Re: SB: Lime versus Earth

[Norbert Senf <mheat@mha-net.org>]

At 06:47 PM 2002-06-27 -0700, Carolyn Roberts wrote:
>I go to the local pottery supply store and big 50 lb bags of ultrawhite or 
>kaolin white powdered clay.  Ultrawhite costs about $10.00 a bag; kaolin 
>is a little more - it's a purer white.


We've used Redart with great success for masonry heater mortars and for 
making adobe for clay ovens. It is a superplastic red earthenware clay from 
Ohio that is commonly used by potters as an ingredient in clay bodies. It 
is very plastic and can handle a lot of sand - we've used as much as five 
parts sand to one part clay. It is widely available and comes in 50lb bags. 
Using my 1/2" heavy duty Makita drill and homemade mixing paddle, I can mix 
up a 5 gal pail of mud in about 2 minutes. The clay soaks water for a long 
time, so you have to let it sit for 15 minutes and mix again. The mortar is 
red in color.

We've also used Goldart, which is gray, and I believe is fireclay. It is 
also very plastic, but not as much as Redart.

Norbert Senf

----------------------------------------
Norbert Senf---------- mheat@mha-net.org-nospam
Masonry Stove Builders	(remove -nospam)
RR 5, Shawville------- www.heatkit.com		
Quebec J0X 2Y0-------- fax:-----819.647.6082
---------------------- voice:---819.647.5092
			
		
				



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