Fire bricks

[Eli Jensen]

So I've been using propane torches and havent gotten bigger pieces hot enough, and I saw somewhere an idea for a brazing hearth and I thought, man, thats what I need! And if I put brick all the way around, that would be even better! But wait, that would be a forge. So I'ma go for it but I've got a couple questions, and I apologize if other people have aleady asked and been answered.

Will these firebricks work?

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Ma...atalogId=10053

Is there any special mortar that has to be used? Satanite? In between the bricks? Line the inside? Would regular mortar work even if it doesn't work great?

Thanks

[ARCustomKnives]

If you're gonna use brick, you really need to use an insulating fire brick, which I don't think these are. These won't hold heat as well, and they'll start disintegrating a lot quicker. Same will happen if you use regular mortar. You really need a mortar or a refractory coating that's rated the temperatures you'll see inside your forge.

An alternative would be to use a refractory based insulation such as ceramic fiber insulation (kaowool). Coat this with satinite and you should be better off than using fireplace/firepit bricks. It will last longer and reflect/hold more heat.

[Eli Jensen]

http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...ductId=1366795

How bout this?

[son_of_bluegras]

I believe both of those bricks are made for lining the inside of wood burning stoves. They will insulate some and better than a lot of materials. They will reflect some heat allowing for the heat treat of a bit larger blade than without (if you can heat 2 inches with just a torch, you may get 3 or 4 inches on a brick). They can line a forge but will take longer to get hot and stay hot longer then the "insulating" type of brick. (The quotes are because both will insulate some.) They can last for years even at welding temperatures if that is the rated temp of the brick. Most of what I've seen for lining stoves is rated to around 2200 F.

Mortar isn't strictly necessary. It will help hold some heat in. If you use mortar you want something rated to the temperatures you will reach. Using regular masonry mortar is ill advised as it can spall.

ron

[Eli Jensen]

Alright cool thanks. I think I'll go the quick easy route on this one. If it isn't as great as a super firebrick kaowool lined forge then so be it. Anything is better than the open air, I just need a bit of insulation to get it up to heat. Maybe in the future after I sell a few knives I'll go the proper route.

[ARCustomKnives]

http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/

You might check out the link above for some various refractories and insulations meant for forges.

I bought a whole box of ceramic fiber insulation from this site a while back:
http://www.ceramicfiberonline.com/ShowCatelog.php?cid=5

Depending on what you plan on spending for brick, this might be a better way to go. If you buy a whole box, you may be able to sell the excess to a fellow knifemaker and make up the cost difference.

Another option would be to see if there are any local refractories, steel mills, or other industrial facilities that might have large ovens or boilers that use soft fire brick and kao wool.
I was able to get a case of grade 23 soft fire brick for about 2.50 a brick at a local refractory that had some boxes left over from a kiln build.

It might cost a little more in the short run, but it will be cheaper to run (more efficient, less fuel consumption) and save you a heck of a lot more in the long run, since you won't have to rebuild it a few months from now.

Just my $.02.

[Ed Tipton]

Cpt-jens...My suggestion on this would be for you to do some research to get the "how-to-do-it" info, and then just build your own forge. Propand forges are easy to build, they are usually portable, and can be done by the home DIY guy on a modest budget....and...they are far superior to making a forge out of firebrick. They are too simple to build to put off doing it and settle for something not nearly as effective.

[Thingmaker]

Good firebrick is usually available wherever pottery supplies are sold. Their kilns run as hot or hotter than our forges.

[Pairomedicsfish]

This is what I did, and it works great...





Fire bricks from Cemex, about 2 bucks each....

[Doug Lester]

Ellis Custon Knife Works was sold and the new name is Hight Temperature Tools and refractory. I think the address is www.hightemptools.com. They would have both the hard bricks which would hold heat more and the soft insulating brick which is much more insulating. I would go with the soft and coat it with a mortor to protect it from erosion.

My first gas forge, if you don't count the coffee can forge that I built, was eight of the soft bricks mortored together with the fire chamber cut into the stack down the middle and an inlet for the venturi burner that I obtained through Zoeller Forge, which I also believe carries the ceramic bricks and matting. The soft brick is pretty soft and easy to carve out. I think that I used a coping saw to cut the half circles out of the bricks and a spade bit held in pliars to drill the hole for the burner tube. I wrapped the assembly together with bailing wire to keep it together.

Doug

Yep, that's the right URL, I went in to check.

[Hayden H]

The thin bricks will work. But they crack quickly. I built a forge out of 4 of these bricks

http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Ma...atalogId=10053

and 8 of the standard size fire brick. Stacked it with a wide opening and aimed the torch in. Forged a few blades

[Hayden H]

Is Zoeller even active? HIs site home page hasn't been updated since 09'?