Refractory cement in kiln build

I

IanF

Well-Known Member
I am making my HT oven at the moment and have a question on refractory cement. Basically should I cement (mortar really) my bricks together or leaves them as a dry stack? I am using K23 bricks and have an appropriate high temp refractory cement but I have not found if I should actually use it or not. The bricks are all cut and fit together well dry and if I can make a tight fitting metal frame they will all stay snug I believe. Having the stuck together would reduce the need for such a precise fitting exterior to hold everything tightly.

Pros and cons?
 
IF you have high quality/high temp mortar, I would say use it, BUT... with the following caveat...... Use no more then a VERT THIN coat/layer..... as if you were buttering bread. In a HT oven application, you have an item that is likely not going to be moved around much, so you don't need the mortar to "hold it together"..... just seal the cracks/and small air spaces between the bricks. Sometime, using very little/a very thin layer of is tougher to do than a thick layer.....but take your time, and even think about thinning the mortal down if necessary.

For a lot of years I have been keeping this on hand for patching forges, and for application such as yours.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACIWN9...colid=IQ4PY6NCXJT2&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it Of course it doesn't have to be this brand....but I initially tried it because of the 3000F temp rating. I personally like it better then the Rutland, which is what many choose because of the brand name.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
IF you have high quality/high temp mortar, I would say use it, BUT... with the following caveat...... Use no more then a VERT THIN coat/layer..... as if you were buttering bread. In a HT oven application, you have an item that is likely not going to be moved around much, so you don't need the mortar to "hold it together"..... just seal the cracks/and small air spaces between the bricks. Sometime, using very little/a very thin layer of is tougher to do than a thick layer.....but take your time, and even think about thinning the mortal down if necessary.

For a lot of years I have been keeping this on hand for patching forges, and for application such as yours.... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ACIWN9...colid=IQ4PY6NCXJT2&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it Of course it doesn't have to be this brand....but I initially tried it because of the 3000F temp rating. I personally like it better then the Rutland, which is what many choose because of the brand name.
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I used that exact refractory cement on my little coffee can forge and it improved the temperature and the stability dramatically. But I did put on too thick and as you say putting it on thin is harder. So far it's worked OK for me as is. But I don't use it much, particularly lately.
 
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