Eric Proulx Audy Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Hi, I'm still debating on how will I build my forge! I've read a lot on it and thought I would make the kaowool + satanite + ir coating. But now I've seen Wayne Coe forge on his Web site which is made from castable refractory over kaowool! I've not seen a lot of this kind of forge on the Web but for me it looks like the way to go. I want to do general small blacksmith projects, knife making and in the future make some long blades. I was thinking of 1 or 2 inch of kaowool with 1 inch of kast-o-lite +ir coating in the future! I would just put a solid form in middle of my casing, pour the end with castable, then put my kaowool, pour some castable around the form and over the kaowool, and finally cover the kaowool at the front. So the wool is completely encapsulated by the castable This way the concrete would support itself on each end when cured and put horizontaly and it would not crush the wool. I just don't want to alway make repair on the coating so I thought it would be more durable this way and will endure forge welding in the future! What are your thoughts on this configuration ? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 14, 2015 Share Posted October 14, 2015 Forge liners are consumables you will be replacing it if you use it regularly. I would suggest getting the best liner set up for your beginning use and upgrade it in the future as you need more performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Proulx Audy Posted October 14, 2015 Author Share Posted October 14, 2015 What would be the best liner for a first forge in your opinion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Welric, study the "Build a Gas Forge" attachment at the Forge Supplies page at www.WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith.com That should give you all the information you need to build a good, efficient, long lasting forge. I have teen age students in my shop and have been using that design for over 5 years and still have yet to need to reline or repair my forge. I also carry my forge to conferences and meetings with no ill effects.Let me know if I can help you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Proulx Audy Posted October 15, 2015 Author Share Posted October 15, 2015 Hey thanks for the reply Wayne! Actually I've read the attachment file you talk of but stil have questions! First, how thick should the kaowool and castable be? Second, should I cast over the wool in the chemney so that no wool is expose. How wide should the chemney be inside the forge? Do you pour the castable with a form or apply by hand? Should I wet the wool first? That's about it for now I think! Sorry for my bad english! thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 The ceramic blanket is 1", the castable is about 1/2". Mix the castable about like mortar then trowel it in place. I don't worry about casting into the burner shaft. The end of the burner should be able to go through the shaft. After it is all cured install the burner then fill any gaps with scraps of the wool. It helps to spritz the wool, not soak it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabib Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I built my gas forge as you suggested by using the kaowool, then an internal form for the castable. The castable I used wasn't really castable so much as rammable so I dropped crumbly bits of it into the gap between the form and the kaowool, then packed it solid with a stick. After drying I removed the internal form and painted the inside with ITC100. I was trying for good insulation from the kaowool and durability from the castable. The important thing for the castable is to let it dry as much as possible, then to heat it with the lowest fire you can until it really sets up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Proulx Audy Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Hey Wayne, would 2 inches of wool be too much? Does the concrete crush the wool when cure and horizontally?I'll begin this project on Monday! Just can't wait! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneCoeArtistBlacksmith Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I suggest 1 inch but would be happy to sell 2. Kast-0-Lite is a light weight, insolating castable so it adds insolating properties to the 1" of wool and no it will not crush the wool. Let me know if I can help you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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