Okay, so, I’ve been messing around with this stuff called refractory castable, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild ride. I wanted to make some molds for my project, you know, something that could handle some serious heat.
First, I tried mixing up some of that GIRtech FIRECAST stuff. The bag said it was the good stuff, good enough for all kinds of refractory products. It was labeled as refractory cement, chamotte, or something like that. Anyway, I mixed it up as it said on the bag, just added water, not too much, not too little. It felt like making cookies, but way, way heavier.
- Got the FIRECAST, mixed it with water.
- Poured it into a mold I made.
- Waited for it to set.
It took forever to dry, I mean, we are talking about a whole day. And when it finally did, the result was not exactly what I hoped for. It worked, kinda, but it was rough around the edges, and I had to do a lot of finishing work.
Then I switched it up, I got some Mold-it D, which they call a general-purpose refractory cement. They said it was designed as an economical castable heat resistant cement, sounded all fancy. This time, the mixing was easier, and it flowed better into the mold. But it cracked, not a lot but enough that I couldn’t really use it the way I wanted.
Finally, I landed on RUTLAND Refractory Cement. This one was a bit different. It’s like a paste, pre-mixed, and it’s got these fibers in it, they said it was fiber reinforced. Super easy to use, just trowel it on like frosting. It said on the package it was designed for masonry joints 1/4″ or less. I smoothed it out in the mold, and it dried way quicker than the other stuff.
Here’s the thing:
- FIRECAST: Good mix but a pain to finish.
- Mold-it D: Easy to use but cracks.
- RUTLAND: Quick and easy, and it held up the best.
So, there you have it. After all that trial and error, I’m sticking with the RUTLAND stuff. It’s just way less of a headache, and it actually does what I need it to do. If you’re gonna try any of these out, definitely go for the RUTLAND. Save yourself some trouble!
