IFB brick pile forge

[ymber]

I'm interested in building a brick pile forge out of refractory bricks similar to the one Frosty recommended in https://www.iforgeiron.com/topic/43976-t-burner-illustrated-directions/?do=findComment&comment=773558. Everywhere people talk about these designs on IFI I see them recommending Morgan Thermal Ceramics K26 bricks and Plistix or ITC100 kiln wash. I've been looking for UK suppliers of these but none of them seem to be available. The bricks can be come by but only with enormous shipping costs from America. I want about 300in^3 of internal volume to run off a 3/4" T burner and that would be hundreds of dollars of bricks with the cost of getting them in this country. I've not done a forge build from scratch before so a big appeal of the design is that it's just bricks and kiln wash without any of the more complicated insulation that other designs need. As I understand it the simplicity of the design is enabled by the particular chemistry of those products and if I substituted other bricks and kiln wash it might melt under welding flux. If I can't get my hands on this stuff are there workable alternatives or would I be better off going with a completely different forge design?

 

[tinkertim]

Hi Ymber,

Google: Vitcas UK

These are the people in South Bristol who supplied my K2600 IFB bricks for my first brick forge.  They may not be as tough as Morgan ceramics, but if you coat the inner faces of the IFBs with a protective flame face, then they should last long enough for you to decide if you want continue with that style of forge or build a different type.

I've been down this road already, with all the issues of trying to find USA-based materials in the UK.
 

My initial brick forge and burner developments:

 

And then my second forge design, based on an oval pail, lined with ceramic wool, and then coated with a DIY Zircopax slurry, which works really well for me.

Hope this helps.

Give me a shout if you have questions.

Tink!

[Frosty]

Morgan Thermal Ceramics manufacturers product all over the world, their site has a location finder. ITC-100 is a poor kiln wash for propane forges, it remains soft. It is formulated as a release agent so molten materials won't bond to the inside of furnaces, kilns, etc. It contains zirconia flour so it does re-radiate IR well but unfortunately it rubs off.

Plistex and Matrikote are entirely different, they are high alumina and fire HARD like a coffee mug. Local ceramic suppliers will (or should) have catalogues with equivalent products available in the UK.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Mikey98118]

Also, ITC products form a thin film, which isn't protective enough on bricks that need to be effectively sealed against flame damage. Plistex and other such coatings can be layered, coat upon coat, to create a much more effective barrier against flame damage on insulation bricks, which are all quite porous.

[ymber]

Ok, no ITC then. What are the things to look for to know that a kiln wash is a hardening kind and also won't dissolve if it touches welding temperature borax? If I did a mixture with zirconium silicate would that be borax safe? As far as I understand it silicates melt under hot borax.

I looked at the Morgan place in the UK but it looks like it's only for large wholesale orders and I can't find anywhere selling to the public that doesn't have American import charges. Those Vitcas bricks look like what I'm looking for though. Is it worth getting 3000F rated bricks instead of the 2600F ones to be comfortably over the melting point of steel if I might want to do some casting work with this forge?

[Frosty]

Every product has a "Material Data Sheet" or the UK equivalent which will tell you what's in it and safe handling procedures. You are looking for a calcite bonded, high alumina ceramic. Morgan ceramics is an international manufacturer and supplier but if you call the office ON THE TELEPHONE and ask about retailers in your area they have a list and promote them. Do NOT waste your time trying the "contact link" on company websites, unless you are inquiring about purchasing in large quantities, say semi trailer loads you'll never hear back. The telephone on the other hand has a human being on the other end and you can charm people with a little practice but no matter how hard you try you can't charm the delete key. 

Same for contacting a ceramic supply company, you want the ones that supply to people building kilns, not the ones that sell clay and glaze to potters. The smaller suppliers should be able to tell you who to call and provide the number. IF they like you enough to feel helpful. Be polite, NEVER let frustration show and if you raise your voice one time word might go out and you're in the dark. 

Here's an old trick that works a treat dong phone searches. SMILE as you talk on the phone, believe it or not you can hear a smile in a person's voice. 

Remember, what you want is a "HIGH alumina" kiln wash that fires hard. And mention Plistex and Matrikote they should have equivalents in their catalogues.

Frosty The Lucky.