Front of Arch Insulation

[lyford]

So I have insulated and bricked my entire arch with the exception of the arch front and door. I am moving the arch into a new sugar shack over the summer and want to remove the bricks for the move. Due to this I have only dry fit the bricks. I cannot find a way to have the bricks stay on the front of the arch, due to the door, with out cementing them in. Would i be ok leaving the front of the arch uninsulated for just this season. The arch front is made from 1/4 inch mild steel and the door is cast. I am using natural draft through the ash clean out door. I used blanket insulation throughout the rest of the arch and dont want to put it on the front without bricks as I dont want to damage it.

[red dorakeen]

I think you could insulate the front and just be careful with how you stoke it.

[lyford]

Thanks Red, but I also want to cover it up if I'm gonna use it to prevent any fibers from coming loose and becoming airborne as well. However, if not insulating it will warp or ruin the arch front I wont risk it.

[psparr]

If you really want to go through the trouble, you could weld studs onto the front, insulate, then cover the insulation with metal. Bolting it on with the studs.

Most arches only have brick in the firebox area. The rest is exposed insulation.

[lyford]

Psparr, thanks for the advice, but I do plan on bricking the front of the arch around the door over the summer when I move the evaporator to its permanent spot. I'm just wondering if I don't insulate the front of the arch or door will the 1/4 still warp or become damaged by the heat from 1 season of use.

[mellondome]

The amount if creamic blanket fibers that will become airborne is minuet compared to the amount of carcinogens and pollution in the smoke you are putting out the top of your stack.

For the little amount that you will use, put blanket on the front. You shouldnt be hitting that with wood anyway.

[BRL]

I would insulate it! We didn't on ours and ours it warped bad!

[Pibster]

The front of my arch is not insulated, and I haven't had any problems yet. It helps heat the sugar shack since I get little to no heat from the sides of the arch.

[lyford]

Pibster, what material is the front of your arch made from? How about yours BRL?

[johnallin]

I redid the insulation on the door on our 2x6 this winter. I used ceramic blanket insulation "sandwiched" between the door and an 1/" thick piece of stainless plate. I drilled through the door and used 1/4-20 stainless bolts set in stainless ferrules to hold the plate in place and draw the stainless plate up tight. I then placed a ceramic rope gasket all around the edge of the blanket with hopes to keep any fibers from falling out. Once everything was tightened down the rope gasket compressed enough to close off the edges. My first attempt in 2009 was with mild steel and ceramic board. The mild steel eventually disintegrated from the heat and the board started to crumble. I think this will last much longer.

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[BRL]

We used 1/4"

[Pibster]

1/4" Plate steel with a hole cut out for the door. The door is not cast, just an old door I found at the junk yard.

[Dale Sparrow]

I would think that brick would be enough protection. The brick will take the brunt of the heat keeping the steel from getting too hot.

[DocsMapleSyrup]

My door is 1/4" plate . I Insulated it with 2" of ceramic blanket held in place with stainless rod screwed into stainless nuts welded to the door. No plate steel over the ceramic insulation. After one year, the door is holding up well and the ceramic blanket is completely intact.

[RollinsOrchards]

In a pinch last year we needed to replace some ceramic insulation on the cast doors. I found that 3M super 77 spray adhesive when applied liberally to the metal and the blanket will stand up really well. I am not going to bother trying to weld studs and hold the ceramic on with metal washers again.

[eustis22]

the adhesive doesn't melt under the heat???

[RollinsOrchards]

the adhesive doesn't melt under the heat???

It did not, which surprised me. Previously we had used stove cement and other high temp things that just didn't hold the blanket well. Tried the Super 77 spray adhesive as we didn't have the cure time and it worked better than I expected. As the adhesive is on the back of the blanket it must not get hot enough to affect it.