Vermiculite/ cement- set? Getting Started Discuss Vermiculite/ cement- set? in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; i need some info on heat bond refractory mortar. does it mix with portland cement and set well for building ...

[asiapizza]

i need some info on heat bond refractory mortar. does it mix with portland cement and set well for building a pompeii oven? i use air bond mortar now but i was told it will crack easily. please advise.

[DimTex]

To answer two posts in one shot Neil2 is right, wait about a week. Even though everything my eyes told me the perlite and portland mixture was wrong after a week is was hard enough to stand on whilst I laid the bricks. Yes the edges to flak off at the corners but once I put brick around the base and skimmed mortar atop the perlite it was all fine. And Neil@ is right about grain size, I bought the detergent looking stuff and ended up giving it away. Here in Austin I went to a Hydroponics store and got the coarseness that I really needed at a good price. With shipping charges alot of the mail order stuff is, how do they say it? Too dear.