Making coal go further

SEE

I tried an experiment at Christmas:eek:

I purchased 2kg of DAS clay online from the works for £7.98 + 99p delivery. When it arrived I unwrapped it and sliced each brick into 6 slices. I then left it for 2 days to dry out.

I put a small bed of kindling in the fireplace and lit it and put a bit of coal on top, I then put the dry clay slices on and another layer of coal. The fire not only burned as normal, but the clay also glowed white hot. When I riddled the fire I could see what was clinker and what was clay slices and kept the slices in and re-lit and have been doing it for a month:D My 12 clay slices mean 12 less pieces of coal every time I light my fire. They haven't disintegrated and have gotten rock hard and glow every time the fire is hot.

Its like having little fire bricks/cheeks in amongst the coal.

alleycat`

My only worry, back from school days, is that when clay is fired it can explode if it has air pockets in it.
I remember opening the kiln to find a lot of smashed / destroyed pots.

Interesting concept.

SEE

alleycat` wrote: »

My only worry, back from school days, is that when clay is fired it can explode if it has air pockets in it.
I remember opening the kiln to find a lot of smashed / destroyed pots.

Interesting concept.

Agreed, its why I buried them under another bed of coal when they were first fired and it is air dry clay not the normal wet clay. So far nothing has exploded and they are solid like little house bricks. I thought about rolling it into balls, but then thought I wanted to be able to distinguish the clay from the coal and also thought rolling it would introduce air that might make it explode. So far so good and in the first month I'd say I've saved the equivalent of two fires worth of coal.

PDC

Does this kind of clay not have chemical aditives it in order to make it 'air dry'?

Would be slightly concerned myself about burning it if so, though I suppose most fumes should leave via the chimney.

SEE

PDC wrote: »

Does this kind of clay not have chemical aditives it in order to make it 'air dry'?

Would be slightly concerned myself about burning it if so, though I suppose most fumes should leave via the chimney.

The only additive is paper. That is what gives it the ability to air dry.