red brick to line the arch

[jrobida]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with using red solid brick to line the arch. Besides some cracking, will it be just as effective as fire brick to force the heat to the pan?

Thanks for any info.

[Specklefield Farm]

Smoke em if ya got em! Otherwise, I would get firebrick. In the big scheme of things, they're not really expensive when you consider that you will get several years out of them vs. the cracking, crumbling, dust production that will become of the red brick.

[mapleman3]

unfortunately the heat wont allow them to last very long

[dano2840]

when i boiled on a out door brick bbq (red brick) i had it hot enough to make my 1/2" cast iron door cherry, and the bricks directly exposed to the heat started to crack and get brittle, so its not a good idea to line ur arch w/ them

[brookledge]

They will burn out. That was my expiereince along time ago. However they do make different hardness red brick so it might work
Keith

[Clan Delaney]

I'm gonna be in the same boat. What I'm hearing is:
-firebrick may cost more but lasts longer
-red brick will work, but will crack and crumble.
-use the red brick if you've got it, just don't expect any mileage out of it.

Sound right?

I drove a long way for my red bricks, I might as well get some use out of them! :)

[mapleman3]

it'l get ya through the season on a small arch

[brookledge]

If your arch slopes outward like many older styles did you will be in better shape than if you are bricking vertically. Keep a close eye on things because you don't want the brick to crumble and fall out during a boil which could cause the sheet metal to begin to burn out.
Keith

[Cardigan99]

If you're on a budget and you have them lying around then go for it. We ran a barrel arch for two years on red brick. Some cracked, but most held up pretty well.

[peacemaker]

and make sure there really dry so they dont boil and pop

[dano2840]

my outdoor brick bbq shot a brick out the side like a bullet last year. scared the crap out of me, it whet BANG and shot out headed for the road, but the maple in the front yard stopped it!
got lucky, if it had hit me in the leg it probably would have broke it

[jrobida]

Thanks for everyones input. I got the red brick free and will give it a try this season and maybe do the fire brick next year (budget operation).

Just finished fabbing my oil tank arch by reading the threads here and will post pictures soon as well as ask a few more questions. Thanks.

[TapME]

we've been using red hard brick that are over a 100 yrs. old and few have cracked. Been three years and 3 different arches.

[The Butcher]

peacemaker__Do you have to worry about the cinderblocks being dry? Your the first one I have read saying anything about the boiling and popping!!

I wasn't planning on covering my block arch. Should be starting on it this weekend, unless I can get out fishing.

[peacemaker]

yeah i have had ones pop that i pulled out wet what i have done is stack them fill them with a sand lyme mix and build some paper fires in the arch for awhile ....put i also dot his with my arch every year before i throw the heat to it
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[The Butcher]

cool thanks. Good to know

[peacemaker]

usaully if u by them new at like home dippy there inside for a week or so so the tend to dry out more

[TapME]

Hey any good boy scout knows that you do not put wet rocks into a fire I thick that that goes for the brick and block also.
Butcher, I used sand to level the arch and fill in before using brick to protect the blocks from the fire. Sand is cheep.
The solid cover that Riley had on his is a nice addition.
Good to know that u were a boy scout peacemaker.

[peacemaker]

yup and a thru hiker and ever been in a sweat lodge when someone didnt care for the rocks propely