ToolSteel Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I'm in the process of making a small propane-fired furnace. I plan to use it exclusively to melt copper/zinc/tin etc. inside ceramic and graphite crucibles. The inside of the furnace will be lined with DuraBlanket 2600. I guess I'm the last person to be shocked at how expensive ITC-100 coating is. I'm wondering if much-cheaper Kiln Wash can be used instead. I realize it's not a bargain if it doesn't work well. Any thoughts would be appreciated. ToolSteel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I whipped up a high zircon mix using zircon flour (zircopax) and kaolin. I don't know how it performs compared to ITC-100 but it seems to make a difference compared to no coating. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 ITC-100 is Kaolin clay and zirconia flour so Phil's experiment should work fine with a little tweeking to get the proportions right. It's what I plan on doing once I'm out of the pint of ITC-100 I bought a few years ago. I've been using my forge for several years now with only minor damage, mostly impact damage to the light fire brick and NO flux erosion at all. I've watched molten borax go through hard fire brick at a frightening rate and you ain't seen nothing until you watch it dissolve light fire brick or Kaowool, it's like hot water through cotton candy. A coat of ITC-100 and it's lasted years. A zirconia containing wash is worth it almost no matter the up front cost. I'd rather pay up front than in maintainance or replacement costs and labor. But that's just me. Frosty the Lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 That is something about ITC100, my recipe may not be flux proof. I do have some erosion where the burner impinges on the brick. It is a stove brick, and the spot does get soft and pasty, so my coating may work better than I think it does too. I haven't tried a flux resist test on a scrap of wool yet. I light up and want to do something more productive since forge time is limited for me. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToolSteel Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Phil and Frosty, Thanks for the replies. I can get zirconia at a local ceramics shop and since I live in Georgia, kaolin can't be too far away. Do you recall the ratio of zircon flour to kaolin? ToolSteel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 It is in that thread I linked. 70% zircon, 30% kaolin by weight. Sounds crazy, but it is not out of line for some glaze recipes I consulted at the time. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintjohnbarleycorn Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Phil how is the experiment coming along, I have had the materials for a while and getting around to making a new forge, if you have gained some insight you want to share that would be great. thanks for the info you have given already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 For my experiment I lack references. This zircon/kaolin mix is a decent stabilizer of ceramic wool, and seems to reflect more than bare firebrick. I need ITC-100 to compare to, and don't want to spend crazy money. I also lack instruments to measure results. It would be cheaper to send a bag of my mix to someone else...except it would be shipping a small quantity of white powder. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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