Fire Bricks, where to buy?

A BBQ supplier would be a good place to start. Our local one (BBQ's Galore) carries a pretty good range of 'em.

Arnak,
The key word is Refractory . . . look for a seller of refractory lining materials, such as a boiler or furnace supplier. They are likely to have what's known as lightweight refractory brick which is very good for hearths. The other alternative will be building materials suppliers, particularly masonry suppliers who may have what we call "firebrick", a whitish or cream hard-fired clay brick used to line fireplaces.

Nice one Tel.
you shown me yours so heres mine lol!
many suppliers online if you search for castable refractory

You could try Chronos Engineering Supplies, Thats where I bought my stuff. They sell it in blocks or flat board, and you can cut it to size.

ACE

Hi Folks,

Thanks for the replies, I'll try my local builders and see what they have got.

If not then the nearest B&Q.

I never could spell Refractoy, err.. Reffactry, oh...** FireBricks. )

Arnak

Hi Abby and Tel,

What metals are you melting?

I have an old friend in Kent who has a foundry in an old barn where he casts everything for his locomotives from old bits of combine harvester pulleys and cogs. Recycling at its best. When melting several pounds of iron at night it is a real sight to behold.....

Once we cast some brass and got it much too hot. Suddenly we were in a snow storm. It must have been the zinc burning out and coming down all round us as zinc oxide. Probably poisonous, I don't know but I am still around to tell the tale, many years later.....

Chris.

Yes Tel , the flue takes the exhaust out of the workshop , gets hotter than a possums bum without it lol! I generally have the vent closed off , it isn't really big enough for adding metal to the melt , it's for lighting and inspection.
I melt copper and copper based alloys, in the main silicon brass/bronze and recently nickel silver. I haven't cast any iron, I have no real requirement for it , I would give it a go if the need arose , but would probably build a small cupola.
I use propane , burners for waste oil are a pain , the crap in the oil clogs up jets and they are smokey until you get em running a while , I also have "foundrywork for the amateur" bought it over 40 years ago , I think it was 2/6d , ahhh they don't write books like that any more , nor money come to think of it . I also bought "electro-plating for the amateur" , never did find a copy of "sex for the amateur" , probably have been a better buy!

Self blowing ? I use an oil burner with the jet removed ,works a treat but needs forced air, I am pretty lucky I suppose , almost anything you need for foundrywork or model making can be had within a thirty mile radius.