Eadwulf Greysteel

Warning! Do NOT PUT Vermiculite in the fire bricks. Other than being taught by my father(since I could hold up a 3lb Double Jack), as a Blacksmith, my mother also taught me some rudimentary gardening and as Vermiculite is designed to hold in moisture, a quality which you do not want in a forge as this can cause some rather nasty steam explosions, (I.E. I still have a brace of scars on my body from one such explosion). The one that should be used is Perlite, used because it takes heat quite a while to get through it. (Refractory). I having recently built my own forge as my fathers idea of a right of passage, used my fathers secret recipe to create the bricks and slabs of refractory materials. However , as I will not divulge my future son's inheritance, I have created another recipe which I have tested and have found quite suitable for a coal or gas forge. 1 part by volume of Perlite (NOT VERMICULITE) 2 part by volume of Fire Clay (Refractory Clay) 1 part by volume of Sand (Silica, as pure as possible) 1 part by volume of Ash (Finely Ground) 1 part by volume of Portland Cement (Mason's Cement Doesn't Work/ Nor does Concrete) The cake icing analogy works well add enough and form molds to pour the mixture into Pack well in and let cure for at least 4 days( 1 extra for caution) Then use a mortar mixed with about (3-5) of the fire bricks after curing crushed in to make the mortar itself refractory Let set and harden (3 days) You now have a forge with no tuyere (the air pipe for bellows). And yes for your information I refuse to go modern It takes longer but I use only hand tools. ~May you die with swords in your hands