The lintel has now been cast and cured for 48 hours. Even after spending hours carefully compressing the layers of refractory into the mold, I am disappointed with the amount of voids, but I do think this this will still be strong enough for the job. I am also a bit concerned that the lintel has very bad abrasion resistance, probably, I did not reach high enough curing temperatures. I have re-covered the lintel now with a heater as I am sure there is still some curing to be done. I will have to find something to treat the surface with to improve the surface durability, probably sodium silicate. There are a number of treatments that can be sprayed on and soak into the surface before hardening.
The back of the lintel shows the transition from oven to chimney. This is an important feature designed to ensure a good airflow during firing of the oven.
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