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Forges 101


Mikey98118

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"Lightweight alumina hollow sphere brick for ceramic kiln lining"

The ad says "Lightweight alumina hollow sphere brick for ceramic kiln lining"; Google it to find these bricks at $6 a brick. You'll have to wait for a slow boat from China, but once the drop shippers get a hold of this, the bricks will hit hit $25 and "shipping costs."

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I'm going to go buy a bunch of bricks from the local blacksmith I met on the weekend, probably not as good but for $11 each it gets me them ASAP.  

 

On that note, this appears to be the stuff he uses and has to supply if people want, is it any good compared to Kastolite 30 which I can't get right now?

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A couple things. First the only thing wanting it RIGHT NOW guarantees is making your mistakes permanent more quickly. Old type IFBs ran $13 ea. on the shelf in Anchorage Ak. K-26 are becoming industry standard and are available on the shelf in Anchorage for just under $4 ea. with our club discount, under $6 retail. 

Old type IFBs have a very short lifespan in a propane forge, their tamp rating is way too low and they can't tolerate the rapid temp changes a propane burner causes. Seriously an IFB lined forge will go from room temp to 2,800f.+ in under 5 minutes. You get to light your old type IFB brick pile forge maybe 3 times before the bricks crumble too badly to hold at all. Kiln washed or not.

A quick search shows Uni-cast 2,800 to be 48% alumina and rated to 2,800f. No insulating qualities though. Assuming the usual margin manufacturers put on "official" ratings it should hold fine above 2,800f. a ways. It's supposed to be abrasion resistant so should stand up to the rough treatment a typical forge enjoys from steel being inserted and withdrawn.

I'd pass on the IFBs unless the seller can show them to be Morgan ceramics, K-26. You can order K-26 online for under $11 USD. There are suppliers in Canada so you won't have to pay import duties and such. Even if it's painfully expensive, it'll be a long term investment in $ and waiting time. The Morgan k-26 in my forges are better than 3 years old and going strong. The only breakage has been the result of being dropped. 

Of course that's just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I would love to do it right, but this sites fixation on not linking other sites and vague suggestions to google do not help.

 

I've spent days trying to find Canadian suppliers for anything recommended on this site, Plistex and Matrikote might as well literally not exist in Canada, Kast-o-lite is out of stock in the one place that lists it, not a single site I've been able to find specifies if a firebrick is K-26 or anything at all.  

I'm entirely open to suggestions but the idea that it's straight forward to find what Americans can easily get there hands on here in Canada is entirely not the case. The local blacksmithing group has no more access to the materials than I do so I am entirely at a loss of how to proceed without either waiting for shipping and duties from the US for however long that is or trying to work with the materials available to me.

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Since covid refractory suppliers are getting shorted as a lot of the product comes from the US. 

Search for PSH pottery supply house they sell k2600 HS "high strength" I haven't used them. 

This company also sells high alumina kiln shelves as well as Bentonite and zircopax I have not attempted a wash yet though. 

Keep in mind when you look at the k2600 in cad it's like 12 bucks with conversion you aren't too much more expensive than US. 

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I just searched "Morgan Thermal Ceramics Locations". I had to select Canada on the "Our Locations" page and only got one hit.

1185 Walkers Line

Burlington

Ontario L7M 1L1

It wasn't a vague suggestion to do a web search, it was a straight up suggestion. You don't expect us to do everything for you do you? If you don't know how to do web searches, ask for help we'll coach you, it's an acquired skill set and must be learned. 

I missed where someone here told you 2,800 IFBs are no good, in this thread. Are you confusing Morgan, K-26 IFBs with the evaluation of the Uni-cast 2,800? Those are two entirely different refractories. 

Frosty The Lucky.

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