Have you considered castable refractory? I use the Tsc bricks as they are cheap. I load 20 lb splits and break one every month or two. I have considered the castable as it can be molded, but I didn’t want to ness with the cure time and dealing with breaks. I can swap a brick in minutes and the cost is low.
For me, using tile for a baffle would only be a last ditch/hail Mary effort in not freezing to death. 1. Its very poor insulation...the factory baffles are usually of very good insulative value. 2. They would likely not take the thermo shock of a quick light up, or maybe even just opening the door to load on hot coals. 3. Too heavy...for the ones that sit on the secondary air tubes, I think the extra weight would make the tubes deform when they are red hot. 4. Brittle...easy to break when bumped during loading.
We make custom cast refractory panels when needed but it is pretty expensive and a pain to work with. If you can use standard size brick it is much cheaper. Also if you have a good brick yard nearby there are many different grades of refractory brick. Softer ones crack much less than the cheaper harder versions.
I didn’t know if that was safe or not but hey it might be worth trying in a pinch. I know travertine and those large pieces really help. Just don’t know enough about tile, just hope it won’t explode at what,900°F give or take?
Yeah, I’d expect occasional temps up to 1500F. They are fired at temps up to 2500F. Sometimes multiple times. I’d toss one in my Progress Hybrid but now you got me worried LOL. Don’t think I wanna tinker with my baby. If I remember and if I fire up my woodfurnace this winter I’ll toss one in the firebox. See what happens.
Yeah they can take the heat if it is a slow even heat change. But it won't deal well with quick temp changes or uneven heating.
You think it’s possible that a brace could be made for those bricks? Same thickness as the little brackets in hat hold your brick up but two strips going down and maybe go off opposite directions so that you have room for the bricks to be put in but take wood blows as they are dropped in? Kinda mulling on an idea but may seem counterintuitive...
I replace firebricks routinely, 1-2 per year on average. I purchased these: I do not worry about firebrick cracks as long as the bricks stay in position. Ash works in behind my bricks and lifts one end and the resulting "bridge" cracks my bricks. Also, the thermal cycle (room temperature up to 500+ deg and back down) creates enough thermal expansion in the bricks to move them around. I will remove a brick cracked in two and clean the space out and return those two pieces. I replace a brick cracked into several pieces. There are products like this: for small repairs.
I've never given it any thought tbh. Now that I have a bigger stove, I'm the primary loader so I'm hoping to extend their life.
I figure you’ve probably been able to say “how about I’ll handle the wood loading” as those have loaded it before tend to be rough on the bricks. At least it’s only a replaceable thing for stoves and not a crack in welds. No forever solution for our burners since they are subject to the harshest heat. Parts are to be had and simply routine. I’ve tended to look at things as if there were ways to elongate their wear and tear, maybe in the future something that will last a little longer will come up. I’m thinking if they did something, it would be like the baffle material, lighter brick, ceramic enclosure but as I’m spitballing here I should get to work on such an idea instead of dreaming it. Good luck!
