fire brick or steel plate?

[woodsmith]

I'm insulating my firebox with 1" archboard. To protect the archboard I'm considering an inner lining of 1/4" plate steel instead of firebrick as a space saving measure. Do I lose any insulating value if I forego the firebrick?

[brookledge]

I would think that the first thing that will happen is it will warp a lot to begin with and then eventually burn through where the fire is the hotest. I also think that since the steel will turn red hot that the 1" arch board will not adiquately insulate the arch and heat will be lost.
Maybe someone else can offer more since I have never acually done that
Keith

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

firebrick is the way to go, my way of thinking

[danno]

firebrick is the way to go, my way of thinking

Agreed - I've tried both. Brick holds up great, steel will warp.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Woodsmith if space is a problem start scrapping and find a company that does pool heaters or big boilers. They use insulation board in them that comes in 24" x 24" and its about 1" thick and can take the high heat. I scraped one out and it was lines with about 12 of them. Plus $200.00 of copper fin coils:) :D

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

I agree the steel may not hold up, unless you could find an old piece of flat cast iron from a old wood/coal stove and lay that over, but i would just go with the fire bricking and be done with it..

[Bucket Head]

When I insulated my arch I took out the full fire bricks and put the 1" ceramic blanket in with half bricks, or "splits" as their called, in front of the blanket. It works great and I did not lose any firebox space this way.

Steve

[Jim Schumacher]

I think that to say that the steel would warp would be the understatement of the year.

[woodsmith]

fire brick it is then, thanks all!