Man, oh man, let me tell you about the saga of fixing up the old kiln. You see, I’ve got this kiln, see? It’s been with me for ages, a real workhorse. But, like all of us, it started showing its age. Some of the bricks inside were chipped, cracked, looking real rough. So, I rolled up my sleeves, deciding it was time for some good old DIY repair.
First thing I did was give the whole thing a good once-over. I inspected every nook and cranny, checking out the damage. It wasn’t pretty. Some bricks had big chunks missing, others had these long, nasty cracks. I knew I couldn’t just slap some glue on it and call it a day. Needed something heavy-duty.
I did some digging, asked around, and found out about this stuff called “brick cement.” Apparently, it’s the go-to for serious kiln brick damage. Sounded like just what the doctor ordered. There was also something called a “brick patch,” but folks told me that’s more for minor dings, not the war zone I had going on in my kiln.
- Gathered my tools: a trowel, some gloves, a bucket, and of course, the brick cement.
- Mixed the cement according to the instructions on the package. It was like making a giant batch of really, really thick pancake batter.
- Cleaned out the damaged areas, making sure there was no loose debris or dust.
- Applied the cement, filling in those gaps and cracks. I had to work kind of fast because this stuff starts to set up pretty quick.
- Smoothed everything out, making it as level as I could. It wasn’t about being pretty, it was about being functional.
After letting it dry and cure—which took a while, I won’t lie—I fired up the kiln for a test run. I watched it like a hawk, checking the temperature, making sure nothing was going wonky. And you know what? It held up! Those repaired bricks were solid, no more cracks, no more crumbling. It’s no easy feat, but I managed to finish it, which made me happy.
It was a bit of a messy job, and yeah, it took some elbow grease, but I saved a bundle doing it myself. Plus, there’s something satisfying about fixing something with your own two hands. Now my old kiln is back in action, ready for many more firings. Feels good, man, feels real good.
