Asbestos Substitute

Slightly naive question but I'm looking for the modern safe equivalent of a square foot of asbestos sheet anywhere between 3mm to 6mm thick. Any ideas where and what to look for? I need to be able to drill it with eight clean holes and at least one side wants to be dead flat.

Chris......I recently had a new roof installed on an outbuilding and sheets of an asbestos lookalike were used under the tiles on the gable end. The builder told me that it replaced the asbestos that was used in this application in the "bad old days". This stuff is available from builders merchants but I haven't got a clue what its physical properties are.

It is the sheeting for ""undercloaking" the tile edge of a gable end, fibrous in nature, no idea what the material is.

Hi Chris,

Consider a base plate for a brazing hearth. It is made of vermiculite (mica) and presents no health hazard. It may be a bit thick but it can be cut down using an ordinary wood saw and can drilled as requred. These plates are readily available

keith

Hi Chris,
You do not say if you want sheet like the old soft asbestos or the hard asbestos cement sheet. The "undercloaking" that mick H and KWIL suggested I think is only available in about 6" wide strips about 4' long. I do not know if it is suitable for use at very high temperatures. (You do not say what temperature you require it to withstand.) Kaowool board may be suitable.

Les

Hard-ish would be nice but drillable. It's only got to withstand a blowtorch soft soldering various components together and drillable because I want to add pins to hold the various components perfectly upright and in the right place in relationship to each other. I've got some of the softer vermiculite boards but they're not very durable in this context and I want all the components to sit on the same plane, hence the heatproof board wants to be perfectly flat on at least one side. I've got several hundred to do so again a harder sheet is preferable from a longevity point of view. I'll explore the builders merchant idea and buy a piece to experiment with, thanks.

Thinsulate block?

cast yer own,,  perlelite, kaloin and cement mix?

Edited By jason udall on 19/09/2012 11:40:58

I use a board, about 3mm thick, feels like hard asbestos sheet but isn't. Got it from kitchen dept. of a supermarket, pot stand or something. Don't know if still available but may be woth looking.

Chris,

Knauf , makers of plasterboard, make a heatproof board about 10 mm thick that is designed to be used behind gas boilers mounted on wooden stud walls. It is very heat resistant - you can play a burner on it forever and it does not disintegrate. It is smooth, hard, dense and drills well. It is sold in 1200x 600 mm sheets that cost circa £15 in builders merchants.

Mike

Now I know what you wannt it for, just go to the builders merchant and get Thermalite blocks, just the thing for holding components of all shapes, drill, cut, scrape to shape. Stands blowtorch for some time but will eventually break up.

This any good?

http://kilnlinings.co.uk/wds-ultra-specialist-board?zenid=31ad6756d88bfa65cfb5cd9664d2fcd7

6mm "Monolux" or "Superlux" sheet should do the job, it gives 2hr fire protection and is often used in the building trade to encase structural steel etc. May be a job finding in in small amounts as it usually comes in 8x4 sheets. Its just like asbestos cement sheet

J

Edited By JasonB on 19/09/2012 16:27:17

Just google asbestolux board, this is the modern material used in place of asbestos for fire proofing roofs etc -- does not contain any asbestos.

You can buy it in several board sizes and thicknesses at most builders or plumbers merchants.

John

Chris,

Depending on the size you need ... these perforated ceramic blocks might be a viable alternative.

Not sure about that ebay price; I don't recall paying that much for mine.

MichaelG.