I believe the ‘spin’ stands for spinel or spinella.
Spinella was a trademark of General Refractories (GR) and manufactured at their Worksop Works. When GR and John G Stein and Co amalgamated (GR-S) it is likely that Spinella bricks continued to be manufactured at Worksop but it is possible that manufacture was switched to the GR-S Manuel Works, Linlithgow to suit demand but this would have meant production plant modification. (For research but in the meantime, I will record them on my website due to the brand connection with a Scottish manufacturer).
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This is in the possession of John Ballantyne. It is a roll of plastic tape. John states – I think ram mix was the clay mix used to seal the tap hole of the blast furnace after the cast was completed. There was quite a bit of research/trialling done to get the mix ‘fit for…
Found by Ian Suddaby at the Manuel Works, Whitecross. This example is not in my possession. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire
Found by Ian Suddaby at the Manuel Works, Whitecross. This example is not in my possession. Stein, Castlecary Fireclay Works, Castlecary, Stirlingshire. Stein, Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross, Stirlingshire. Stein & Co, Anchor Brickworks, Denny, Stirlingshire. Milnquarter Fireclay & Gannister Works, Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire
Found by Ian Suddaby at the Manuel Brickworks, Whitecross. This example is not in my possession. The stamp is stencilled onto the brick. Unidentified manufacturer but this is very likely to have been manufactured on site by JG Stein or GR-Stein etc. . .
Found on the site of the old Manuel Brickworks, Whitecross. Ian Suddaby states – A KROMAG brick was found last weekend and I thought this was an American import to Scotland. That was based on the Kromag name being registered to an American company, E. J. Lavino & Co. and a picture of a near…
Found by Ian Suddaby in the Bonnybridge area. This example is not in my possession. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. The GR’s refers to General Refractories which bought over the Dykehead Works. . . Below – It is not instantly seen but the motif in the circular stamp on the brick is as per…
A substantial collection of silica fire bricks from steel-making furnaces have now been recovered from a dump site to the rear of the Dalzell Iron and Steelworks, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. All appear to predate the Ravenscraig Steelworks by around 50 years. Cartographic evidence shows that spoil from the Dalzell Iron & Steel Works and possibly…
Many thanks to Martyn Fretwell and David Cufley for their assistance with creating this page. Many fire bricks are stamped BCM alongside the manufacturer’s name. BCM – British Commercial Monomarks. Below – 10/07/1925 – The Times – Indexing humanity. Men may soon be like motorcars. Lost property solution. Latest in classification. Modern life is to…
Found by Ian Suddaby in Bonnybridge. This example is not in my possession. Dykehead Fire Clay Works, Bonnybridge, Falkirk. GR Dykehead – probably stands for General Refractories. (Note – SBH – A similar example found is stamped GR’s. Has the – ‘s – fallen off this stamp or is this a variation on a theme?)….
The following fire brick core samples were rescued by Joan Faithfull in 2001 when the Manuel Firebrick and Refractory Works, Whitecross closed down. They were generously donated to my collection by Joan’s husband, Monty Faithfull and her son, John Faithfull. Such core samples would be sent to the GR-Stein laboratories for tests and analysis. The…
