Bricks for Propane Forge Build

[Boyhowdy]

Here is a question I asked in the Iforge chat, and Just got a bunch of jokers trying to be funny.
I have a three burner Propane Forge that uses way too much fuel for my pocketbook. I am building a smaller single burner, and would like to know: "Which is better to line it with, Soft, or Hard Bricks?" I have hard brick in my current forge, and I feel the bricks are absorbing alot of the heat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Chinobi]

i believe the conventional wisdom is to build with soft brick with a liner of hard brick on the bottom for wear and tear and some kind of coating on the interior, i wont embarrass myself further by recommending things i have never used though.

 

skim the rest of the subforum, there are many other threads for exactly this question.  check out also zoellerforge.com for more information on various small DIY gasser builds and the requisite materials.

 

good luck!

[WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith]

Soft brick deteriate to quickly and hard brick are a heat sink.

Check out the tutorial on my website on the Forge Supplies page for building a gas forge my way.

[Boyhowdy]

Thanks Guys. Every bit of info helps.

[jcornell]

Larry Zoeller has some pictures of soft bricks mortared together to make a forge body.  I've built one of those and I can affirm that it's a nice forge, but soft firebricks are not designed to be structural like hard bricks - they expand and contract and then crack.  I rebuilt my soft brick forge a few times and then called it quits and built a metal can lined with superwool. 

 

The soft bricks will work well, but they'll work better with a coat of ITC or something similar (Plistix, homebrew kaolin/zircopax, etc.)

 

You might get better results with the soft fire bricks held together in a metal frame - which you'll also find pictured at Zoeller's site.

 

I don't use a hard brick for my floor - I use a slice from a kiln shelf, which is a bit thinner, and thus doesn't suck up as much heat.

[Rich Hale]

i was in the chat room and felt somewot the same as you did. I asked you to stick around for a minute and I looked up a link to a forge blueprint that I thought would be of value,,,You left.

[Boyhowdy]

Thanks again guys.......Rich, sorry 'bout that..... I wasn't in the mood to put up with their crap last night.

Like I said in the earlier post, Every bit of info really helps.

[Boyhowdy]

Soft brick deteriate to quickly and hard brick are a heat sink.

Check out the tutorial on my website on the Forge Supplies page for building a gas forge my way.

Wayne, I did check out your website.......Impressive....I have it bookmarked......I will definately contact you when I'm ready to order some materials. Thanks again.

[Boyhowdy]

Larry Zoeller has some pictures of soft bricks mortared together to make a forge body.  I've built one of those and I can affirm that it's a nice forge, but soft firebricks are not designed to be structural like hard bricks - they expand and contract and then crack.  I rebuilt my soft brick forge a few times and then called it quits and built a metal can lined with superwool. 

 

The soft bricks will work well, but they'll work better with a coat of ITC or something similar (Plistix, homebrew kaolin/zircopax, etc.)

 

You might get better results with the soft fire bricks held together in a metal frame - which you'll also find pictured at Zoeller's site.

 

I don't use a hard brick for my floor - I use a slice from a kiln shelf, which is a bit thinner, and thus doesn't suck up as much heat.

According to his website he will be closed for a couple months, due to medical problems. He does have quite a selection of parts. Thanks

[Sukellos]

I used soft brick for doors on my forge and they are cracking on me.