What to do with leftover bits of brick?

[dbhansen]

Any thoughts on what to do with the piles of chopped-up firebrick I have left over from my oven build? And the fireclay? I hate to throw it all in the landfill, but I can't imagine what else can be done with it. It's mostly small triangle- or wedge-shaped bits, and a few buckets of brick powder from the cutting process, all taking up room in my garage....

[jengineer]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

Yep you posted in the right area. Put a call out to other builders in the area. Oh, I think you are the only one. Got any plans for other projects? If you are pouring concrete anywhere else you can use the stuff as filler. When my dad needed ot make some steps to an addition of the house he put in all sorts of stuff so that less concrete would be needed. I think he called it disparative binders.

In my hood we have 3 cans one for green waste one for grey waste and one for recycling. The haulers had about 10 community meetings last year to define what recycling is. Paper, wood, building material. OHH AHH BABY. Jackpot!

[Les]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

I hate to throw it all in the landfill.

Toss it ? who knows what it might morph into after a few million years, under pressure, mixed with egg shells and potato peels.

[Ken524]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

Toss it ? who knows what it might morph into after a few million years, under pressure, mixed with egg shells and potato peels.

Compost! (but be REALLY patient)

I dumped my fireclay in the woods and pitched the scrap bricks in the garbage (a little each week so it wouldn't break the poor garbage man's back).

I couldn't think of anything to do with them.

[dbhansen]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

(a little each week so it wouldn't break the poor garbage man's back)

That's what I was thinking! This could take a while....

[brokencookie]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

Maybe someone on the forum can take it off your hands. I was the happy inheiritor of George's leftovers.

[Modthyrth]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

I'm going to use mine to cobble together my daughter's miniature pizza oven. She'll only bake mud pizzas in it, but she still wants it to look as much like mine as possible.

[Frances]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

A bit off topic here, but your comment reminded me, Nikki: my kids currently build pizza ovens out of whatever they have to hand.

Building blocks, play dough, stones, lego, an upturned bowl in the dolls house... no game is ever complete without a pizza oven.

I can't think of anything you could do with your leftovers either, although it seems a pity to throw them out.

[mfiore]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

Originally Posted by Ken524
(a little each week so it wouldn't break the poor garbage man's back)

That's what I was thinking! This could take a while....

Sort of like the Shawshank Redemption. Just a little at a time (I guess you had to have seen the movie!)

[dbhansen]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

Sort of like the Shawshank Redemption. Just a little at a time (I guess you had to have seen the movie!)

I did - great analogy!

[nissanneill]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

A lateral thought here.
Use some of that left over high temp adhesive and make a sculpture with all those odds and ends into an 'art form'. Use the fireclay as a base or help to fill some of the voids in the wedges. spray it with a clear urethane, give a title and put in a craft market.
Who knows, some of theses 'arty people' will buy anything.
It could also be used as a sculpture on top of your arch!

Neill

[Modthyrth]

Re: What to do with leftover bits of brick?

A bit off topic here, but your comment reminded me, Nikki: my kids currently build pizza ovens out of whatever they have to hand.

Building blocks, play dough, stones, lego, an upturned bowl in the dolls house... no game is ever complete without a pizza oven.

That warms the cockles of my heart. Take that, burningissues.org--we're breeding a new generation to carry on the battle.