Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Primitive Technology: Wet Season Destroys Thatched Workshop”.
Digging clay for brick, making Clay is dropped into slaking pit and tally. Mark recorded 25 pots of clay makes 50 bricks ( a full batch for the kiln ) water for slaking. The dry clay, 4 pots of water is needed for a batch when dry. The clay is then taken to the floor of the workshop and spread in a line next to where the bricks will be made. 50 bricks are made in about 45 minutes In dry weather.
The bricks can be turned in about a day After a few days. The bricks can be put in the kiln for further drying, freeing up space for more brick. Making 50 bricks are stacked into the kiln in alternating layers of 10. Now more bricks can be made in that space.
Making fire by friction. Fire is lit in the lower ash pit of the kiln to slowly dry. The bricks before the proper firing begins (. This is sometimes done the day before. If the bricks are too wet still ) Bricks or any pottery needs to be bone dry before firing to prevent breakages due to steam explosions, Bricks are added to the top to keep the heat in With the bricks fully dry. The proper firing commences as wood is added through the upper firing ports. The wood is held off the ground, so air can go up and through it for better combustion.
The kiln needs to be stoked for as long as 3 hours for a kiln of this size. The bricks need to be glowing red hot for them to be fired properly. The stoker can see this by looking at the bricks through the top of the kiln or gaps in the side. The next day the bricks are taken out and put on the finished pile. The next batch is loaded into the kiln. The next batch is made Firing 2nd batch, 2nd batch to brick, pile loading and firing 3rd batch 3rd batch to pile Wood. Ash is a by product of firring bricks and is used for making mortar at a later date. ( see brick and wood ash cement hut, video ). It is slaked with water and made into bricks for storage, The stored wood, ash bricks, semi water proof, depending on the temperature, the fire reached..
It’S best to store these under cover, as they might still dissolve At a later date. The ash bricks are calcined crushed and mixed with sand and water to form a mortar for clay bricks. Now the wet season begins the worst since the 1970’s ( before I was born ), The thatch is rotted. After weeks of rain, The structure finally collapsed due to the lashings rotting away.
Pottery is moved to the brick and ash cement hut. The brick making trough and mold are taken to the brick pile Bricks salvaged from the kiln are put onto the pile. The ash bricks are taken to the brick and ash cement hut for dry storage. The demolishing of the thatched workshop begins, Mold spores can be see coming off. The thatch as a dry dust inhalation of spores should be avoided.
The charcoal mound is also demolished. Building a smaller hut from salvaged timber. The new hut will be 2 m x, 2 m and have a gable roof Finished hut.
A shelf is put in to store fire wood. The wood will be kept dry from the rain here, The new brick making area 72 bricks. The rain continues Stacking the semi dry bricks, Making the next batch to have as many drying as possible. The rain is really testing the little thatched huts ability to keep the bricks dry.
The rain continues for weeks making further brick work difficult In less than a month. The thatch has already rotted in places letting rain through to destroy some bricks. The fired bricks remain unaffected by the rain. The brick and ash cement hut is unaffected, also highlighting the value of bricks, mortar and tiles.
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