Brick forge durability question

[AdamInTx]

Hi Folks,  I'm looking to make a smaller forge for some backyard smithing (forge will be stored in a metal garage-like building and only outside when being used) but I want to only use brick (combination of soft and hard, also there will be metal involved, I just mean the only refractory would be bricks).  I made this choice as I assume it will last longer, and with less maintenance, than one made with wool and cast-able refractory.  Realistically, with light to moderate "weekend warrior" type use, how long should the bricks in an all brick forge last (the ones I'm looking at are 3000-3200 rated, not the cheaper 2000 ones sold at the box stores)?  I see in a lot of the K-Wool threads it seems like there is a bit more maintenance involved with the wool to the point where I've even seen it listed as a consumable.  I'm not a professional, and have no intentions of becoming one but I do want to make the forge out of something that will last for hopefully a few years before I need to start replacing the "guts" of it.

Thanks,Adam

[ThomasPowers]

Bricks are a consumable too.  

[AdamInTx]

True, but from what I see in reading threads here and other places, they last quite a bit longer.  Is that incorrect?

[ThomasPowers]

Yes No Maybe depending on details.   Avoiding moisture getting into the bricks will help, making the thermal cycling more gentle will help. Avoiding mechanical shock will help, etc.

[John in Oly, WA]

The hard non-insulating firebricks are more durable. The soft firebricks are very fragile. If you're really building your forge in the backyard, building a cover over it would help. Water getting into the brick and freezing, or being heated to forge temps, won't help its longevity.

Just my opinion based on my limited experience, kaowool encased in cast-o-lite 30 is about as durable and low maintenance as it can get. Kaowool by itself, rigidized or not, is something I'd never consider doing.

[Mikey98118]

On 6/7/2017 at 0:21 PM, AdamInTx said:

I'm not a professional, and have no intentions of becoming one but I do want to make the forge out of something that will last for hopefully a few years before I need to start replacing the "guts" of it.

There are other threads on here that get in to how to go about making a cast hot-face inner layer, surrounding it with ceramic blanket, and inserting the bundle into a forge shell. This makes occasional changing out the wool for a new layer about as easy at  anything gets; build a hinged and latched door of the front of a tunnel forge, and it gets so easy there should be a law against it.

Ceramic board is tougher than ceramic blanket, and will bast longer. You can build a box shaped forge, or buy a Diamondback forge, that not only lasts longer than wool, but is child's play to reline.

The insulation in either forge should last a "weekend warrior " for years.

[jcornell]

 I'm a weekend warrior hobby blacksmith - my first two forges were made from soft firebrick.  Both were a lot of fun, but they weren't very durable.  Forges three and four were coffee cans lined with ceramic blanket - durable, but not very efficient.  Forge #5 is a helium tank lined with ceramic blanket with bricks for front and back doors - other than reapplying the kiln wash once a year, it's pretty low maintenance.

[Mikey98118]

Good info there. What went wrong the the coffee-can forges; problems making burners small enough? Or where they just too small to do what you wanted? I am still interested in them.