In loving memory of Kenis D. Keathley 6/4/81 - 3/27/22 Loving father, husband, brother, friend and firewood hoarder Rest in peace, Dexterday

Homemade EPA stove refractory

Discussion in 'Modern EPA Stoves and Fireplaces' started by Scotty Overkill, Sep 22, 2021.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2013
    Messages:
    9,614
    Likes Received:
    64,519
    Location:
    Central PA
    Has anyone in the group done this yet? I want to make a new fireback for my Napoleon NZ3000, what would be a good mix to use to cast it? Heat-Stop 50 with a wire mesh?

    Some of you may remember my fireplace....

    20171123_095106-1.jpg
     
    Scotty Overkill, Sep 22, 2021
    #1 Top
    amateur cutter, BuckthornBonnie, Slocum and 5 others like this.
  2. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2016
    Messages:
    14,604
    Likes Received:
    104,291
    Location:
    Southern Worcester county
    Very nice.

    You should thing about putting some adornments, here n there. :thumbs:
     
    MikeInMa, Sep 22, 2021
    #2 Top
    amateur cutter, Chaz, brenndatomu and 1 other person like this.
  3. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2013
    Messages:
    9,614
    Likes Received:
    64,519
    Location:
    Central PA
    She wants me to take some of them down.....

    Silly girl....lol
     
    Scotty Overkill, Sep 22, 2021
    #3 Top
    amateur cutter, Chaz, brenndatomu and 1 other person like this.
  4. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    140,445
    Location:
    US
    I wouldn’t embed any metal in refractory- 2 different rates of thermal expansion will lead to failure.
    Can you show what this fireback looks like, Scott?
     
    Eric VW, Sep 22, 2021
    #4 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat, Chaz and 1 other person like this.
  5. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2013
    Messages:
    9,614
    Likes Received:
    64,519
    Location:
    Central PA
    It's still in the stove, but I think chicken wire would be fine (the really thin stuff). I haven't taken it out yet, and I'm at work right now.

    It's a flat refractory, approx 20"×14", 1.5" thick.

    You can buy the refractory kit from Napoleon for around 200 bucks, but I'm cheap......lol
     
    Scotty Overkill, Sep 22, 2021
    #5 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat, Chaz and 1 other person like this.
  6. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    23,484
    Likes Received:
    151,015
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Is this something that could be made out of some ceramic insulation board?
     
    brenndatomu, Sep 22, 2021
    #6 Top
    amateur cutter, Scotty Overkill, eatonpcat and 2 others like this.
  7. ironpony

    ironpony

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2013
    Messages:
    3,564
    Likes Received:
    18,715
    Location:
    Mid Ohio
    Find/call a local refractory supplier. I used Allen Refractory when I did my pizza oven. The engineer there speced everything and figured up the quantities for me. I forget how much a bag was but it was not "cheap" $200 sounds reasonable. IIRC I had over 2k in materials. 20x14 I'd probably do 2 interlocking pieces so it can move some.
     
    ironpony, Sep 22, 2021
    #7 Top
    amateur cutter, Scotty Overkill, eatonpcat and 2 others like this.
  8. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    23,484
    Likes Received:
    151,015
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Kinda what I was thinking too...
     
    brenndatomu, Sep 22, 2021
    #8 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat, Eric VW and 1 other person like this.
  9. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    140,445
    Location:
    US
    When I built my test bed rocket stove I went to A & H (industrial refractory supplier) and had similar experience as ironpony- great support and aimed in the right direction… answered all my questions, too.
    I think I paid right around $50 for a 40-50 lb bag of dense refractory, good to 3000°F and the stuff was pretty strong/durable. I also tried some pneumatic hammer applied refractory- a very dry mix that is hammered in place in furnaces…. That was the toughest stuff I messed with, but a bear to mix and form.
    Scotty Overkill, if you do the way of an industrial supply house, be sure to ask them to include the data sheet for dry bagged- water amount/qty is crucial when mixing refractory.
     
    Eric VW, Sep 22, 2021
    #9 Top
    amateur cutter, Scotty Overkill and eatonpcat like this.
  10. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    23,484
    Likes Received:
    151,015
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    How long ago was this? Prices on stuff now...:bug:
     
    brenndatomu, Sep 22, 2021
    #10 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat and Eric VW like this.
  11. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    140,445
    Location:
    US
    Oh yeah, definitely not recent.
    2014.
     
    Eric VW, Sep 22, 2021
    #11 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat and brenndatomu like this.
  12. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    23,484
    Likes Received:
    151,015
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    I was kinda thinking that maybe you hadn't gotten "rockety" lately...
     
    brenndatomu, Sep 22, 2021
    #12 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat and Eric VW like this.
  13. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    140,445
    Location:
    US
    Yep, nope- gave the 2 batch box halves to Mr. Barcroftb :yes:
     
    Eric VW, Sep 22, 2021
    #13 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat and brenndatomu like this.
  14. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2013
    Messages:
    9,614
    Likes Received:
    64,519
    Location:
    Central PA
    I'm considering that, also kicking around cutting some of the thin fire brick and "tongue and grooving" them to interlock for that back wall.
     
    Scotty Overkill, Sep 22, 2021
    #14 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat, papadave and 2 others like this.
  15. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

    Joined:
    May 29, 2015
    Messages:
    23,484
    Likes Received:
    151,015
    Location:
    NE Ohio
    Hmm...maybe you could "glue" (furnace cement) the bricks to a thinner (cheaper) sheet of fiberboard to help hold it all together too?
     
    brenndatomu, Sep 22, 2021
    #15 Top
    amateur cutter, Scotty Overkill, eatonpcat and 1 other person like this.
  16. moresnow

    moresnow

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2016
    Messages:
    1,773
    Likes Received:
    9,963
    Location:
    Iowa
    You can't be that cheap:rofl: :lol: For the factory replacement components compared to messing around. My opinion. No offense!

    Beauty setup by the way.
     
    moresnow, Sep 22, 2021
    #16 Top
    amateur cutter, Scotty Overkill, eatonpcat and 2 others like this.
  17. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Messages:
    3,087
    Likes Received:
    17,935
    Location:
    The Mitten
    And like a true slacker it’s had nothing done with it:emb:
     
    Barcroftb, Sep 22, 2021
    #17 Top
    amateur cutter, Earl764, eatonpcat and 3 others like this.
  18. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2015
    Messages:
    24,403
    Likes Received:
    140,445
    Location:
    US
    :picard:
    :whistle:
    :salute:
     
    Eric VW, Sep 22, 2021
    #18 Top
    amateur cutter, eatonpcat and Barcroftb like this.
  19. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2013
    Messages:
    9,614
    Likes Received:
    64,519
    Location:
    Central PA
    I'm actually not cheap at all, bit I'd like to make my own for fitment and for piece of mind knowing I can when in a pinch....

    Thank you for the compliments on the fireplace, there's a full build thread in here somewhere showing the entire process
     
    Scotty Overkill, Sep 23, 2021
    #19 Top
    amateur cutter, Eric VW, brenndatomu and 2 others like this.
  20. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2015
    Messages:
    18,274
    Likes Received:
    119,773
    Location:
    Vermont
    So steal the bags from Barcroftb (he will probably give them too you for beer or pizza) in
    Outdoor pizza oven;)
     
    Canadian border VT, Sep 23, 2021
    #20 Top
    amateur cutter, Eric VW, Scotty Overkill and 4 others like this.
Page 1 of 2