The Backofen

[Lburou]

Re: The Backofen

If you taper your bricks, you can make three cuts per brick and have two tapered half-bricks if you plan well enough. It will work for several rings.

Staggering the bricks on each ring is important. I still recommend at least 1/4 inch of mortar between the bricks, rather than contact at the edges (wish I had left that 1/4 inch in there!). You are watching for freezing weather, right Trellis?

[Les]

Re: The Backofen

should I put a tapered brick in the center ?

It's not required. If it's the outside arch you can get creative. I put in a piece of Nevada granite that I pulled out of the desert. We've seen quite a few clever ideas for a keystone.

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

Thanks DJ..I think I will just go with the 7deg cuts.. I will be ok with the small mortar joints on the inside..I do appreciate the quick responses..Thanks!

[deejayoh]

Re: The Backofen

so I cut a bunch of bricks at a 7 degree angle today .. question.. on the sailor course, when i do set them in HS50 do I stagger the mortar joints on the second course? Do I cut the the second course with the taper 7 deg? Or do I do whole half brick?

Mortar the first chain together by the sides. you don't need to mortar to the floor.

If you want those tighter joints, the second chain (and all after that) will also have the 7 degree cut on both sides. And yes, stagger the joints

I think your second chain will be tilted in a bit. To figure this out, mock up the profile of your dome on a flat surface with a bunch of half bricks to see how much you need each chain to be tilted. Try to keep it uniform for each chain. It's probably going to be 1/4 or 3/8" range. You can do this with just the mortar

Of you want to avoid the triangular joints inside the oven, then check out the approach in this thread for cutting the bricks. It's not neccessary to do this, but it does give you nice tight joints inside the oven and doesnt really take any longer.

Here's a picture of the first three chains on my oven for reference. Note that I built my dome around my floor, and didn't start the arch of my dome until the fourth chain - so it's not exactly the same but will give you reference on how your first two chains should look.

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

I did a mock-up of the arch..14 inch door opening 9 inches from the floor..
should I put a tapered brick in the center ?

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

so I cut a bunch of bricks at a 7 degree angle today .. question.. on the sailor course, when i do set them in HS50 do I stagger the mortar joints on the second course? Do I cut the the second course with the taper 7 deg? Or do I do whole half brick?

[deejayoh]

Re: The Backofen

Hah. I haven't been able to work on my oven since Sunday night. Pulled off the tarp and looked at the last three bricks I laid, and they looked horrible. None of them lined up. I wondered if I had been drunk when I put them in and just forgot that part. Ended up knocking them out with a cold chisel.

Sometimes it's one step forward, two steps back.

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

Yah.. bought the same one at Ace.. I'll see how it goes tomorrow..
My head hurts now..LOL

[deejayoh]

Re: The Backofen

Did you use a square notch trowel to trowel it out? It only needs to be as thick as the grooves. 1/4" maybe?

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

Thanks Lee Thanks DJ... will be cutting a mess of bricks tomorrow again!

[Lburou]

Re: The Backofen

How thick does the bed need to be?
On the herring bone pattern.. aren't there going to be ridges on that even when its tapped into the clay?

Thick enough to level the bricks used for the floor only. If they are flat without filler, you don't need it.

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

How thick does the bed need to be?
On the herring bone pattern.. aren't there going to be ridges on that even when its tapped into the clay?

[deejayoh]

Re: The Backofen

here is the photo of the brick..lemme know..

That looks right for the cuts.

You might want to use a herringbone pattern on your floor so that you don't have bricks perpendicular to your peel.

Ummm. yeah.. that didn't work.. I guess I need to find a bag of fire clay..I had too much sand and not enough clay.. wont post any pictures of that fiasco..
any suggestions?

Cut a bunch of your sailor bricks and you will have plenty more wet fireclay. Just clean out the saw tray.

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

Ummm. yeah.. that didn't work.. I guess I need to find a bag of fire clay..I had too much sand and not enough clay.. wont post any pictures of that fiasco..
any suggestions?

[Coloradoredusa]

Re: The Backofen

here is the photo of the brick..lemme know..