installing a thimble

[Robert]

I have a wood burning stove in my basement which is connected to a outside chimney.It had a clay thimble which kept cracking which I installed and replaced twice.I purchased a piece of one quarter inch thick stainless steel pipe to use as a thimble which is 22inches long to reach through the cinder block foundation and into the cinder block tile lined chimney.I have a hole about one and a half inches I have to fill in to hold the stainless pipe in place.I used regular motar cement in the past and it also cracked and would like some ideas on what type of product to use to fill around the pipe for this big of a opening in what I am trying to do.
Any suggestions on type of products and installation ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Rich]

I don't have a lot of knowledge on that sort of thing.. but there is an article on the site that deals with a different type of mortar - refractory mortar (http://www.construction-resource.com/firebox_mortar.php). You can also contact the author of that article at comments@rumford.com Let me know what rumford says.