An inswool question

cmd

cmd

Joined
Feb 7, 2004
Messages
1,207
Please lend me your advice on how best to cut, shape, and install inswool to the insides of a forge.

There are lots of good forge plans but the missing piece to me is how to go through the process of setting inswool inside the body of the forge.

Also, there is a boiler company here in Charlotte that sells inswool and refractory mortar at reasonable prices if anybody else is interested.

Chris
 
To cut it I use either tin snips, or a pair of the heavy duty Fiskars shears sold at Home Depot. If the forge design is round, simply measure around the inside, cut the piece of insuwool to that length and then roll it up and put in inside. The "seam" (where the ends join) should be in the bottom of the forge (for a horizontal design) or on the backside of the burner tube for a vertical design. You can use it just like it is, or you can apply a slurry of Sanite or ITC-100 to stiffen and protect the wool. It's a lot like rolling up a piece of paper and sticking it inside a round document holder. Any of the applications I've every used have never required any kind of support for the insulwool...it's pretty much self-supporting if it's cut correctly.

Hope that helps!
 
Very helpful, thank you. Guess I was making it out to be more involved than it really is.
 
I do basically like Ed, but apply the slurry (ITC)with a paint brush to the Inswool before I put it into the forge. I found it to be easier, but a little messier handling it.:D
 
This is how I will do it then, and also wear gloves and a mask.

Can't wait to get this thing fired up, but it will probably not be until this weekend.
 
Where a long sleve shirt. I've had to work with regular fiberglass insulation on a few jobs in the past and have always ended up with the etches but this cerramic stuff is much worse. If you can talk the wife into doing it for you I'd go that route. :D
 
Raymond Richard said:
Where a long sleve shirt. I've had to work with regular fiberglass insulation on a few jobs in the past and have always ended up with the etches but this cerramic stuff is much worse. If you can talk the wife into doing it for you I'd go that route. :D
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So Ray, does your wife make your knives TOO????? HEHEHEHE!!!!!!
 
indian george said:
So Ray, does your wife make your knives TOO????? HEHEHEHE!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Only thing worse than a smart ass is an old smart ass. She don't do my knives but I do wish she'd do my sheaths.
 
I bought some sort of stuff from Darren called bubble alumina or alumina bubble or whatever. It's not overly easy to spread on the kaowool, but after it's done and dry, it's almost pure white. The one thing I don't like about the santinite or ITC-100 is that it dries beige or brown. To me, the white seems to get up to heat faster. Key words here are "seems to". Also, the alumina is not affected by the flux like the other.
 
Hey Robert, how are you liking that Bubble Alumina so far? It is strange looking stuff and isn't the easiest to "spread", I agree! :) Have you had a chance to test its resistance to flux yet? I think you're going to be pleased with it. :)

-Darren
 
Use a cheap pair of scissors form HF the ceramic fiber will dull any of them. Also, put some kind of coating on the inside. You do not want ceramic fiber floating around the forge each time you crank her up. The satanite is easier to apply first. Let it cure out and then coat with the ITC 100. A little goes a very long way if you water it down.
Robert - haven't tried the bubble AL yet but eventually will. Not sure white means all that much once she's up to heat. Everything's catalytic by then in my forges.
 
darren i have used Bubble Alumina since late oct, and forge weld alot
and find that stuff very flux resistant - i coated the entire forge interior
with satainite and used Bubble Alumina afterwards as the floor . it is diffuclt to spread and wouldnt attempt doing the entire forge but would use it as floor material again. bb
 
Darren, it's great stuff. I've forge welded a little bit since applying it, and the flux didn't penetrate the alumina at all. I'm sold on it, in fact I need to get some more. I've got the bottom and a little bit of the sides coated, but I want to coat the entire forge. I'll do it by rotating the forge 90 degrees each day, and coating the part of the forge that's on the bottom. I personally thing it's almost impossible to spread upside down, and I really tried! I think you have a great product here Darren.
 
Thanks Robert and Bruce for the feedback, I've been really pleased with this stuff. :)

Chris, sorry for hijacking your thread...I just realized that that is what I have done! Ooops! Sorry about that! :)

-Darren
 
Darren Ellis said:
Thanks Robert and Bruce for the feedback, I've been really pleased with this stuff. :)

Chris, sorry for hijacking your thread...I just realized that that is what I have done! Ooops! Sorry about that! :)

-Darren
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No problem at all Darren, it is some good information that will help me too. I'm not into bubble amumina yet but it's good to know about and even better to know about how to set it up. Forge welding is high on my list of things to do.

Chris
 
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