Arch Board supplier

[vikingHB]

I found a company in Toronto (Alphatherm), which sells arch board at a reasonable price (link below)They sell a wide variety of refractory products. The representative provided me with a price of $130 for a 1" mineral wool board which comes packaged in a 48 sq foot carton ( 16 - 12" X 36" boards). He suggested installing this product instead of ceramic board. He told me they place this board in ovens, industrial furnaces, kilns, boilers, etc. It`s a lot less expensive then ceramic board. It`s rated at 1900 degrees. Cut it with a utility knife.
If you are interested in the technical data, send me your email address, and I will forward.

http://www.alphatherm.ca/refractory.htm

[Brent]

Your arch will be hotter than 1900 degrees this board is rated for. The evaporator manufacturers say the brick and cement should be rated 3000 degrees.
See Leader's instructions here http://www.leaderevaporator.com/pdf_files/Half-Pint-Evaporator.pdf
It's too much work to insulate and brick an arch to have to do it twice because the insulation couldn't take the heat.
Keep in mind that firebrick has almost no insulation value. Get good insulation and use lots of it. I have found 1" of the mineral type is not enough
to keep the side of the arch from scorching hot on the outside. Also hot enough to melt nylon clothes ... like your ski jacket ... well mine anyway.

[vikingHB]

Hi Brent,

I appreciate the info. On my previous unit I did not even use arch board.
I just bought a new to me 2 X 6, and I want to do this properly, so thanks for the info.
In a previous thread you mentionned the purchased of your arch board from a company in Niagara Falls. Did you buy direct, or from a distributor/wholesaler.

[Brent]

I got the ceramic board direct from Unifrax. They do not appear to use distributors.

Here's the link to the page with pricing. Very pleasant people to work with.

http://www.unifrax.com/web/UnifraxHome3.nsf/AllDocuments/8AAA501C5FD37B0585256C3E00601654?OpenDocument

[nas]

Brent, what thickness did you use?

Nick

[Brent]

I used 2". 1-1/2 might have been good enough, but if I was doing it again today, I'd stick with the 2"
because it made the outside of the arch as cool as I wanted it. Problem is with these projects, you don't get to do
a lot in a lifetime so the technology is more on instinct that experience.