Bricking tips urgently needed!

[ploefstedt]

Hi -

I am trying to brick my 2x6, and am about to start on the firebox. I could
see my way clear if it were a standard cube, but of course the back side
tapers upward (where it leads to the flue pan). Can someone describe
how to go about the bricking of the firebox, in a way an inexperienced
layman with no previous masonary experience could comprehend? I suppose
a picture would be worth a thousand words....

Thanks
Paul L.

[ploefstedt]

Hi again -

I am also wondering if one should fit the bricks tight to the
top of the evaporator wall (and for that matter, tight
to the side walls as well), OR should some space be left?

Thanks -

Paul

[RileySugarbush]

I'm no expert by any means, but I've done this once and it worked out. I lined the firebox with arch board, 1" thick, and then dry fit the brick. I was lucky and could find an arrangement that was a snug fit, with the archboard squeezing the bricks together and being squishy enough to take up any expansion from the temp. My firebox has a square back wall. It will be more trouble with a slope, but possible. I think the most traditional way of bricking is to use firebrick, rent a masonry saw and cut to fit, and then set them with refractory cement. I'll let others comment on that. As far as how high, if you brick up high enough so that the wood hit brick, the last few inches can be stuffed with ceramic blanket, right up to the rails. That goes for the area in the flue section too. No need for bricks there. Just make sure you don't have too big a space under the flues or the pan or you will be wasting heat.

[ploefstedt]

Thanks John Bushey for the detailed feedback, and others for the
helpful hints. One more question - since so many have suggested the use
of archboard; can I buy this under another name at a heating supply
place? Where would one look, and what product name would one
look for?

Many thanks -

Paul Loefstedt

[tapper]

ploefstedt ,

Click on the link in my signature. There are a few pics of my arch as we bricked it. I lined inside of arch with 1" ceramic blanket and layed the brick tight to the blanket. Here is a link from where I ordered blanket . http://www.onexnet.com/ It was at my door the next day. You will need to cut some brick. A diamond blade on a 4" grinder works good for that. If you have an airtight arch it would probably be a good idea to seal all seams with a high temp caulk or silicone before laying in the blanket as mine leaks in a few places. I mixed a little portland cement with fire clay so it will set up better especially this time of the year. Protect it from freezing until it gets a cure on it. Just a butter thin joint is all you need. I lined the firebox with full brick all except for the top course where we put splits [1 1/4" thick] so as to not cover the outer edges of your pans. hope this helps.

[RileySugarbush]

I've never seen archboard that was labeled as such. I bought 1" mineral wool insulation board. It looks kind of like yellow fiberglass insulation blanket that has been pressed down to 1/10 it's original thickness. Someone on this list told me that was the same stuff or close enough. It sure worked out well for me.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You can clamp the firebrick to a board with a c-clamp or hold them in a vise and cut them with a masonary blade and a skill saw and it works great. Blades are only a couple of bucks at Lowes or Home depot. The best way I have found to cut them is to mark them with a permanent marker set the blade down running full speed into the center of the mark until it goes thru the brick and then go backwards and forwards slowly until you cut it completely. This is the easiest way I have found to cut them nice and square and it only takes a few seconds, even on the harder brick.

And it is cheap!

[danno]

You should be able to get arch board at a local refractory - if you have one. Check your local yellow pages under refractory. There are different thicknesses and heat tolerances. The ones I use come in 1"x12"X36" and run about $7.50 a piece.

I used the compound miter saw with a masonary blade to cut bricks. Preferably done outside - get's a bit dusty:)

[markct]

while we are on the subject of bricking, i have noticed that some of the arches like the half pint leader and the wes fab 20 by 40 have verticle sides of the firebox, and the waterloo and others have sloped sides, is there an advantage to bricking either one, seems like the sloped sides would help keep the bricks in place better but maybe it doesnt matter, im assuming the bricks are always just laid in dry, thats what i did on my propane tank evaporator but that is just bricked in the bottom half due to the curves and all. but i am planning to build a bigger arch next year from some flat plate i have around and have been pondering the straight verses sloped sides, obviously straight is much easier to fabricate but if there is an advantage to sloped let me know!

[maple flats]

The firebox shape is a matter of getting more wood in, the old wisdom was taper the sides, but newer styles go with vertical sides to fit more wood and get a hotter fire under the pans for a faster boil. Most newer units have the straight sides. As far as bricking the slope, a newer wisdom is to go straight up either to within a 1/2" or so of the pans or almost up to that point and then taper up to that point as you go farther towards the stack. The second method is what i chose and i went up to about 6" below the pans and then tapered upward to 1/2", a slight transition if you will. Either of these methods forces more heat to the pans closer to the front and therefor a faster boil. If you use either of these methods, do the bricking and then fill the space left with vermiculite, a very light weight fireproof insulation. Be sure to either brick over the vermiculite or use refractory cement, otherwise it would be sucked up the stack and be gone. Vermiculite is available at greenhouse supply houses and it seems to make no difference if you chose fine or course. Do not use any with foam beads in it, just straight vermiculite. If you are bricking a drop flue just go straight back all the way a 1/2" below flue height, if you have raised flue you go up to the 1/2" below flue height and back to within about 3 or 4" before the stack, then you need a wall of bricks dropping down to the floor of the arch and brick at that floor level the rest of the way back. This forces the heat up under the flues and then gives good space for the exhaust to get up the stack unrestricted. You notice i did not say smoke because you burn far too hot to have any smoke. For the arch board if you do not have a refractory near you the dealers have it, but you will pay a little more.

[maple flats]

Another thing, vermiculite will cost in the neighborhood of $12/bag with 18 lb bags (about 4 cu ft). If raised flue, the arch gets the vermiculite from the firebox rear wall all of the way to the wall that ends 3-4" before the the stack and the arch board would only be needed in the fire box, with drop flue you would want arch board all the way and might find it necessary to use half brick thickness under the flues on the firebrick (these are about 1.25" thick) to get the right clearance under the flues. If you have a Milikowski's Greenhouse supply in your area they have the vermiculite, item # T7004V if you choose course.

[maplekid]

http://andersonsmaplesyrup.com/index.php?page=instructions_and_hints

theres a link thjat tells you how to brick

[Uncle Tucker]

I have posted on this subject a cuple times if you look in previous post or you can look at my pix in my link.