Tile backer as arch board

[hydrogeo]

I've been lurking for a while and finally took a minute to sign up. I am putting together a 2 x 61/2 flat pan rig from pieces and parts, including a cut-down 3x7 arch, a 2x4 cross flow pan, and a few other things. I plan on having about 100 taps this year, mostly on reds.

To save a few bucks (well probably quite a few as it would save a trip to Bascom's) is there any reason not to use tile backer board as arch board under the fire brick? The stuff available at the local lumber yard appears to be cement with fiberglass reinforcement. I have a piece in back of my shop wood stove and to test it held a propane torch against it for about a minute. Nothing happened. What do you think?

[Fred Henderson]

I think it will explode if it is all enclosed.

[TapME]

Why can,t you cover the tile board with a three quarter inch coating of mortar and let it set for a couple of days. Last I knew cement didn't burn. Don't know how long it will stand the heat. Let me know I'm building an arch and may us it myself.

[hydrogeo]

I'm gonna try a small test piece in the shop woodstove for a couple of days. I didn't consider the explosion issue. I suspect it may crumble pretty quick if it is in direct contact with the fire. However, I was hoping that covering it with fire brick would be enough to protect it. I will post results.

[Cardigan99]

Hydro, we used tile board on a home made 275 gal oil tank rig this year. 5 different 10 hour boils with no problems at all. On our best day, 4/1, we were getting a good 15 gph. How'd it work for you?

[cheesegenie]

That's all I used, is ok so far , third year. But the brick is in front of it in
most places.

[RileySugarbush]

I still don't know what arch board is, but I bought some 1" mineral wool insulation board that works great. It's cheap, you can cut it with a knife, and behind full bricks it survives just fine. I'm sure it insulates many times better than tile backer.

[HanginAround]

It sounds like arch board to me :)

[hydrogeo]

I ended up running out of time this year and never got my new arch together (still in pieces in the garage much to the shagrin of my wife). Based on the comments I'm going to give it a try next season. Cardigan, wow 15gph out of an oil tank rig!. Do you have a drop/raised flue pan?

[Cardigan99]

Hydro that's too bad. We just barely got it together for the beginning of march. There's always next year. They tell me illness only gets worse and I tend to agree.

We're boiling on a 27 x 54 flat pan with one partition @ 1/3 the length up front. We used an another pan my buddy had from last year as a type of piggy back pre heater 24 x 16. We put the tile board 2.5 inches under the pan after the firebox with a piece of sheet metal under it just in case. The day we were steaming 15 gph was the warmest of the bunch and litte wind. we were consitently hitting 725 degree stack temps 3 mins after firing and we'd refire @ around 550-575 degrees with good dry slabs from a portable sawmill. We even had a good boil right to the back of the pan. I've had PC problems, but I hope to post the pictures soon.