Where to buy fire bricks and refractory cement?

[jhobson]

Sorry for repeating myself but the title of my last thread 'What is the contact info for Wrights?' was poor.

To build and use a forge like Hank Knickmeyer described at the Hammerin, I need 16 soft firebricks and half a bag of cement (don't know how big US bags are but I'm going to try and buy 10kgs).

At the hammerin several people (maybe they were from the blacksmith crowd) told me that Wrights was the best place to get bricks and cement.
I have just found this on the web:
Wrights Refractories (1991) Ltd
Address: Bridge Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 5YU
Telephone: 0138476493
I'll call next week but if anyone knows good sources for firebricks and cement then please let me know.

I checked out Potclays which has been suggested before on this forum
but they charge over £4 per brick and £3 for 0.5kg of refractory powder . . .not the cheap forge I had imagined!

[PS_Bond]

There's also Purimachos in Bristol... http://www.purimachos.co.uk
Can't find the prices offhand.

[Colin KC]

Sorry for repeating myself but the title of my last thread 'What is the contact info for Wrights?' was poor.

To build and use a forge like Hank Knickmeyer described at the Hammerin, I need 16 soft firebricks and half a bag of cement (don't know how big US bags are but I'm going to try and buy 10kgs).

At the hammerin several people (maybe they were from the blacksmith crowd) told me that Wrights was the best place to get bricks and cement.
I have just found this on the web:
Wrights Refractories (1991) Ltd
Address: Bridge Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 5YU
Telephone: 0138476493
I'll call next week but if anyone knows good sources for firebricks and cement then please let me know.

I checked out Potclays which has been suggested before on this forum
but they charge over £4 per brick and £3 for 0.5kg of refractory powder . . .not the cheap forge I had imagined!

Lemme know Jack what prices are like & I'll certainly jump in with an order & see if we can get a discount together

[jhobson]

A new one. Seems resonable prices:
Bath Potters Supplies http://www.bathpotters.co.uk/webpage.htm#kilns

20 bricks for £30. They also do ceramic blanket, board, hardener, and cement.

Downside: I'm not sure how good the delivery service is and they don't open on a Sat so I can't visit easily.

Btw, they talk about using a standard plumbers burner for DIY kilns. I just happend to get one yesterday from Machine Mart for £24 with 3 different size burners (I went in to buy just regulator and hose - which they didn't have in stock - but for a little more you get a nice set). The big 50mm one heats up my workshop very quickly!

[Colin KC]

& this one: http://www.tabrefractories.co.uk/index2.htm

[shing]

I've got loads of firebricks if you don't mind paying postage or collect them yourself, £1.50 each. I'm near Derby. Although I might be in Bristol soon when my sister has her Scottish baby.

[narsil]

Are they the soft type? I wouldn't mind geting hold of a couple to experiment with a one brick forge.

[Colin KC]

I'll be after @ 80-100 hard type, 25Kg refractory, a few soft type & some of that there blanket

[Colin KC]

OT, BTW Jack, it's called Knick Knack & is on the Finding Nemo DVD

[shing]

They're soft as butter and I've got ceramic fibre as well. Please PM with your requirements. P&P is extra

[Kevin]

£3 for 0.5kg of refractory powder . . .not the cheap forge I had imagined!

Jack....maybe you could make your own 'adobe' to save money....Mix equal quantities if sand and clay, and add a cup full of wood ash..add water and mix. .........I made adobe for a charcoal forge a couple of years ago .....

[jhobson]

Wrights phone number was dead.

Bath Potters Supplies very helpful. Do everything except castable refractory!
Will sell blanket by the meter (don't need to by a whole box). Good to 1260 C. Less harmful than Kawool (so they say). Will arrange delivery by local carrier.
So maybe buy from here and make a blanket lined forge.
I need to call back to see who they suggest for castable.


Purimanchos helpful but really cater for trade. They will charge £41 to make up and deliver a pallet (upto 1 tonne). But they don't sell soft firebricks!! (do sell hard)
They recommended 'Castable 1500M' refractory £26 25kg for our purposes. (Good up to 1500 C. Durable i.e. hard. They sell others)
7m of 25mm blanket (I think 500mm wide) for £60.
Also recommend ceramic board 500x1000x50mm for £60.
So maybe get board and fill with refractory but I think this works out expensive. The bloke seemed to really like the board and suggested cutting strips and using it as lining - more durable than blanket.
Maybe could get just one bag of castable delivered for £25.
Really we need someone with access to a fleet of vans who can collect

[Colin KC]

Hmm, that's a bugger that is, I need castable (as, I suspect many do) But. many need soft firebricks


Hmm, mebbe if Peter gets his finger out & posts the design for Hanks "cheap" forge, we can go to Purimanchos & get the lot & people'll go for hard bricks & refractory to make a forge


How'd TAB Refractories go?

[jhobson]

Jack....maybe you could make your own 'adobe' to save money....Mix equal quantities if sand and clay, and add a cup full of wood ash..add water and mix. .........I made adobe for a charcoal forge a couple of years ago .....

I was thinking about having a dig in my garden and mixing the resultant mud with ash and straw - just to see what happend. Now you have given me the recepie I may well use this for a Japanese style charcoal forge . . . but I wouldn't want to use this for lining one of Hank's designs. . . .would I?

[Colin KC]

Propblem is, our vans don't go further than Reading to the west