Hello! Happy to join this forum as I am working on a new (my third furnace). I have, previously, built two furnaces (followed the plans on Backyard Metal Casting), made the DIY refractory and built two Reil style burners. After doing some deep research I now see how much I can improve on this new furnace! It is being built from the inner steel shell of a hot water heater. I was going to make an improved DIY refractory but it sounds like the folks who have commented are recommending purchasing a commercial refractory. Glad to be here and seems to be an active forum! Val
Welocme Val. I'll look forward to your future posts with a furnace build thread and some cool castings! Best, Kelly
Welcome to the forum. I see you run a gas burner, have you though about building a low mass furnace? It's more fuel efficient, a lot easier and faster to build. Portable also. A couple inches of wool and a 1/4" coating of Satanite and you're done.
I have not considered that yet - I have seen a few wool designs and not sure why I keep leaning towards a castable (more than likely due to my need to make everything more complicated LOL) I appreciate the recommendation and will look into it for sure.
There's a good thread going on that relates to low mass furnaces https://forums.thehomefoundry.org/index.php?threads/refurbishing-used-furnaces.2787/ You might even be able to get some of the materials for it at Harbison Walker. I think they make satanite, but you can easily buy that in a small quantity from Hightemptools.com. (its the shipping on 55# bags of refractory that'll kill ya.) Castable refractory was the topic of your other thread so that's what I talked about there, but there's alot to be said about going low-mass. Fishbonz has proven that. Since you're using propane which isn't getting any cheaper, it might be something to consider. Pete
I didn't want to push the issue because 'to each their own'...but, A low mass furnace is so easy to build. Once you have the shell done it can be finished in one day. No making forms for the castable, no extended drying time, no fighting removing the forms, no trolley build since it's so lightweight it can be carried. We haven't seen a castable build posted here for several years. An A10 size furnace will take about 6 pounds of Satanite but get the 10 pound option to have a little extra laying around. It won't go bad as it only sets up with a high heat cure. It's defiantly something to think about.
Good morning, I'm new here myself, but I started off in Garland back when some of it was still farmland.
