Scale and bark Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 I received a Forgemaster Blacksmith 5000 as a gift. Previously I was researching how to build a forge. So I know a little bit about ceramic fiber insulin (probably enough to be dangerous). The insulation for the door doesn’t seem to be rigidized. I got some fumed silica, wet the blanket with water and then applied the silica and am waiting for it to dry. Hopefully I’m not asking questions that have been answered a thousand time already. I have tried to search your website for this information, but there is a daunting amount on here. My questions are. 1. How long should it take to dry? I’ve waited two days and it still seems moist to the touch. I doused it pretty well with the silica. 2. Do I need to (I’m not sure on the correct term) fire the silica before I install the liner or can I do this by running the forge? 3. The back, sides and roof also appear to be ceramic blanket, but it feels much firmer. Would they have rigidized them and not the door liner, or do I need to rigidize them too? 4. Do I need to put a layer of refractory over any of the insulation? Thank you so much for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Ceramic fiber insulin? Huh did not know it was good for diabetics. Just pulling you chain a little, once ya been here a while you will get used to it. Anyway i cannot answer your question but i can give some small advice, go to the "Read this first" thread and read it, fill out your header let us know where abouts in this great big world you are at. Dont have to be specific, region is fine. But you may discover that one or more of us are quite close and can lend a hand if needed. Also the search function here is, well it is, anyway the best way to search the site is your favorite search engine. Put in what you are looking for with "iforgeiron" after it, becuase yes your question has provably been answered many times already. Pictures, we love pictures here. They also give a visual that can be seen. Like i said i cant answer your questions but those who can, a picture, like they say, is worth a thousand words. Anyway, welcome to the club. Stay safe and have fun. And remember, catching yourself on fire is only a big deal the first half dozen times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Is it moist or just cold? A couple of days it should be dry. You can put a lamp with an incandescent 100 wt bulb inside with the door closed to speed up the drying. A layer of castable refractory like Kast-O-Lite 30 will help protect the insulation from damage and Plistix 900 will make it hotter and conserve fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale and bark Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Insulin haha. A little too much trust in my phones autocorrect. This is the inside of the forge if it helps. Irondragon, I’m not really sure. I get some “goo” on my fingers if I touch it. I don’t know if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Welcome aboard Scale&bark, glad to have you. Do you have a name, nick, handle, etc. we can address you by or do we have to make something up? If you rigidized it with fumed silica in water you can go ahead and fire it up. The water will evaporate and once it reaches red heat the silica will have fused the fibers together making it stronger and safer. That's a nice gift, I like your friends and relatives! Introduce me? Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale and bark Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 Thank you sir. My name is Glen. You can call me whatever you choose (I promise I’ve been called worse). What about the insulation on the sides back and roof? Also do I need to put any kind of refractory or kiln wash over the ceramic blanket? You can say that again about the gift. I recently retired from the fire service and this was from my last crew. They also got me a 100lb anvil, hammer, some tongs and five gallons of quench oil. They’re the best group of guys I ever had the pleasure of working with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 I'll try and remember Glen but I'm a TBI survivor so I'm doing good if I remember having breakfast let alone what it was. There are a lot of retired and active firefighters on Iforge, you're in good company. Thank you for being one of the guys who run towards trouble. I don't know enough about Forgemaster forges to have a valid opinion about the rest of the liner. From the looks in the pics I'd say maybe kiln washing would be enough but don't quote me. I expect there are guys on Iforge who own or have used Forgemasters and will speak up presently. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 The walls and ceiling are lined with ceramic fiberboard while the door is lined with ceramic blanket. I have a forge lined the same way. I didn't use a castable refractory and only rigidized the blanket. I did however use an IR re emission coating on the entire interior and door to make it more efficient and to strengthen it against bumps etc. Welcome aboard, good luck, and remember it's supposed to be fun. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale and bark Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Thank you all for the help. I got it fired up and got the silica to melt and the insulation feels firm. I do have a couple of more questions. The door isn’t closing all of the way. I didn’t run it for very long. Maybe five minutes or so. Obviously the handle won’t last long like this and it’s loosing heat. Is this normal, is there a fix? It seems like the insulation is what’s stopping it. I tried to get it pushed into the door as much as I could. I would think that if I put kiln wash on it like this every time I close the door it’s going to chip off. Also, one of the flames doesn’t look like the other. I’m guessing the one on the left is what I want it to be. Any ideas on the problem? I have a video I can post if that’s helpful. I just didn’t want to contribute to the clogging of the forum if it’s not necessary. Thank you again for your help and patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 What did he manufacturer say when you contacted them about an issue with their product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale and bark Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 I haven’t contacted them. From what I’ve gathered from other posts on here this brand of forge has some design issues including the 90 degree bend in the burners and the costumer service isn’t that great. I just figured that I will have to make it work as best as I can myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 I put a brick against the large door on my forge when I'm using the entrances on the side, as the pressure from the burners tends to push it open a little. I don't have doors on the ends though just openings in the forge body. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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