The furnace

After getting all of the various components in place and the refractory mixed I began to fill the furnace using a small garden shovel. As I would shovel in an inch or so of refractory I would stop and take the time to tamp the mixture into place, trying to make sure that all voids were filled. After I had gotten about half-way up the inner liner I pulled the alignment spacers hoping that the weight of the refractory packed in place to that point would keep everything in place. That seemed to work fairly well and I didn't notice any shifting around.
After getting the furnace all filled, I troweled the top smooth, covered the furnace with plastic and set it aside with plans to cure the liner within a few days.