Forge,castable vs. kaowool?

[blackboogers]

Other than the kaowool is easily removable what other advantages does it have? I was going to use kaowool then I looked at the density ratings for the castable. The stuff I'm looking at says it does not crack or flake when drying/dried. And its rating is a little higher than kaowool. So what am I missing here?

 

[ragnoor]

Well if you are asking the advantages and disadvantages, I will try and help. Castable takes alot longer to heat up and a long time to cool down. For annealing this is what you want, slow cooling. Many smiths prefer this type for forge welding their steel.
Kawool, on the other hand, heats up quickly to welding heat and will cool alot faster than castable. Many smiths have more than one forge, as many as four, each one for a certain procedure. Hopefully, someone with more experience than I will chime in and give you more detail.
KEN (WWJD)

 

[simmonsk]

Kaowool does not take kindly to flux if doing welding. Without a stabalizing coating such as ICT-100 the clay fibers of koawool will fly out of the forge. Breathing them is bad. Holes are easily poked in kaowool if not careful.
I have a kaowool forge(Freon can) with a brick layer on the bottom kaowool and ICT-100 for durability. It is portable and useful for demos and fast jobs. I have resisted welding in it, although it does get hot enough. Heats fast and cools fast. Uses a Ron Reil modified burner.
My 2 daily forges are cast refractory Mankel forges that look like new. They are very fuel efficient and after a year of welding, show no signs of wear. They heat slow, so I use the time to heat bars for warming the quench and for preheating the dies on the press.
Cool down sees me throwing the blades in for a nice slow anneal.
Next day they are scaley and soft.
All in all, it depends on how you plan on doing things...Ken

 

[Kalindras]

You can always do what I did, and use BOTH!

I started off with some homemade castable refractory, and was going to go with that, but I lucked into some Durablanket, just before I finished up, so I threw that in, too!!

Rex Price and I have been talking, and he says that ITC-100 is a requirement for Durablanket/Kaowool, if you're wanting to forge-weld in it...I don't have any, yet, but I figure I'll throw some in as I get it. The Hellmouth is a work-in-progress, anyway!!

As it is, I can get forging heat on to a 3/8" bar inside of two minutes at about 5 PSI. So, I guess SOMETHING in there must be holding that heat!!!



Kal

 

[Bruce Bump]

I prefer the refractory. You can make a form any size and configuration you want and pour it like concrete. It handles flux very well and doesnt cost very much. I paid $25 for a 25lb bag. That was enough to replace the floor and walls in my 3 burner mankel. Centaur Forge sells light-weight fire brick that can be cut with a hack saw. I would not use kao-wool after you guys all told how the fibers will kill ya.