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Homemade EPA stove refractory

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

  1. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    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
     
  2. MikeInMa

    MikeInMa

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    Very nice.

    You should thing about putting some adornments, here n there. :thumbs:
     
  3. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    She wants me to take some of them down.....

    Silly girl....lol
     
  4. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    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?
     
  5. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    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
     
  6. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Is this something that could be made out of some ceramic insulation board?
     
  7. ironpony

    ironpony

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    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.
     
  8. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Kinda what I was thinking too...
     
  9. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    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.
     
  10. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    How long ago was this? Prices on stuff now...:bug:
     
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  11. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    Oh yeah, definitely not recent.
    2014.
     
  12. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    I was kinda thinking that maybe you hadn't gotten "rockety" lately...
     
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  13. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    Yep, nope- gave the 2 batch box halves to Mr. Barcroftb :yes:
     
  14. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    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.
     
  15. brenndatomu

    brenndatomu

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    Hmm...maybe you could "glue" (furnace cement) the bricks to a thinner (cheaper) sheet of fiberboard to help hold it all together too?
     
  16. moresnow

    moresnow

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    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.
     
  17. Barcroftb

    Barcroftb

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    And like a true slacker it’s had nothing done with it:emb:
     
  18. Eric VW

    Eric VW Moderator

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    :picard:
    :whistle:
    :salute:
     
  19. Scotty Overkill

    Scotty Overkill Administrator

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    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
     
  20. Canadian border VT

    Canadian border VT

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    So steal the bags from Barcroftb (he will probably give them too you for beer or pizza) in
    Outdoor pizza oven;)