Air dried, kiln dried.

[brickie in oz]

Air dried, kiln dried.

Here are some pics of timber Ive collected in the last few days from the forest floor.
Its been so dry for so many years that the timber is like its been kiln dried.
The timber is all Yellow Box.

This is the reason we have the most intense bushfires.

Oven floor and roof after 30 minutes of firing 600 degrees C.
Actual fire 800 degrees C.

[Lburou]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

A good demonstration Brickie

Its easy to underestimate the volatility of dry tinder, especially with a breeze. I had a large burn recently that managed to start fires in places that seemed impossible.

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I'll tell how a large log managed to begin to smoke while well away from the burn pile I was tending. I still don't understand how a wood surface facing away from the fire and 20-30 feet downwind could begin to burn without a flame anywhere near it.

I went to the local fire station and watched a training video about something called flashover. The chief said it had something to do with that. Good thing I had a good water hose handy to extinguish the flashover fire.

Then, we build houses close to vegetation that can burn in an instant. If we don't build near native vegetation, we plant volatile plants next to the foundations of our houses. God help us.

Thanks for the reminder Brickie, and I'm sorry for the losses to brushfires you good people have suffered there in Australia :

Back in my box now....

[david s]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

Brickie,
It will take at least an hour or so for that heat to penetrate the full thickness of the brick, so to fire so intensely for 30 mins means the face of your refractory is expanding rapidly while the outside has not expanded. This is a recipe for failure of the material. Better to go slow, more time for drinking and you can keep your small stuff for maintaining the fire on the side at high temp. The industry standard for safe temp rise is 100C/Hr which we all exceed. Ask any potter about this and they will confer.
Dave

[brickie in oz]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

It hasnt failed yet after 2 years.....
Besides, its a castable not brick.

The good thing is if it fails I can build a new one....

[david s]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

The same applies for castable refractory. Perhaps even more so if you are heating a large section at the top extremely quickly while the bottom part of the section is cold. But I take your point about just building another. I'm getting towards my 50th

[ThermoJax]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

I was told that the brick was more heat stable over the long run than castable. That the brick was controlled in the mixing and curing/baking. Can anyone talk about brick vs castable. Is castable's claim to fame just it's moldability and pourability? Can it keep up over the long run as well as brick?

[brickie in oz]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

I was told that the brick was more heat stable over the long run than castable. That the brick was controlled in the mixing and curing/baking. Can anyone talk about brick vs castable. Is castable's claim to fame just it's moldability and pourability? Can it keep up over the long run as well as brick?

Youd be better off starting a new thread and asking that question, that way ppl can see the title and respond accordingly.

[GrahamG]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

yes we use kiln dried seasoned hardwood and it lights fast, lasts longer and burns hotter.

[Wiley]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

Brickie, Not familiar with that wood I did a quick Google. Should you come across any large pieces with burls you might not want to burn them after visiting this site:

Australian Yellow Box Burl Online

Pricy but very beautiful. I have a friend who does alot of wood bowls...he gives me his chopped off corners and culls, mostly maple. Beer bottle included for size.

Bests,
Wiley

[heliman]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

The Yellow Box trees here is Western Australia are often planted by the local councils and recently, as a result of the ongoing drought, many are starting to die. I have managed to get my hands on a few of these trees before they get to the chipping machine, and the wood is excellent for the WFO. It's a very hard wood, but with my new petrol driven 12 T log splitter it will be no match (pun) and will provde a good supply of super-dry burning material.

The one thing I have noticed with Yellow Box is that when it first ignites, if gives off a small amount of black smoke, which is probably due to some gum or other impurities in the wood.

Yello Box is great wood to use if you can get it, but so many of the Australian Gums are that it is hard to go wrong using any of it. I used to be quite selctive using only White Gum and Jarrah, but these days any Gum will do!

[brickie in oz]

Re: Air dried, kiln dried.

Brickie, Not familiar with that wood I did a quick Google. Should you come across any large pieces with burls you might not want to burn them after visiting this site:

Australian Yellow Box Burl Online

Pricy but very beautiful. I have a friend who does alot of wood bowls...he gives me his chopped off corners and culls, mostly maple. Beer bottle included for size.

Bests,
Wiley

Does your fiend turn pens, I have heaps of nice Oz timber that is suitable for pens.
Huon Pine
Blackheart Sassafras
Myrtle
Blackwood (acacia)
Redgum
Celery Top Pine

Just to name a few.