We are moving from TX to New Hampshire - big change! I've become obsessed with Rocket Mass Heaters! Bought the DVD set and a couple manuals, watching a lot of youtube, etc. Right now I'm wondering about where to get materials, like firebrick and stovepipe CHEAP. I have a client down here in TX in the refractory business (working in the petrochemical industry). I'm going to ask him to give me a load of used brick from a rebuild job, and maybe a couple of sacks of castable refractory at cost, etc. If I do the timing right I can haul it up to NH with our main moving load (renting a Penske truck). I see there is a guy in Sheffield MA who sells refractory bricks and/but they're not cheap. I like the idea of hard fire brick for the "wearing" surface, bottom of burning chamber, with lighter IFB on the outside and maybe the stack. I have not started looking for stovepipe yet but I assume it's not real cheap for the good stuff. I am a cheap SOB. My first project will be to build a small RMH for my stand-alone garage/workshop so I can keep it toasty. The main house has an old-fashioned (large) fireplace, probably real inefficient, and a wood stove in the basement. So far I have not seen an in-depth post/podcast/blurb on the subject of "obtaining firebrick and stove pipe for cheapskates" but if something along those lines exists I would be grateful for a pointer towards it. I am a lawyer now but was a boiler tech in the Navy so I know a little bit about fire and heat, but did not get into the bricking part of the trade. But I made a lot of steam! Thanks to all.
