42" build in Ontario

[dochertyq]

My original plan was to build a cob oven, after seeing some very cool ones in Ireland. That plan changed pretty quickly to a 42" brick oven. Who knows, maybe I'll make a little cob oven someday with the leftover materials from this thing...
Anyway, so far so good, I got the stand up, vermiculite concrete pad for insulation, and the first five courses up by hand using a compass. I built an indispensable tool out of wood to use from here on.
Here's some pics:

Q

[texman]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Welcome to FB forum. Great looking start. Looks like you have everything under control. Are planning on an exposed dome or an enclosure?

Texman

[Greenman]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Welcome aboard! Like Texman said, looks like you have it under control. Covering the floor bricks to keep the inevitable dropped mortar off them will save some work and leave you with a nice clean hearth.
Looking forward to following your progress.

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Thanks, Texman and Greenman, I've gotten a lot of help and inspiration from reading all the posts on this forum - it's nice being able to benefit from the experiences of others!
I'm going to build an enclosure around it, as we are in a snow belt. I think I'll enjoy working under the eaves of a metal roof in the winter, especially since winter lasts a long time up here.
I also raised the level of the oven floor so that I can look right at it without bending over too much.
I'll post more pics as the oven progresses.
best regards,
Q

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Well, in between the nearly daily bloody rains, I have got up a few more courses of bricks. During one of the downpours I decided to build the opening arch on the workbench. I drew out the form on graph paper, then mortared in the bricks over top of the pattern. I used masking tape to cover the brick faces before I finished the job. I know, they're going to be covered in soot and nobody will know, but it's raining, and there's beer out here, and you have to do something... I'll let it set up for a couple of days, then set it in place.
I'm almost hoping that one of the thunderstorms turns into a tornado alert so that I can hide below the oven in the storage chamber - forget about going down in the cellar, the oven is the safest place on the property...

no regrets,
Q

[Les]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

but it's raining, and there's beer out here, and you have to do something...

Looking good!

[oasiscdm]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Hi and welcome.. nice job. Interesting way of building. Just remember to stay on bond. I noticed on last photo some vertical bricks lining up.

[texman]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Looking good. i am glad to see you are setting the arch. That will make the dome to arch connection easier to visualize for those fun cuts. you will also want to buttress your arch i think. will be able to tell once you sett the top. Keep the pics coming.
Texman

[gmchm]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Your building technique is original, at least I haven't seen it before, and looks as if it would be useful. Gary

[deejayoh]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Looks good. One piece of advice - your IT arm should hit the bricks in the center. That's what's causing the setback in each course of your dome that I can see in the first picture - see red circle

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Thanks, Deejayoh, I'll adjust the arm, seeing as how it's still sprinkling and 12 degrees out there.
I'm hoping my pre-built arch holds together from the workbench to the oven.
Also still trying to figure out a buttress design that will work easily and let me add some lighting in the landing area.

and there's always more bricks to cut...

Q


The good things we build end up building us..

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Wet, cold, and miserable all day. I put up scaffolding around the build so I could get a plywood roof over everything. Should have done it days ago.

I cut styrofoam arches to fit inside the curve of the pre-built interior arch, put a strip of light plywood on top, then tightened the whole thing together with a ratcheting hold-down tie. Carried it out to the build and set it in place on makeshift supports. I didn't plan on it being so heavy. I had shimmed the supports up enough to let me butter the joints and then lowered it into place. I should have had somebody to help me, it would have been so much easier. Sorry, but I didn't get a picture of the gear, too wet at the time.
Anyway, it worked. The arch is sitting on the arch supports just fine.
I also adjusted the IT as was suggested, then worked into the darkness with a trouble light inside the dome. There's a frost warning for tonight.
I really need to get out more...

Q

..in Xanadu did Kublai Khan a stately pizza dome decree...

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Well, I got past the fiddly part of the dome where it meets the inner arch, but it wasn't very pretty. A good thing nobody's going to be looking up in there!
The weather was against me all weekend, but I'm just a few courses away from closing up the dome.
Now to start thinking about the vent and chimney.
I'm guessing that a bigger diameter chimney (steel) is better than smaller..

more soon
Q


it's not really work, unless you'd rather be doing something else

[hodgey1]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Hi Q
It was suggested to me to use an 8" dia chimney on my 42" WFO and it is working great so I would recomend the same.

Chris

[dochertyq]

Re: 42" build in Ontario

Thanks, Chris,
I bought some eight inch chimney today, and a pile of steel studs for framing the house that will go around the dome.

The weather turned for the better and I got the last few courses in the dome finished. finally...

I have a few questions for anybody out there:
Can I construct the walls of the vent chamber from regular bricks, or do I need to use firebricks? I was planning on angled walls to the vent chamber and thought that regular bricks would show better. more colourful, maybe
I was planning on building the external arch with regular bricks. Will this pose any problems?
Will I need to include any thermal barriers anywhere?

thanks, everyone!
Q

a little well-planned toil can bring a lot of contentment...