 Re: Which Clay?
It may be a dead issue, but Ill weigh in anyway. Leaving the sand core in for the 2 weeks would be utterly disasterous. Clay shrinks in the 20% range as it dries. So the dome would be shrinking, the sand would be stationary, and the cracks would be huge. If you were going to do it I would reccomend fireclay mixed 50/50 with grog, or crushed firebrick (far less shrinkage). I would remove the sand as soon as I felt reasonably sure that the clay could hold its own weight. Then Personally I would attempt to vetrify at least the inner chamber of the dome using a leaf blower, bellows, accetalene tank, etc. Then I would finish the exterior by building layering wood, covered with metal pans, and the entire exterior covered in dried cow chips. Light, and vouila.
What was I talking about? |