42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

You may need to coat the Super Iso Board with something to keep the board from sucking all the water out of your sand/fire clay leveling mix if you use water to quickly. Some people have had success with margarine.

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

That's another benefit of a leaner mix...higher water retention.

[NCMan]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

Stonecutter.....it won't be long and I'll be at the same stage. I believe I've read before that you like to screed the fireclay/sand mixture to set the firebricks. To do that, do you just raise up your forms from the insulating layer (Perlcrete) a bit to have something to screed to, or maybe just tack on a lattice strip or something like that to raise the elevation a bit? It seems to me that screeding it makes sense. Also, maybe 2:1 sand to clay?

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

I don't even bother with adding additional height to the form, because the mix with shrink a bit after it dries...you don't need a bed of material, just a level surface. 2:1 works...I don't have a specific ratio, I eyeball the constancy I want...so adjust it to suit.

[NCMan]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

So, if I understand you right, the Perlcrete will shrink some, so there will be a thin space for the sand/clay mix, just to level up any spots that may or may not need it. Thanks.

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

So, if I understand you right, the Perlcrete will shrink some, so there will be a thin space for the sand/clay mix, just to level up any spots that may or may not need it. Thanks.

That's what I'm sayin. I also lightly tamp the top of the perlcrete a bit to consolidate the very top layer, so I don't get a bunch of crumbling as I screed over higher sections....if any.

[I am Giuseppe]

Re: 42" Pompeii - Northern Illinois

Thanks for the respones... I hope to level my Super Isol board tonight.