refractory thickness

M

magnum .44

Joined
Jun 12, 1999
Messages
1,110
i'm building a super forge- 24" dia inside. i need to know how thick to make the refractory? i'm gonna use it for welding damascus, will the flux affect the refractory? is their any type of sheild that will stop the flux from ruining my refractory.
 
What kind of refrac? What kind of flux. Borax will eat up kawool and some other stuff. I believe cnetaur forge makea a welding brick to catch flux, i use a piece of scrap stainless plate, when it gets burned up I just put in another one. Jim Hirsoulas suggests using a layer of kitty litter to catch the molten flux. You might ask where you are buying your refrac from.

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Sola Fide
 
Castable refratory (mixed like cement) needs to be 3" thick. This stuff is different from Ka-wool in that Ka-wool reflects heat, where castable is designed to absorb a specific amount of heat, and then reflect. The 3" is required to make the material work as intended. In 15 years I have found nothing that is compatable with the refractory, that will truely hold up to flux. It will eventually eat up just about any refractory material. The good new is that it takes a lot of flux, a long time to destroy a castable refractory forge. My current welding forge has been in daily operation for the past two years, and will likely last several more months. At roughly $100 to reline, and considering the time and usage, it's a very acceptable cost for me.
If your making a horizontal type forge, place a 1/2 brick (soft firebrick) in the bottom, this will absorb most of the flux, and at around .90 each, can be replaced cheaply.

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com
 
thanks Ed, that's what i wanted to hear.
mikeS, i'm buying it from mcmaster carr, unless i can find it at a local cement shop. i'm not sure whatthe name is, but it will stand up tp 3000 degrees F. i might give the kitty liter a try, the firebrick sounds good though.
i'm using 20 mule team borax, i read an article which suggested using it.
i'm making it 24" becuase it's for more than just damascus, my dad will be using it for heating scrolls, and doing other ypes of ironwork using the forge.
 
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