Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

[brickie in oz]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

It half worked. We get a partial reaction with some of the limestone dissolving into bubbly quicklime while the rest just sits there. We need another hundred degrees. So, we're going to half fill the kiln with charcoal and the other half with limestone, then wrap the whole thing with insulation...which might melt. Put a reflective side in and hope for the best.

If nothing else the bricks are really well fired.

Just out of interest what temp did you fire to?

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Kiln was all wrapped up Brickie, hard to get the thermometer in but I'm guessing it was over 800F, mostly by the results. With the insulation, plus setting the aluminum sheet right on top of the limestone in the kiln, it might get the extra 100F. There's still room around the edges of the sheet for the smoke and heat to escape but not as much. Oh for a half a ton of real coal...

I'm very impressed at what it takes to achieve pizza oven temps. Problem might be the limestone, its described as "young" and "porous". The limestone I see being used on youtube is hard as a rock. This stuff isn't that stuff. The chemistry may be the same but the density isn't. Don't know what difference that would make...

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Since firing the kiln puts very fine ash in the pool that's tough to remove I've been put on notice by the missus no more burns until after the holidays.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

I guess we all have "SWMBO"..............

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

I can't wait Utah. SWMBO?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

She Who Must Be Obeyed ..............SWMBO!

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...



Its like she doesn't want a white Christmas...in the pool! Such a nice white ash too. She can be so unreasonable!

In other news I've asked a "purchaser" at a home center here to inquire of the folks providing their stucco stuff if the make a straight quicklime, just in case. I really think we can achieve it next go, one last try, but working on a backup plan, just in case.

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

I'm done fighting the #*%#*#! kiln. Found this stuff in quantity. Check out the ingredients, 95% of which are found in refractory mortar, with a base of quicklime. The other 5%, cellulose, will burn off I'm sure. So I have to add quartz sand, more silica, a bit more Portland, some red clay and I'm off to the races.



http://www.daviespaints.com.ph/msds/...Mondo_MSDS.pdf

On a side note, also found perlite. Since I have the lava rocks already I'll use the perlite which is in ganule form to fill in the spaces between the chunks. I figure on a loose pack.

Here's a rough refractory mortar mix, see what you guys think.

One part quicklime
One part Portland
One part fire brick clay
One part silica
Three parts river sand
2 liters of beer
1 heartfelt prayer

Advice?

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Refined the list as follows,,,

3 parts river sand.

2 parts fire clay

1/2 part portland

1/2 part silicate

1 part lime. This comes in buckets and between the portland and silicate in it makes the portions balance a bit better than it appears.

The kiln is now gone. I'm not used to getting my arse kicked by a project and though I had only charcoal, no coal, its left me a little concerned for this project. For instance, is the mortar mix good? I think it is based on other stuff I've seen both here at forno and another place on the net. Still...I was sure about making quicklime too.

The normal stuff that accumulates on any large flat surface has been cleared off the oven base, and the base is being prepared to receive lava rocks (pumice) under the location of the dome. These will be solidly set with a minimal but strong use of refractory mortar. Having been through 1 substantial quake I don't dare leave the dome foundation loose. The lava rock in other floor locations will then be set with mortar in a manner not as exacting. The gaps in the lava rock will then be filled in with perlite granules to complete the insulation. Found perlite in the very last place I looked, I was astonished. Its manufactured on Luzon and is dirt cheap compared to prices I see in the West, like everything else except Portland.

Question. Does perlite absorb water? I can test this when we get a bag open but an hoping someone is in the know.

I feel like I'm doing a few almost new methods, such as making refractory mortar which maybe everyone feels like they don't know enough to help. So now there's worries, but it will get built. In the future is pumice and perlite combined, and the onion dome. Have to get the carpenter, Fidel, to set up guides for that. He just finished the dumbwaiter so he's available. One less burden on this old brain.

I really need to sit and read the thread again, get some new inspiration from the wisdom shared here. Its time to build! :b:

[Greenman]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Hey Lancer

Sounds like you are not feeling the love. Probably because you are treading a path unknown to most. Many are watching and listening.......I reckon they would be there in a heartbeat with the knowledge if they had it.

I think your work is inspirational and wish you the best with it.

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Greenman, thanks, that's well said. I hope once I get this figured out I can give back to people what you guys have given me here. This WFO couldn't be correctly built without you guys, want you to know that.

Anyway, I guess sharing knowledge includes what not to do too, so here comes the kiln pics.

The original brick kiln rebuilt after the previous fail to contain the heat up the kiln and force the air with a fan. This time we used coconut charcoal to ignite ipil ipil charcoal, one very dense wood, denser that oak.



A sheet of aluminum on top to reflect radiant heat downwards held in place by the last of the bricks. The sheet metal, held with mason's tie wire, surrounds basically all the red clay fire bricks I have. Enough (I hope) for the WFO project and a series of rockets stoves for the wife. If I accomplished anything they are a tad better fired, perhaps. The free sand is held between the kiln and bags of sand and bags of lava rocks because we didn't have enough metal to sheath the whole thing.

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

There was a shaft to carry the forced air from the fan into the kiln. No need to cook the fan this way.



The bits of kindling go in to ignite the coconut coal which ignites the ipil ipil.



The fan in question, it survived.

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Fan in the side on slow, give the stuff a chance to get burning.



Augustine looks on...





So anyway it did not get hot enough. Only a partial conversion to quicklime occurred. Abby consoled me by cooking up some bits of plastic and serving them up while telling me what they really were, "Dis pizza Tatay"

[Lancer]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

If anyone tries to make quicklime for whatever reason here's what not to do:

Don't think charcoal will do the trick, get coal.

Be aware that coal burns really hot and it might damage your bricks, I don't know.

I ran the fan on medium later but I think it might have been best left on low.

If you have an insulating blanket you might consider wrapping the kiln up. With coal though you are on your own, I couldn't find the stuff here so I have no experience.

Good luck.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Lancer's Philippine Build, Close to Australia Anyhoo...

Only innovators can make a better wheel. I applaude you for trying to use the resources available to you. Like the old sayin goes "nothing ventured nothing gained". Glad you are able to work on your oven with all the tragedy in your part of the world. Have a great New Years!