On Wed, 14 Jun 2006 16:59:18 +0100, Chris Learmouth
wrote:

Is there a fireproof cement that can be bought in larger quantities

Talk to Purimachos in Bristol. Helpful and cheap, if you're avoiding the
retail layer.

Usually the face is a solid slab that you buy ready-made, the infill is
vermiculite and you only need a small tub of fire cement to fill the
gaps. There are also DIY recipes (concrete, but with vermiculite as
aggregate) if you need to cast something monstrous.