Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get into this for a while, and I finally took the plunge. I’m talking about making my own refractory cement, the kind that can handle crazy high temperatures, like up to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. You know, for a forge or a kiln or something like that.
First, I gathered my stuff. I needed some fireclay, some silica sand, some perlite, and some regular Portland cement. Oh, and some water, of course. I grabbed a big bucket and some tools for mixing, think like a trowel or something.
Then came the mixing part. Now, I’m no expert, just a dude following some stuff I found online, so don’t take this as gospel. I started by dumping a bunch of the fireclay into the bucket. Then I added roughly the same amount of silica sand. Next, I tossed in about half the amount of perlite compared to the sand. Last, I put in about a quarter of the amount of Portland cement. This is just for binding everything together, I think.
After that, I poured in some water, a little at a time, while mixing everything up like crazy. I was aiming for a consistency like, I don’t know, thick oatmeal or something. You don’t want it too runny, but it can’t be dry either. It took some elbow grease, that’s for sure.
Once it was all mixed, I tested it out. I made a couple of small test bricks to see how they would hold up. I let them dry for a few days in a spot where the sun could get at them.
My Results
- First Attempt: The first batch was a bit crumbly. It dried, but it didn’t feel super solid, you know? Probably messed up the ratios or something.
- Second Try: I adjusted the mix, added a bit more fireclay this time. And it worked! The bricks dried hard and felt way more durable.
So, there you have it. My little adventure into making refractory cement. It was a bit messy, and I definitely learned a few things along the way. But hey, now I have some homemade cement that can supposedly withstand some serious heat. I haven’t actually fired it up to 3000 degrees yet, but I’m feeling pretty good about it. We’ll see how it goes when I build that forge I’ve been dreaming about!
