I want to make a brick. How hard can it be?

[Construction Channel]

There is only one major flaw in my plan. and that is that i have never made a Kiln before.

 

Faye asked how i was going to cut and lay the very top bricks of our gable. I jokingly said i was going to make a big diamond shaped brick with our initials in it. she said that sounds nice, I said i was only joking . she said oh.

 

well I'm not having that. If Faye wants a fancy brick, Faye will get a fancy brick!

 

Now i just need to work out how to make it  

 

Im fairly sure i can get a mould cobbled together ( I will soon be asking if anyone has easy access to a CNC machine to make the letters)

 

Clay can't be that hard to find, probably a good amount at the bottom of the pond.

 

but its the firing process that is going to give me the trouble, has anyone got any experience of trying this kind of thing?

 

I need to slowly get it up to about 1800 F and then seal it and let it cool very slowly.

because of the "slowly" part i don't really want to be using old oil or anything so its pretty much coal or wood...

 

Like i said, 

anyone got any experience in this or shall i just give it a go??

 

TIA 

ED

[PeterW]

Oil drum, coke and charcoal and some old bricks ..!

 

And a blower for the air through into the bottom to get it "really" hot ...!

[Construction Channel]

I like it. Iv got most of that,  

 

oil drum would fit 3 or 4 of them in nicely on top of each other. i could line it with old bricks (possibly even old storage heater bricks if i can find enough)

 

little fire hole at the bottom,....

 

now i just need to find some coke and someone to make the letters......actually i could make them on the scroll saw so yes its just some coke i need to find.

 

Thanks Peter 

[Construction Channel]

Hmmmm, I may have overlooked actually measuring the temperature. a laser onto the barrel?or down the chimney? I'm sure than will be fine  

[Guest Alphonsox]

I've been involved in the construction of an iron smelting bloomery in the past. Much the same type of idea but targeted at higher temperatures. These use charcoal and bellows to get the temp up. You can build them as a pit or as a raised structure.

[Guest Alphonsox]

Just now, Construction Channel said:

Hmmmm, I may have overlooked actually measuring the temperature. a laser onto the barrel?or down the chimney? I'm sure than will be fine  

 

You can use a thermocouple through the wall of the kiln to get an accurate measurement. I picked up a few from ebay for a fiver each.

[Construction Channel]

o

3 minutes ago, Alphonsox said:

 

You can use a thermocouple through the wall of the kiln to get an accurate measurement. I picked up a few from ebay for a fiver each.

 

so one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNIVERSAL-THERMOCOUPLE-600MM-LONG-WITH-THREADED-END-FREE-POSTAGE-/162176155626?hash=item25c273bfea:g:-14AAOSw65FXucAE

 

and one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TM-902C-K-Type-Digital-Thermometer-50-C-to-1300-C-with-Thermocouple-Sensor-/161750556890?hash=item25a915a0da:g:Pg4AAOSwHnFVmtmN

??

[Guest Alphonsox]

Not sure what the first thing is. All you need is the second if you can convince your self that you can get within 1m of the kiln at temperature. Ideally a thermocouple with a longer lead would be ideal.

 

Something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Type-K-Thermocouple-4-Sensor-Kiln-Digital-Thermometer-/121094869996?hash=item1c31d113ec:g:7T4AAOSwxp9W-~GN

[Construction Channel]

I recon i can do 3m with a Celotex shield   

so ill get this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3m-K-type-100-1250-Thermocouple-Control-Temperature-Controller-Sensors-Probe-UK-/252298228064?hash=item3abe257160:g:UtsAAOxy9DRSCLHc

 

and the second link in my previous post,

 

I take it its ok to leave the probe in the kiln?

[Guest Alphonsox]

2 minutes ago, Construction Channel said:

I recon i can do 3m with a Celotex shield   

so ill get this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3m-K-type-100-1250-Thermocouple-Control-Temperature-Controller-Sensors-Probe-UK-/252298228064?hash=item3abe257160:g:UtsAAOxy9DRSCLHc

 

and the second link in my previous post,

 

I take it its ok to leave the probe in the kiln?

 

That looks perfect - you should be able to leave it in place.

 

[Construction Channel]

Perfect,

Thanks  

[MikeSharp01]

Alternatively- just find you local school art department with a kiln and ask if they would put your brick in with their next firing in exchange for a donation to school funds, for a slightly bigger donation they will probably do it on its own.

[Construction Channel]

25 minutes ago, MikeSharp01 said:

Alternatively- just find you local school art department with a kiln and ask if they would put your brick in with their next firing in exchange for a donation to school funds, for a slightly bigger donation they will probably do it on its own.

 

We shall call that one "plan B".

My old high school definitely has a kiln as I have a ridiculous looking tea pot that was fired in it  

[Onoff]

Would the Jamie Oliver flower pot tandoori oven get hot enough?

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

11 hours ago, Onoff said:

Would the Jamie Oliver flower pot tandoori oven get hot enough?

 

 

Depends on how much chilli powder you put in, of course 

[ToughButterCup]

Having done exactly this because of my brick-obsessed dad, (and given the sensible approaches above) I'd say make sure you get the right clay: it's critical you get that right.

'.... bottom of the pond....' WILL fail.

 

Go and beg 50Kg of clay from your local  brick company : this is ours (Claughton)

the source is the 'smudge' in the hillside, and the line through the trees is the aerial rope-way laden with buckets down to the factory

 

When you get the clay 'work' it thoroughly with your hands, get rid of every bit of 'rubbish' and pack and stack your forms under pressure for a few hours before firing. Vibrate the forms if you can (get rid of as much air as you can). Your local clay may well be different. Good excuse to visit pubs and ask if any locals have experience with local brick making.

 

The satisfaction of making your own brick is immense. Good luck.

 

 

 

[Onoff]

Just make the "brick" out of something like fibreglass or a 2-pack coloured resin and glue it up high. Try and do it when Fayes out as a surprise. Then hide the ladder so she'll never know. Leave a few lumps of clay and other genuine brick making materials about...

 

Then it'll be March 14th every time she looks at it!

 

[Temp]

Pity this event has finished..

 

http://londonist.com/2016/06/fancy-making-your-own-brick-inscribed-with-your-initials

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeSharp01]

Sounds like a new TV format. The great British brick off!

[Ian]

why not enroll on a nightschool pottery class....you'll get access to the proper clay and a proper oven!

[Onoff]

I can see it now, Patrick Swayze with his arms wrapped round Ed dressed in just a shirt...

 

 

[Construction Channel]

8 hours ago, recoveringacademic said:

Having done exactly this because of my brick-obsessed dad, (and given the sensible approaches above) I'd say make sure you get the right clay: it's critical you get that right.

'.... bottom of the pond....' WILL fail.

 

Go and beg 50Kg of clay from your local  brick company : this is ours (Claughton)

the source is the 'smudge' in the hillside, and the line through the trees is the aerial rope-way laden with buckets down to the factory

 

When you get the clay 'work' it thoroughly with your hands, get rid of every bit of 'rubbish' and pack and stack your forms under pressure for a few hours before firing. Vibrate the forms if you can (get rid of as much air as you can). Your local clay may well be different. Good excuse to visit pubs and ask if any locals have experience with local brick making.

 

The satisfaction of making your own brick is immense. Good luck.

 

 OK ill try and find out where the original bricks clay was dug from,

 If that fails ill just have to go to the Brick company and ask ( I do like the idea of digging it out of the ground though) 

I am goint to make a few just in case so i might make one out of pond clay just to see what happens  

[Construction Channel]

8 hours ago, Onoff said:

Just make the "brick" out of something like fibreglass or a 2-pack coloured resin and glue it up high

 

NO! If i was going to go down that road i could just pay someone to make it for me. But where is the fun in that  

[Construction Channel]

3 hours ago, Temp said:

Pity this event has finished..

 

http://londonist.com/2016/06/fancy-making-your-own-brick-inscribed-with-your-initials

 

 

Yes it is, but to be fair its not my kinda thing, same with night school.

I would much prefer to muddle along trying different things by myself without other people interfering (trying to make me do it properly)

Oh ill fail loads of times in the process but those failures make the final product so much sweeter 

[Construction Channel]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

I can see it now, Patrick Swayze with his arms wrapped round Ed dressed in just a shirt...

 

at least i will survive the rest of the film  

you really have got a thing about me with no clothes on haven't ya? I mean i can't blame you but i almost feel i should make an "alternative" video just to satisfy people like yourself