Dale's RMH --- Mining Company

I've been doing a lot of digging lately. I charge $30 per hour for it. I'd like more, but work has been slack and I enjoy being paid to go on subterranean treasure hunts.

My property contains no clay. I need clay for many things I want to build. Most houses in the city have clay against their lower foundation walls. When drains are installed, it needs to come out and then it needs to be trucked away. Jobs like this produce large amounts of clay, stone, rock, soil and clay tile. I can use all of these things, and make a buck in the process.

The job I'm working on today has produced about 50 ft of nice thick walled tile that I will use as flue material for the bench or Trombe wall. My demolition work provides fire brick and high temperature flues for areas nearer the fire.

This is the first time that I've sought this sort of work. I don't own an excavator or a big truck. There are a hundred guys who do own those things in my area. They're a phone call away. I am going to seek out a few and in some cases, let them contract the job, with the stipulation that I am hired for all of the tough manual bits and to install tile etc. I will have first dibs on anything useful that comes out of the ground.

Photos --- I got about 45 of these tile on my current job. This one is 65 miles from my land, so I'll give away a couple tons of perfect black loam. The remainder will go to a facility that sifted and crushes materials. They'll get a few tons of soil and rock.

An epiphany --- Put on your seat belt. This is the best idea I've had in several days.

Dead Electrical Pottery Kilns --- These kilns are typically made of alumina ceramic bricks that can withstand 1800 C or above. Dead ones that require hundreds worth of electrical upgrades are sometimes given away. They could be taken apart for the brick, or smaller ones could be used as a riser by stacking a couple together. A large one turned upside down could form a bell. The lids are the perfect material to place under the burn floor, to prevent heat flow to wood beneath. These bricks are easily cut. Pottery supply stores carry suitable clay to seal joints. Five years ago, I paid to dump one the size of a refrigerator. That was dumb. We have a few pottery clubs. I'm going to call them and offer to become the dead kiln disposal guy. Kilns are heavy and awkward. Most potters are older.
This is the type of kiln that I'm referring to. There are millions of these things, many requiring more repair than they are worth. --- http://www.ebay.com/itm/CRESS-FTX23P-FTX23-P-Ceramic-Clay-Furnace-Electric-POTTERY-KILN-Stand-/321312040123

This changes my plans for a cob oven, rocket forge and a few other things. Many can use a kiln or parts from one.

Here are my tiles salvaged from a drainage job.--- https://permies.com/t/31726/green-building/Dale-drainage-customer-house-pictures --- I got lots of really nice tile that I'm hauling to the farm to use in the cool end of several RMH wood burners. There are 51 regular tiles, 3 octagonal ones, 5 corners, 2 damaged corners, several odd bits and one T-shape.