using sand instead of fire bricks?

[BrokenBiker]

my firebricks are in the post and i mentioned to my father that i should now be able to do some basic heat treating and hot bending etc as he wants a few things made up and he asked why i didnt just use sand instead of the bricks.

i didnt have a solid answer as i have never thought of just using sand...i have seen people on youtube use a mix of half sand and half plaster paris to make solid refractory bricks or linings.

so, to all yoy knowlegable people, would sand work?

 

[BrokenBiker]

well i got impatient...grabben a few handfulls of my boys play sand, filled it into my unused fire pit and found a test subject...an M10 stainless bolt

i tried heating the bolt out of the sand and the furthest i got was a dull purple tinge to it...the tip started to glow ut as soon as the torch was moved a bit further down it stopped glowing...

put it in th esand and held the torch on for about 45 - 60 seconds and the whole bolt was glowing...

lives and learns...just wasted a tenner on fire bricks to do a job i could have done 2 years ago when i started it...ah well

 

[brightspark]

well i got impatient...grabben a few handfulls of my boys play sand, filled it into my unused fire pit and found a test subject...an M10 stainless bolt

i tried heating the bolt out of the sand and the furthest i got was a dull purple tinge to it...the tip started to glow ut as soon as the torch was moved a bit further down it stopped glowing...

put it in th esand and held the torch on for about 45 - 60 seconds and the whole bolt was glowing...

lives and learns...just wasted a tenner on fire bricks to do a job i could have done 2 years ago when i started it...ah well

broken soft grey breezeblocks if u just want to pack it round your job to retain and store the heat

 

[TechnicAl]

sand works

 

[BrokenBiker]

broken soft grey breezeblocks if u just wan
t to pack it round your job to retain the heat

havent got any breeze blocs at the mo but will probably come across some soon...surprised at how well the sand worked...

going to try some bigger steel tomorrow and see what happens...

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I 'd say only use dry sand as damp could explode when trapped moisture turns to steam and that could the the reason why it isn't commonly used.

 

[TechnicAl]

I 'd say only use dry sand as damp could explode when trapped moisture turns to steam and that could the the reason why it isn't commonly used.

good point

 

[bigegg]

Sand is used for casting iron - doubt a steam explosion is much of a problem, as its self venting.
Ive tried sand as insulation in my first ever bucket foundry.
Its better than norhing, but not as good as proper insulation - even a hole dug into soil makes a pretty good foundry.
Depends what your fuel source is: waste oil which is free, and VERY hot, sand would be ok. Expensive propane or electrickery, id be wanting the best insualtion i could find.

 

[TechnicAl]

Sand is used for casting iron - doubt a steam explosion is much of a problem, as its self venting.
Ive tried sand as insulation in my first ever bucket foundry.
Its better than norhing, but not as good as proper insulation - even a hole dug into soil makes a pretty good foundry.
Depends what your fuel source is: waste oil which is free, and VERY hot, sand would be ok. Expensive propane or electrickery, id be wanting the best insualtion i could find.

You would be surprised at the power of instant steam. I can never remember the ratio but its something like 1 litre of water makes 1000 litres of steam. If they cast iron into a wet mould it can be a disaster.....There was such an incident at Scunthorpe Steel Works in the early 80s and a number of men were killed.

 

[bigegg]

You would be surprised at the power of instant steam. I can never remember the ratio but its something like 1 litre of water makes 1000 litres of steam. If they cast iron into a wet mould it can be a disaster.....There was such an incident at Scunthorpe Steel Works in the early 80s and a number of men were killed.

True...
But we're talking damp sand being raised from cold by a torch/flame/element.
Not a tonne of white hot molten iron being instantly poured into it.

 

[TechnicAl]

True...
But we're talking damp sand being raised from cold by a torch/flame/element.
Not a tonne of white hot molten iron being instantly poured into it.

That and putting hot components into the sand......arent we
all Im saying is **** happens......dont be too blase about it

 

[bigegg]

That and putting hot components into the sand......arent we
all Im saying is **** happens......dont be too blase about it

Fair enough.
Safety first and all that.

 

[nick952]

"Thermalite" blocks work well.

 

[lchris21]

You would be surprised at the power of instant steam. I can never remember the ratio but its something like 1 litre of water makes 1000 litres of steam. If they cast iron into a wet mould it can be a disaster.....There was such an incident at Scunthorpe Steel Works in the early 80s and a number of men were killed.

Indeed....approx 1700 times volume..and highly dangerous. A water leak which lead to uncontrolled production of steam was the cause of the fatal Blast furnace accident at Port Talbot in 2001. Lifted the entire weight (approx 5000 tonnes) of a blast furnace nearly 1m in the air and ejected nearly 200tones of molten iron into the cast-house........