time to re-line the forge

Roger

Well-Known Member
Its time to replace the old lining in my forge. There are no places close to get kaowool or some of the other more well known insulators. I was scrounging around at Lowes and found
"Oldcastle Concrete Fire Brick" for $2.88 each. That's a pretty good price and the specifications say "Maximum Working Temperature (Fahrenheit) 3000.0" The part that worries me is the word concrete. Has anyone ever tried this and if so how does it hold up on a two burner forge?
 
Are these the thinner bricks? If so they will work in a pinch but they'll be subject to cracking even if protected by refractory cement. They are pretty hard and brittle. Been using mine a few times a week for a month (?) and the two side bricks have already cracked. But, I think that is more from me rolling the cart in and out of the garage and the forge bouncing as the cart goes over bumps. So far it is working well enough. Don't think it would do welding temps but right now I don't need to. It gets metal hot enough to beat on it and hot enough to go non-magnetic.

i-f8jMjrN-M.jpg
 
Are these the thinner bricks? If so they will work in a pinch but they'll be subject to cracking even if protected by refractory cement. They are pretty hard and brittle. Been using mine a few times a week for a month (?) and the two side bricks have already cracked. But, I think that is more from me rolling the cart in and out of the garage and the forge bouncing as the cart goes over bumps. So far it is working well enough. Don't think it would do welding temps but right now I don't need to. It gets metal hot enough to beat on it and hot enough to go non-magnetic.

i-f8jMjrN-M.jpg

The ones I'm thinking of using are 9X4X2.25 I think I'll go ahead and give them a try..maybe. :)
 
What lining is currently in the forge? I ask, because if it's kawool, and you change to something like firebrick, which has a LOT more thermal mass, and less insulation value, you might find that your forge won't get up to heat near as quickly, nor achieve as high a temp. I'm sure the "firebrick" will "work"....but it might not work as well as you hope.

Generally, if you reline a forge, you need to do it with the same material, to have it run as it did before. If you change refractory types, you often are forced to change other aspects of the forge to get it to "run" correctly/as you desire.
 
Check out the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com. There are two attachments there, one of which is Build a Gas Forge.
As Ed said fire brick are a heat sink. You do not want, at least I don't think that you want, to spend money just heating the brick. Kast-0-Lite is a light weight, insolating castable refractory then go over that with Metrikote for an Infrared Reflective product.

Let me know if I can help you.
 
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