[TheForge] Strengthening castable refractory

[Thomas A. Troszak]

> From: "Jerry Frost" <frosty@customcpu.com>
> Subject: Re: [TheForge] Strengthening castable refractory
> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 19:13:05 -0800

> The refactory I used was already mixed.

Dear Frosty,

Thanks for reminding me about the rammable stuff. The pre-mixed rammable
refractory that I have used is very neat stuff, it comes in big slabs (about
the consistency of gritty pottery clay) it is really sticky, and is tough as
nails when cured and fired. The AP Green stuff I am familiar with turns into
the "hard" (high temp) super-duty refractory rather than the "insulating"
kind, so it would not be as fuel efficient for an entire lining. Certainly
it will work, as you have proven.

I have used it for repairing busted arches in large steam locomotives, for
high erosion (flame impingement) spots, and patches in walls and roofs, it
will even defy gravity and stick to the ceiling, if you smack it on hard
enough.  Once fired to high temp, it is dense and almost glassy and nearly
in-frickin-destructable, but it is not as efficient fuel-wise. Come to think
of it, I used some leftovers as a liner for my coal firepot, once upon a
time. Surely, you can make a forge out of almost anything.

I honestly don't know if you can get "insulating rammable" refractory, or
rammable with the needles already mixed in, a call to the refractory guy is
in order, I reckon. That would be vaguely nightmarish to work with though...

Tom Troszak