Creating the Ultimate Air Crete Refractory Mix Forge

Darwin is building an aircrete forge, this is an easy DIY. In this video, Darwin Came up with an interesting way to insulate, and strengthen this ultimate forge. If you build a forge I recommend you do not use your wife's ice cream maker tin. Darwin invented the Foam Mate which is a machine that creates a nice thick foam the consistency of shaving cream. This foam can be added to concrete to make aircrete. When mixed in the proper portions aircrete can make and be used for many different things. Aircrete is fireproof, bug resistant, and great insulation. Darwin believes that aircrete is the building material of the future. You can find the plans to build a Foam Mate in our Etsy store and we also sell a complete one. Check the link below.
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[@paulfife6436]

Hey brother, I like the aircrete idea! Helpful hint! Plastic garbage bags scotch taped neatly onto the outside of your cylinder before you pour Crete. The cylinder will slide right out! I’ve been making rocket stoves this way using pop bottles full of water to hold the shape of bottle. Just tip the form upside down to pour out the bottle of water. Then make a vacuum by sucking the empty bottle with your mouth and the bottle will cave inward separating from the Crete. Try it, you’ll scratch your head and say why didn’t I think of that? To get the finished hole the size circumference desired, tape layers of cardboard onto the pop bottle. Then put the plastic garbage bag around the bottle before you pour. It’s so slick!

[@briandolbec37]

Use Styrofoam for the center core, it can be carved out or use acetone to melt it out. You could even carve spiral shapes in it so the casting will have a natural spiral to help it with a vortex action.

[@bobbrawley2612]

I used greased 4 inch PVC pipe for a rocket stove heat riser. Sometimes it comes out easy one time I had to heat the pvc with a weed burner . to soften ,, deform and twist it out. Styrofoam is a good idea but how could it be made in a log or barrel xhspe

[@rinooneone3]

@@bobbrawley2612 try a hot wire foam cutter with hardboard templates.

[@richardwallinger1683]

exactly plus use a donut shape flame expansion zone where the flame enters the riser.

[@felix941010]

BIG BRAIN BRIAN!

[@nohphd]

Use a sonotube and burn it out

[@avelinogoncalves7217]

When pulling tubes or other forms, always pull from 2 sides at 180º! What a good mentor you are!! Congrats

[@charliebecker4417]

I love all the suggestions in the comments, I'm learning so much. I also read where someone suggested paper concrete forms. Great work everyone 👍

[@BabyBoomerDad64]

It is 2022, and man i know this vid wasnt supposed to be funny, But heck man the way you took defeat like a, "The Man", just had me in tears of laughter. Unforced funny always stands the test of time. Sir you made my day. I truly hope all worked out for you. Including the icecream debacle... Have a GOD blessed day!!

[@Baxxunderslash24]

I'm really loving your videos, thanks so much for putting these together.

[@RonJaySmith]

One thing I like to use is the larger size oatmeal tubes. The tubes are around 6" diameter and cardboard so can easily rip them out! You can also fill them with sand just so the concrete doesnt push in the sides.

[@MelissaMinton1]

I just love how jolly and patient with these projects he is. Cracks me up, that he cracks himself up as well

[@chrispaul9454]

I love that you are not afraid to show the hard side of a project. Good video, keep them comming!!👌👌👍👍

[@michaelmason7746]

You are a star,had me splitting my sides.your wife is a saint for putting up with you LOL.just subbed,cheers man.

[@1djlarry]

I was laughing my ass off very quickly realising you were screwed.on getting that ice cream maker out .my sympathy's but that was funny!!!!

[@mrloco48]

What can I say ? That was a great video. I learned a lot and was greatly entertained and got a good laugh when you were pulling out the mold. You have a lot of charm going for you. Funny stuff . 2 THUMBS UP!!

[@50shadesofgreen]

Good day to you Mr & Mrs Honey do !! 👍👍😁😁 Thanks for sharing your workshop stories and adventures with us all today !! 😁😁👍👍

[@DarrellHughes82]

lots of good ideas and hard work in development

[@johanedduque]

Loved your wife's comment: "You're in so much trouble" LOL. When working with concrete make sure to oil well your mold, I use olive oil. Try to use small size sand. Another idea that nobody has tried I think is to make the refractory out of fly ash. Use fly ash or combination of fly ash ash and fine sand with cement (70%-30%), make sure to use superplasticizer, aditionaly, add fibers, they will help the compressive strength. Your wife is like mine, always watching and laughing in the background...take care

[@ai_university]

Most people just add extra lime. Does the same thing as ash and doesn't carry the carbon.

[@markfaas6793]

Foundry mold work uses wood forms tapered at 5 degrees draft. Also try waxing contact surfaces.

[@troydunn9153]

3 hours later. Wow. Folks, that is true love. Mrs Honey truely loved that ice cream maker :)

[@Free-49]

You can wipe some transmission fluid on the outside of the steel form, separates like butter after cure.

[@davidlampe4153]

To minimize your problem coat the form with wax. Just melt a container bucket or pot of plain old wax and dip the form in it to build up a layer of wax. The removal is melt the wax by heating the chimney and the form slips out without a fight.

[@jbone877]

That's even better than form oil. Thanks!

[@HEMIdouglas]

Suggestion for mold might be to use parchment paper. For added strength, outside of mold could include stucco wire before pouring.

[@HEMIdouglas]

Suggestion that you could use 6 inch dryer duct aand wrap outside of it with parchment or wax paper. The bottom could have a removable cast iron grate for clean out. Air supply could be adjusted on side intake.

[@magicdaveable]

Is it possible to mix the eater glass in the slurry before the pour?

[@Michael-vp4zt]

Very entertaining.

[@RadaNgoprek]

about to do same things for fire pit/rocket stove incinerator, but using waste papper material the mold made from baird 'manila carton' (waste lunch box) reinforced with liquid waste styrofoam polyurethane thinner.. the material mostly 'pappercrete' in slury cement and will be coated with refractory cement.. to avoid strong sticked to the mold seem need 'releasing agent' such grease etc.. thanks for sharing ...🙏

[@roncote1147]

Looking at video #1 I saw that you poured the water glass & totally saturated the bottom of the forge. I really hope that the poured wall will stick to it as this may have created a non penetrable surface along the perimeter. This could lead to a very bad seam.."geez I really am worried bout this "I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this, "PS: I am going to build one of these & thank you for all this Info. .I'm really impressed with your willingness to share your great experiments, Your videos are fantastic...Thank you.

[@imaginarymask]

Got to get that Mrs. Honey Do reaction cam

[@chuckmac618]

How many hours did it take you to pull that out

[@rogerdodger5415]

Thanks buddy! If I see you do something... and parts of it don’t go well... I know to NOT do that! I used the heavy cardboard core from a roll of carpet. They gave it to me in the flooring department of Home Depot. I adjusted the size by cutting it lengthwise and removing some. I patched it back together with package tape. I imagine a fella could increase the size too. It held up well through a concrete pour. 🇺🇸🇺🇸😎👍🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@mechrojo]

You're very entertaining. We are all full of ideas but you're the one at the coal face. Love your lady's banter. Team work can be fun as long as we don't take life too seriously. It's only a damm furnace when it's all said and done. I'm going to borrow your talents and us your formula. Thanks for sharing your experience with this idea of yours( you and your wife). Following from Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

[@FernandoGomez-vi7fd]

Would it help to spray silicon or Pam on the forms before pouring?

[@RStewart-ro5gj]

Try slathering outside of the inter form with a good layer of crisco.

[@buzzsawncgo2751]

Since I see that lube and alternative materials have already been suggested, for future ref. if you continue to use a metal cylinder for your center you might want to drill the bottom first with a hole the size of a tubeless tire valve and insert one before pouring. Then just use compressed air to force the cylinder out.

[@papajon6715]

Can Water Glass be used by itself, or in a mixture with Perlite, etc.?

[@SatansLittleHelper]

I used a 6 inch PVC for the center and wrapped it with parchment paper. The plastic slid right out and then it was easy to pull out the paper.

[@magapefarmshomestead6453]

Is there anything that could be used as a release agent?

[@nasajtac9895]

Got some advice next time you use metal for the center of your forge. Rub oil all over the outside. We used tractor gear oil to coat angle brace in concrete forms so we could easily scrap of any excess. Hope that helps.

[@nohphd]

It’s two years later. How is the aircrete holding up under forge usage? How much usage is the forge getting? I’m wondering about the longevity of the wall lining. Thanks for your informative videos.

[@kevinholbrook7174]

You might want to try using a piece of (PVC Pipe) and you would also need to "WAX" it up with car wax for it to slide out more easily? Keep up the great work!!! I enjoy your videos because they are very helpful!

[@juliehenderson1672]

Try a tapered cylinder. 😊

[@gregwalker3540]

To release the interior form pioe, I'd try soaking the metal pipe in icewater to shrink it the tinyest bit - twist then pull..... did you use release agent? Or just paper wrap?.... if its paper wrapped - you could torch the interior to burn the psper and release

[@zyxwvutsrqponmlkh]

whats the waterglass do for it?

[@bilgaissa5831]

What is the white and liquid that uve add to the mexture please

[@brizzell2101]

how much heat gets through? Im looking for something for a rv rocket stove. BUT I DONT WANT the heat - just to cook on it

[@rickcragg1956]

Pull it out like u would a slip form. Let the mud tighten up just enough to keep it's shape and pull it out while it's still green.

[@zakglove6536]

Concrete was cold when wet as it sets chemical reaction causes heat. The cold caused it to shrink then as it warms up it jammed itself in there. Just fill it with ice it'll come right out.

[@bossdog1480]

Good to see your wife being so 'helpful'.

[@kennethrosbury2819]

Yep wax paper or aluminum foil we used to put diesel fuel on our forms and our shovel so the concrete with the stick to it

[@3dw3dw]

Self tapping screw from inside into 2x2 a couple inches from the end and use as a fulcrum.

[@georgehiletzakis9572]

have you tried incorporating the glass water into the water cement and foam mixing process? I think it would penetrate evenly throughout the volume of the brick.

[@handyguy1013]

You could cool the center metal container so that it would shrink just enough to losen.

[@richardwomack9196]

My first choice is what those that work with concrete use and that is a paper tube. Cut it out or burn it out. Personally I learn more by seeing mistakes.

[@jameswilkerson5047]

Agreed! I can fix most anything, either cause I screwed up, or had to fix someone else's.

[@TimTim11111111]

Nice video, did you consider pulling the cores while your mud was still green? What are you melting? What fuel do you plan to use?

[@HoneyDoCarpenter]

I slumped and melted soft steel in it for a demonstration but I am planning on using it to melt aiuminum for an aircrete project

[@magapefarmshomestead6453]

Probably could use a come-along with the forge chained to a bench

[@michbushi]

Try to drop in a bit of dry ice- maybe it would cold-shrink the metal tube enough?

[@michbushi]

...also, you could try a PVC pipe, cut lengthwise on one side. It should be stable enough when filled with sand. And then you could pry and collapse it after curing time

[@jasonthurston799]

Fill it with dry ice to get the metal to shrink then try pulling it out.

[@garywahle581]

Looking for the video where you make her the new ice cream maker! Maybe soft serve through the foam mate. LOL

[@spirit-sup3703]

how did it work???

[@ldmoss1]

In a similar situation I used a pvc pipe. I sprayed it with pam and wrapped it with thin plastic trash can liner. When my material was just barely cured, the pvc pipe pulled right out and then I pulled the plastic out. It worked really nicely.

[@ChristopherJones16]

I assume when you say plastic trash can liner you're referring to a "garbage bag". The cement didnt stick to the garbage bag?

[@shearwatersoil1]

Hey Honey Do Carpenter, the next time you make a flue riser you could insert a length of 6 or 8" PVC pipe that has a saw kerf cut in lengthwise. Wedge the pipe slightly larger than its natural diameter and wrap a with a visqueen liner. When you finish the cure, remove the wedges and the pipe will snap back to its original diameter, providing a space that will allow easy removal. Love your videos!

[@theonlybuzz1969]

Now you did have some sort of mould release agent on the ice cream thingy. Just asking.

[@jackwoodliff4079]

1 add water glass to mix, 2. Pour bottom and let it set up a while then put a pvc pipe in for the center. Pour in the sand and fill the rest of the cement. When mix is fairly stiff pull out pvc and the sand will hold up inner wall.

[@dennismadigan2023]

Hi. What are your materials and portions for your air crete? I bought your foam mate directions and am about ready to do a test pour. I searched your video's but couldn't find material list and portions for air crete to build my heat riser. Thanks and keep up the good work

[@docneron4933]

None of these aircrete guys provide any recipes. Not him, not "aircrete harry" or whatshisname. Given they tout this as "the material of the future" and the "magic" happens with the foam so it can't be sold in bags, it doesn't really make sense. He also never does any sort of reliable demonstration of the properties, eg abrasion resistance, thermal conductivity, heat expansion / shrinkagr or something. I reckon he's just a random hack that fancies himself the big industry changer because he realized air makes a good thermal insulator. After getting into aircrete channels I'll stick to regular castable refractory with proven track record. If you still exist or anyone else reads this, here's an ACTUAL recipe for castable refractory which should be good for >2000F: - 356g perlite - 699g white cement - 1167g sand - 533g fire clay - 1048g water (subject to change) Mix to castable consistency, cast, let set for 2-3 days, heat to 400F for 2-3 hours, done.

[@jacksellers4412]

Filling the centre metal tube with ice or use a Co2 fire extinguisher to contract the metal. Heating the outside won’t work to extract the aircrete because it has to great an insulation value. Just a thought

[@laserfalcon]

What was ratios of materials used for the air crete?

[@glennwmurphy1]

YEAH! HE GOT DISTRACTED...:)

[@tommyjones751]

I'm just curious did you Tamp that aircrete down around the edges and that's how it stuck the Ice Cream can and I was wondering if u tried to put air in the plastic pipe where ur chimney or burner goes out cuz I'm sure air would of broke the side loose with minimal damage and also ice cubes to shrink it but at least u'll know for next time lol! Great video!

[@mb4lunch]

Saran wrap before pour. 4 or five wraps. Compressed air in the crack to release.

[@HoneyDoCarpenter]

This is a crazy good Idea.. You rock

[@willyvonbusche729]

I will surely give you two thumbs up mate. It was so entertaining watching you struggle with the tin can. I had to get myself a couple of beers to wash it down. Keep it up man.

[@bobbrawley2612]

It was a lot of fun screaming at the screen . Yelling "why dont you do it this way . Do it That way . DO it my way" I was exhausted even before the end of the video

[@ClayboyBR]

LMAO! This one is me sometimes. Earned the subscription anyways!

[@cniconstantnever-endingimp6104]

Hello, I want to build a pizza oven , pour on a single piece , using an inner air form and a outer shell form , do you think regular foamcrete will do or do i need a refractory mix ? Thanks From Mexico !!

[@gokhanaydin1802]

did you ever finish the pizza dome? i want to also do this

[@davidlacziko1516]

What are the mix ratios? Didn't find any info on that in any vids...

[@SQ_og]

What was in the container?

[@SONSOFB1TCHES]

couple of things there D’Artagnan. 1. care to tell us the mix.... 2. you may want to pull it out while its still setting

[@jonathanfoote3309]

I used waterglass and pearlite

[@carpenterfamily6198]

Water Glass was applied externally after the cast. Could it have been mixed into the slurry before it was poured into the form ? I’m new - any background info would be greatly appreciated. 🤠

[@alextrezvy6889]

Same question.

[@tkorkunckaya]

Great video. I gave a thumbs up just because of the ridiculous question after tearing up the ice cream maker: is this a hole on the bottom???

[@farmmouse3011]

Have you ever thought about putting the water glass in the wet mix?

[@666lleo]

I thought about doing this before with normal concrete but quickly found out it could explode, I'm not 100% but I'm pretty sure it's the water inside. Either way, does aircrete not have this issue because epf the air pocket insulation?

[@Free-49]

It won't explode if done correctly, this happens when the concrete is poorly mixed and or filled incorrectly. If you don't tamp and vibrate the outer form while filling the form it creates pockets that expand when heated. Just don't pour lumpy or semi cured mixes and tap the outside forms with a hammer as you go.

[@corax2012]

cooking spray?

[@HerrisYutuiProduction]

4:25 is funny! LOL

[@bill16156]

Roll up a piece of aluminum flashing, pack with sand. Dump out the sand and tighten up the rolled flashing. Presto!

[@aznative_]

Excellent idea. I've never actually used aluminum flashing for its intended purposes. But I go through rolls of the stuff. It works amazing for so many different projects. And because it is mass produced for the housing market it's dirt cheap.

[@jamiemckenzie8516]

You’re in big trouble ! LOL

[@charruauno386]

Thank you for sharing, I watch your video and I have two questions; one why did you go to the store a purchase a carbore cement mold, second did you sleep in the barn now? :):):):):) have a good day.

[@engjds]

Which refractory cement?, seen ones that can handle 1250 degC but that sounds way too low for a forge?

[@danharold3087]

I purchased the refractory recipe from your etsy store. Are you still recommending drilling and injecting water glass

[@clarencementor4862]

How about using vegetable oil as a lubricant?

[@tarbeau8561]

Styrofoam sounds good like Brian Dolbec suggested. I was going to say a cylinder of wood, but it would take a lot of work to get that done. And more tools than you want at this time. Just a thought though.

[@michaelmccotter4293]

When we build concrete forms we use vegetable oil to help as a release agent. You might consider oiling up the pipe before you pour the aircrete.

[@JBattler]

How would the oil affect the concrete on such a small pour?

[@papajon6715]

Apply a heavy coating of oil of grease to your form, that is what the professional foundation guys use as a release agent. Cardboard forms are also available, you can oil them also or just leave them, they will just burn out. Lightweight aluminum dryer vent tubes can be greased and removed as well.

[@cheffsolo7739]

What can I used to insulate a homemade BBQ smoker firebox can you tell me what I can do so I can burn good , and long for the money ?

[@raddad701]

Create a form like your landscape brick form but with the PVC clamp on inside curve.a block at bottom with a bolt to grab on to and pull out when removing g form.

[@raddad701]

PS this could be used for stove pipe too. Add an interlocking feature.

[@kevinfinnegan5187]

Could you not have frozen the container with ice water or dry ice to thermally shrink the container and debond it?

[@gilbertcruz2161]

I wonder if dry ice wouldnt help since the inside container is metal

[@charliebecker4417]

What's wrong with a premade refactory product like Heat Stop? Will that work? Please let me know

[@FYahooo]

Charlie Becker we just want something less expensive

[@jaymoge]

Boy did I struggle with you on this one .. would a small sauna tube have worked better? Or maybe a thick paper sleeve between the metal and Aircrete?

[@tryeverything1176]

Hi there, why can't you just use refractory cement when you make your Air Crete so you could skip the water glass thing all together?

[@DavyOneness]

Why didnt you wrap the metal with the plastic wrap trick?

[@MAPThomason]

Great work! In the dog house!

[@1voluntaryist]

If you have to destroy it, why not leave it? I notice you didn't poke the wet mix to make sure there were no air pockets, is it that easy to pour?

[@pandyslittlesenpai1777]

Ice water or co2 something to shrink it just a little.