K Fac-19

[bolex16mm]

Since the K Fac-19 boards are not as expensive as the Super-isol,calcium-silicate or cal-sil boards, I can put down 4" of insulation instead of 2" for the same amount of money. Is it overkill to put down two layers of K Fac-19, or will 2" be plenty?
Tony

[CanuckJim]

Cameraman,

I've used both K-Fac 19 and SuperIsol type board. K-Fac is not intended for weight bearing applications, while SuperIsol is.

Jim

[bolex16mm]

Jim,
Thanks for your quick reply. I was afraid that was the answer. Knowledge about Bolex cameras and insul board, what an amazing forum.
Tony

[tdibratt]

A lot of good discussion here about KFAC-19. I also just source a local supplier who carries this product and am wondering whether or not it is a good thing to use? If it cannot sustain the weight of the firebrick hearth floor plus all the weight of the firebrick dome and thermal mass, then I should be leary, right?

Thx

[dbhansen]

You shouldn't have a problem with it assuming it is similar to Insblok-19, which many folks here have used successfully. Here is a spec sheet for KFAC-19, which indicates a compressive strength of 33 psi, which should be more than enough for a standard oven.

I'd explain your intended use to the supplier and ask if it will work.

[CanuckJim]

TDI,

Don't know who your supplier is, but I'm also in the Toronto area, so here's a knowledgeable source: Alphatherm Inc., 8201 Keele Street, Unit 4, Concord, Ontario L4K 1Z4; 905-738-6732. Talk to Elvis there.

Jim

[tdibratt]

Thanks Jim, yes it is Elvis at Alhpatherm. He helped me out when I built my last oven. Since then the art has matured and advanced over the last 3 years into using new products so just want to be sure I do my research before I go out and spend the money.

Yes he suggested the KFAC-19. I have been doing some more reading on this forum and I think I cam across a post by you that suggested that KFAC-19 does not possess the strength that insblock-19 has and I interpreted it to mean it may not be good to use.

Thx

[dbhansen]

It seems that there are several types of insulating boards that are not intended for weight-bearing applications in an industrial setting, but that can bear plenty of weight for backyard oven use. Insblok-19 and KFAC-19 probably fall into that category. SuperIsol is a slightly better insulator that can bear more weight (compressive strength = 300 psi), so I think that's why some have suggested it might be better. With other materials, there's a trade-off between strength and insulating ability. Marinite, for example, is much denser and has a compressive strength of 1000-3000 psi, but the thermal conductivity numbers are quite high. You also have to watch for how they react to water, to make sure they don't compress when wet (search for "Kaowool" in this forum to find out why!).