covering up kaowool

[tormentchris17]

i initially put re factory mortar over the kaowool on my gas forge and it seems to crack and fall off. i don't like it at all, so i took it all of exept around the edges and lining the brick. i am concerned about poking the sides, a guy can only be so careful, ya know. is there anything else that i can paint on to stiffen up the chamber?
thanks chris

[tlreif]

I use satonite on mine. You can get it from Ellis custom knife works. I put about an 1/8 to a 1/4 inch. Cure it and then coat with ITC100. It make a hard shell that has proven to be very durable and hasn't cracked in the 2 years I have been using it.

[CurlyGeorge]

Thanks for that info, Todd. I too am having trouble with my liner. I used furnace cemant and it crackked real bad. I'll try your suggestion. :)

[tlreif]

Glad to be of service!

[tormentchris17]

what is itc 100? and were can a guy get it?

[tormentchris17]

i went to ellic custom knife works and found the itc 100 but couldn't find the satonite, were can i pick up some?

[tlreif]

It is found under the refractory coatings . Right above the ITC products button.

[tlreif]

what is itc 100? and were can a guy get it?

ITC100 is a ceramic coating designed to not only coat the liner but to actually make it more efficient by keeping the IR energy inside the forge by reflection. It works quite well and you will see a marked improvement in your forge
performance.

I mix the ITC100 pretty thin. Slightly thinner than sour cream. I find it goes on smoother this way. Keep it stirred up as you are using it. I use a paint brush to apply. You will want to make sure your paint brush is wet with water as well. I put 2 or 3 coats on. Let dry and cure between each coat. By cure I let the burner run for about 5 minutes. Let cool and apply again.

[tormentchris17]

sweet!!! thanks, i think that'll help alot.
-chris

[Dodge]

i initially put re factory mortar over the kaowool on my gas forge and it seems to crack and fall off. i don't like it at all, so i took it all of exept around the edges and lining the brick. i am concerned about poking the sides, a guy can only be so careful, ya know. is there anything else that i can paint on to stiffen up the chamber?
thanks chris

How thick did you mix your mortar and how many coats did you put on? I used Greenpatch 421 from AP Green and mixed it to the consitancy of thin milkshake (almost pourable). The first coat, in deed, does crack due to the ceramic wool wicking the water out of the mixture too fast, but this can be slowed down by misting the wool with water first (Thanks Frosty) but its still going to crack. After a thorough drying, I applied a second coat. This second coat cracked too but less. A third coat yielded even less cracks and after a quick firing, (not even getting the inside red, and letting it cool so it could be touched with bare hand) I applied a thinner coat to fill the cracks. Final resulting shell of refractory is less than 3/8" (.97cm) This has held up well for a couple years now and is rock hard. If yours fell off, my guess is that it didn't get absorbed into the wool initially. The thin coats, coupled with the misting allows the first coat to soak into and bond with the wool fibers. My understanding is that ITC100 and equivalent products can be used to coat wool but are primarily intended for reflection rather than protection. For best results they are applied after the refractory mortar and thus less is used because less is absorbed into the wool fibers Sorry if this is late or repetitive, but hope it helps.
Scott