Brick Making Back Then
Medora Brick Plant
Medora,
Indiana
Indiana 425 southwest of Medora in Jackson County
History Photos preservation BRickMaking People HOME
Medora Brick plant site is held
by a private owner and IS NOT open to the public in any way.
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The 19th century brick making technology that carried through much of the 20th century is demonstrated in the text and photos below. The photos below are however are from Claybank Brick Plant, Claybank, Saskatchewan, Canada - a preserved property of similar vintage and lifespan - since at this point in time nothing similar has been gathered for the Medora Plant. Our thanks to Hilda Maier for the permission given for the display of this information.
In
first viewing what appears below, long-time Medora Brick Plant Superintendent Bernard
A. Gray of Medora recently commented "You could cross through 'Claybank' and put
'Medora' then change the names of people pictured and it would all be the same
as how it was at the Medora Plant." |
From the Claybank Brick Plant Claybank, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Tossers and Setters
would load the Kiln for firing. The Setters made sure to leave air spaces
between the brick so they would fire evenly. L to R: Bill Wallace (Tosser),
John A Achtemichuk (Setter) and John E Achtemichuk (Setter).
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The Brick Cart loaded with green brick was rolled into a Kiln using Portable Track. The Tossers and Setters would stack the bricks with spaces between them to allow for air movement and even firing. |
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Unloading a Kiln.
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The Tossers would throw bricks to the Setters and the Setters would set the brick to be fired. |
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Flue in the floor
of a Kiln. Each of Claybank's 10 downdraft Kilns have flues built into
floor, these flues along with the Smoke Stacks create the perfect draft to
ensure high tempreture firing. |
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A Kiln would be loaded to just above the inside straight walls and care was taken not to place brick over the Down Draft Flue Tunnels in the Kiln floor. |
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Interior Kiln
floor and wheelbarrows |
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Kiln interior,
showing the portable track and turntable used to move carts of green brick
into the Kiln for setting, 1993 |
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Once the Kiln was loaded, the Portable Track system was removed, steel melts at about 1800 degrees F the Kilns could be brought to about 2300-2500 degrees F depending on the type of brick being made. |
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Pyrometric Cones
melted and bent over when certain temperatures were reached inside a Kiln.
Two or three cones (fingers) would be pushed into a block of Clay and place
in the Kiln within the view of a Peep Hole brick.
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A Pyrometric Cone bank would be place across
the Kiln and viewed through a Peep Hole brick installed in the Kiln doorway.
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Pyrometric Cones
were used to monitor Kiln firing temperatures.
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Smoke Stack 3,
2003, prior to restoration of the base. Note also the deterioration of the
top |
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During the firing process fumes and smoke were eliminated through the Down Draft Flues and directed out a Smoke Stack. Each two Kilns shared one Smoke Stack and are connected by underground Flue Tunnels. |
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Cross section of a
Kiln floor showing Down Draft Flue. Kiln foundation were eight feet deep and
the floors were four feet thick.
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Some bricks had
distinctive lettering |
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It took approximately five or six weeks to
produce a Kiln full of brick at the Claybank Brick Plant: 1 week to press
the brick, 1 week in the Drying Tunnels, 1 week to load the Kiln, 1 week to
fire the Kiln, 1 week or more to cool and unload a Kiln. For Hand Mold
bricks, you would add an extra three days or so of hot floor drying.
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Mike Sluzer, 1937,
Fireman |
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There have been some interesting stories told
about the (Claybank) Kilns. |
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Refractory brick
was sent to Cuba in the 1960's for their Sugar Mills, photo 2001
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In the 1960's a young university student worked at the Brick Plant during the summer months. The Plant received a large rushed order from Cuba for high grade refractory brick for their Sugar Refineries. In order to get this order on the rail as soon as possible the Wheelers were sent in to unload the Kilns not at the usual temperature of about 100 degrees F but at something closer to twice that amount. The young man said that he had to take shallow breaths while in the Kiln as the heat wouldn't allow him to breathe normally. He spent the least amount of time possible in the hot Kiln, quickly loading up his Wheelbarrow and heading for the doorway. When he left the Kiln and went out into the summer heat he shook like a leaf because it felt so cold. He came down with the worst Cold of his life that summer. |
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Interior Kiln
floor and wheelbarrows |
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When the bricks were cool enough to handle the Wheelers were sent into the Kilns. They loaded and transported the new bricks via Wheel barrow to waiting train cars or to be stored in the Stock Sheds. |
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The Wheelers used
Wheelbarrows to haul the fired brick from the Kilns to the Stock Sheds or to
waiting train Box Cars |
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As time went by a new improved Wheelbarrow was introduced, it had a rubber wheel and that wheel was set further back on the frame giving better balance and weight distribution.
Text and Photos are of the
Claybank Brick Plant Claybank, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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