Advice Please on the NC lowboy open end liner

[Randy Irwin]

Some advice please:

I own a NC Lowboy Open End--nice forge, but the liner and bottom brick are fragile. For you guys that use one, you know of what I speak. Well, had this one since last Dec and already have to re-line it. So, I was thinking of coating the new fabric on the open end sides with ITC-100 and putting some ITC 200 on the seams where fabric and bottom brick meets hearth and on seams between fabric and open ends.

So, has anbody ever used ITC on the NC forge fabric?

The fabric turns to almost powder and not only does the dust concern me, but when working on a long piece it's very easy to tear up the opposite side Thinking that ITC might make it more durable and reduce the powdering effect. Perhaps my question is simple and the answer obvious, but hate to have reline again if there is a problem with ITC on this fabric.

Thanks

 

[Steve Hayden]

They make fire bricks that are much less fragile than the cheap ones. Check with pottery supply places. I bought some from a place called New Mexico Clays in Albuquerque that is on the net. They cost several times what the soft ones do, but are as hard as normal bricks.