607 Max is a body soluble fibre available in 6mm amongst other thicknesses, I'm not sure if Isofrax do it in that thickness.

Steve Bath UK

In article , David Coggins writes

"have you tried Potclays at stoke-on-trent. They have all sorts of wondrous items for the potter.

Hi folks We tried all the main Stoke on Trent guys and their only response was buy a new kiln...from them, of course. Not very helpful in the kiln 'repair' department. We ended up going to the refractory site that makes the parts for the larger ceramics company. Our lid seems to be holding up pretty good so far. We have it drying, standing above a firing kiln...the cement drying that is. As it is a square lid we've constructed for a round kiln, most of the lid will never be fired. Only the underside middle circle. As this is the only piece that is being affected and we only fire up to

1080. We're thinking that it is going to hold up pretty good. We have fibre on the lid rim. It's great for adding that little bit extra height to a kiln. Our biggest concern is making physical contact with the lid...we already have little fibre bits in our hands...splinters if you like. And also the atmosphere. We know this is a dusty job and it's all relative. But is there any coating out there that will reduce loss of fibre as air contaminants? If all goes pair shaped a local steel fabricator should be able to fix us up a collar.

Anyway, thanks already for the info kath and hank

paint it with colloidal silica and refire it. it won't flake apart.

regards, charlie cave creek, az