Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

[Mr_Steel]

Okay the early planning is almost finished but I have a couple of Materials that are giving me trouble Hope you can help.

Also I in no way do I intend this post to make anybody think that i'm trying to take busniess away from Forno Bravo what they do for people like me by hosting this forum and giving us the plans to make an oven is amazing in my opion. But since I'm in canada and shipping, customs and money conversion (not a problem at this time since we are almost on par. The last time I heard this was in the 60's) all add alot of cost trying to find local supply of material right know. (I did ask Forno Bravo to give me a price also and still waiting for it)

1. Refmix: I would like to use a per-mixed morter like Refmix. Are their other products available like it is so can you give me the brand so I can do some digging for local supply.

2. Superlsol: I would also like to use this product for the cooking floor but no luck finding Local supply. Not sure if it is the name of the product. is thier other brands available. (If not I guess it is going to be the mixed insulating layer)

3. Fire Clay: Okay what is this? had people say they sell but not sure if it is the right product. the stuff they tell me they have sounds more like tile grout then morter/clay. They say it is for chimney flues so not sure it that is the same. Can somebody tell me a brand so I atleast I have something to verify against.

More questions to follow but think that finish my early planning, Next step is to do some ruff design for the outdoor kitchen space.

Thank you so much for your advice.

Mark

[jengineer]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Your local Master Breadmaker and Mason is CanuckJim. Drop him a line he is on this board.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Mark,

Sent you a private message about these questions. Yes, the materials are difficult to find locally, but I'm working on it.

Jim

[Mr_Steel]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Sorry Jim I did get your email, You have been a great help with the question I have sent you and i really appricate your help.

I was more searching to see if other builders that have had any luck with other materials. that I might find local or only have a small freight charge from an upper state to deal with.

Mark.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Mark,

Met with Ian Chung of Tucker's Pottery Supplies, 15 West Pearce St., No. 7 (west off Leslie, one light north of Hwy 7), Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1H6, 905-889-7705, 1-800-304-6185. He can help with calsil batt material, fireclay, maybe a product similar to SuperIsol, K-type thermocouples & meters, but, thus far, he has no source for material similar to RefMix. You want the finer grade of fireclay. These guys build potters' kilns, and his prices appear quite good, although he's a little unsure about ovens that "only" reach about 1000 F.

Hope that helps.

Jim

[nissanneill]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Mark,
I sourced much of my materials from an international company called Thermal Ceramics. They have divisions in the Americas but not sure if they are in Canada. Try contacting them at:
tceramics@thermalceramics.com
and see if they can help or offer other contacts. Their products are top shelf and their depot here in Adelaide could not be more co-opertive and helpful.
Their web address is:
www.thermalceramics.com

Regards.

Neill

[El Puaco]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

I know what you mean about some of the material being hard to find. I've had pretty good luck with the local Masonry suppliers. They prefer to sell to masons but will usually help you out. They charge more to the casual customer though. One of the local suppliers is based in Canada and you might be able to find an outlet near you. It's called I-XL Masonary Supplies. They have a website so you probably can find their nearest outlet. You have to suspect that your local masons are getting their supplies from nearby.

I bought Heat Stop 50 which is a great mortar, usually in powder form. Fire Clay that I bought was also a powder. I mixed it with sand for the base of the firebrick floor. You could also use it to make an acceptable mortar from the recipe here in the forum. James has the Super-Isol board for hearth insulation her at Forno Bravo, although I'm not sure how hard it is to ship out of the country. It doesn't weigh much so the freight wouldn't be much.

Hope this helps

[Mr_Steel]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Thank you so much for your help with this I will make some more inquires. into the source that you have all provided.

Thank all so very much for your help

Mark

[El Puaco]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Mark

I checked on I-XL and they are a Western Canada operation with some excursions in the US. There is and outfit called RHI Canada in Burlington Ontario and Alphatherm in Concord Ontario that may be able to help you. From what I can tell they do deal in refractory materials. Again, they usually prefer to sell to masons but if they have a sales counter and you can get into a conversation with them they often like the brick oven/pizza idea enough to help you. Good luck.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Mark,

Just got off the phone with Alphatherm in Concord, ON (thanks for that lead El Puaco), and it looks like they are the guys to see. Their warehouse is located at 8201 Keele Street, Unit 4, two lights north of Hwy 7, ph: 905-738-0126. I'll be meeting with them mid-morning Monday to have a look around and get some specs on what they stock. They do have cal sil blankets, rigid board, premixed refractory cement. I'll see what else they carry and report on it. Finally, we might have found a good source in southern Ontario. I've been looking quite a while without much luck. Alphatherm is used to dealing with individuals and small amounts. As the sales rep put it, "We've been working with the older masons in the Italian community for years. These are the guys building brick pizza ovens just like back home."

Jim

[SuperT]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Hey CanuckJim...how did it go with this company? Any updates on materials. I'm having a heck of time getting refractory mortar or fireclay, etc up in Northern ON.

[Archena]

Re: Hard to Find Material Need Some Help

Just an aside, but when the time comes (I can't wait!!!) I was thinking about talking to local masons to see if maybe they would be willing to add my stuff to their orders. A guy on another site was doing that for soft drink syrup (yes, having my own soda fountain is also a dream of mine) and said they didn't charge him extra. Even when another place did it was still less than the same box would be retail (getting it retail is very difficult - bottlers don't like doing that a lot). Might be worth checking out with a friendly mason. Even the more difficult stuff might be easier for a mason to special order and worth paying him for his time, too.

Just a thought - carry on.