Carbon Felt vs Fiberglass Insulation

Since I've been using carbon felt/fiber in my burners I've been getting lots of people asking my why I use expensive carbon felt/fiber instead of cheaper fiberglass insulation.

In this video I try to explain why I use carbon felt/fiber.

I couldn't find much on the melting point of fiberglass except something I found in one engineering book where it said that the high temp range was 1000°F (540°C). When you figure that temperatures of alcohol burners are anywhere from 1112-1652°F (600-900°C) the burners I've made should be able to melt fiberglass. Least ways in my burners it did melt the fiberglass after a couple of uses. Then I had to turn over or replace the fiberglass.

Here is the info on carbon felt/fiber and where I buy it:
CyberWeld
Tillman Welding Blanket - Thermofelt 615
Code: 615B

Info borrowed from CyberWeld site:
Tillman Welding Blanket - Thermofelt 615

Soft, thick, affordable welding blanket provides protection up to 3000F. 16 oz. Black Thermofelt material is non-flammable, non-melting, non-shrinking and scratch free!

No heat transfer takes place between the blanket and the protected surface, making it ideal for auto body and other thin sheet metal surfaces.

With a working temperature of 1800F, this blanket is a safety must for the auto body mechanic or the home hobbyist. It is available in 2 sizes, either 3' X 3' or 6' X 6'.

Hope this helps to explain why,
And as always thanks for watching my videos,
Hiram

[victoryfirst]

Thank you for the education Hiram. I will be using the carbon felt for sure now fella.

[David-vbih]

Wow! Great video. I just did a random search for carbon felt fireproof and this is the first thing that popped up. Oddly enough I am looking for the info to do the exact same thing! My wife pointed out your hat and I got a chuckle about that and started looking closer at your backdrop and noticed you have an identical mini school locker to one that I have.

[tim]

I recently discovered you can buy ceramic wool for fireplace insulation on Amazon relatively cheap. It can handle high temps and works well as a wick medium. I'm thinking of ordering some and making a bunch of stoves out of it.

[MichaelEMaus]

I built a stove with the white braided fiber rope used to seal woodstove doors. It is probably glass or rockwool fiber. Use a soup can to extinguish the flame, and the winding of two turns of rope brings it almost but not quite to the level of the can, so there is not much air available at the top of the rope for really high temperatures to develop.

[bobkelly]

Hay Hiram ! thanks for all the videos ! been a subscriber now for about 3 weeks,
and I caught a boo boo on this video you said that the carbon felt had a melting point of 1100 deg. while the package you were holding said 1800 deg. ya must have mis-read it
.... but that is why it has never melted on you ...1100 deg. would have ! I've seen some extreme temperature from these stoves just on 91% alcohol ! in excess of 1200 deg! enough in some cases to melt aluminum cans....one of the reasons I use tin cans only !
changing the fuel to Denatured Alcohol would only raise that temperature.
the problem of getting super high temperatures is in windy conditions or air being forced into the burn by some means, i discovered that by a desk fan ! it melted the aluminum beverage burner slightly and I could just poke my finger through it after it cooled !

[marjamada]

I found a welding blanket which is just glass cloth, as one might use for making boats, by adding resin. It's huge and about the same $22 price as the black one.

[silverssonyoutube]

Would using carbon felt in the top of zippo handwarmer work as a replacement for the catalyst it comes with ?

[snowyowl]

Really appreciate the information on where to purchase an ample sheet of Carbon fiber,
Thanks Hiram!!

[MrHiramCook]

Some time back, on my other channel, I did a video I named, "Look at that!" "It just melted" where I used an aluminum ring cut from a soda can on the GrillTop Stove Stand to lift a pot up to circulate the heat better. The alcohol burner melted the ring right down. You're right, it does get hot.

[DDSTI]

Thank you for your video. In a few days i'll be using this wrapped around a smoker that could see external temps of up to 500 or maybe 600F, i was nervous but after seeing your video i can tell i won't be subjecting it temps that are really that high compared to what it can withstand.

[Kennnyboy]

Nice videos Hiram. Have you ever tried ceramic insulation? I have a load left over from when I built a gas forge for knife making and whilst it doesn't burn, it sure absorbs a lot of alcohol. I've placed an order for carbon felt from a seller in China. I can't find the stuff in the UK.

[BornRandy]

once upon a time I made a small trivet pot stand for the trangia stove out of 1/8 " aluminum strapping and stainless steel carriage bolts. It lasted less than 6 two cup runs before it self destructed from melted aluminum parts. It had lasted dozens of runs using sterno and other alcohol wick in a can burners.

[kenhopson]

FiberFrax we used it to pack induction heaters which heated billets to 2150 F, it don’t melt. However, you can’t handle it a lot it’s like bread dough you can’t keep messing with but it will last forever.

[barkingdoggai]

But the fibreglass material is free. You can pick it up off the ground at any house being resided. I put a 1/2 size cookie between the pipe being soldered and the wall.

[MrHiramCook]

In some stoves I've used perlite with good success but it's a loose material so you have to take care about spilling.

[briargoatkilla]

Yeah, the fiber will glaze over on the top. I then just flip it over and get a few more burns out of it. Then I reach in my pump house and grab another little puff for my next trip. I still use it cause it's there and it works. I'll graduate to the carbon felt one of these days.

[pa_maj.MARTINI-van-MAN]

Do you think fibreglass woven cloth would work good enough?

[TheSaskachewan]

Thanks. Have you tried blue jean material?

[GnuReligion]

TheLionsDen72 is right, fiberglass can smell when it burns out... I have no idea what is oxidizing, or why, but it simply does.    I am rushing to the store to try out some of this Carbon Felt.

[woodworks]

Will carbon felt with candles and use it instead of cardboard in a buddy burner?