My Old Kentucky Dome

[Acoma]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices


This is the link to the saw most people are using. After my experiences, if you can afford it. Grab it!

Picked mine up today.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

...and the finished dome; interior and exterior:



I also mortared the bricks on the vent landing.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I departed a bit from a conventional keystone to finish the dome. Inspired by Dmun's fabulous geodesic concept, I decide that a baby geodesic element would finish out the 8" diameter hole in my dome (and look kinda cool).

I cut 3 pie-shaped wedges, beveled two sides of each wedge (2-3 degrees), test-fitted, then slathered on the mortar and tapped them into place.



Since the keystone was created with the flat sides of bricks, I needed a second layer. I didn't get nearly as fancy, just 2 bricks cut roughly to fit the hole. These bricks protrude out of the top a bit due to the 3D shape of the lower keystone.

[Frances]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

What a truely beautiful dome!!!

Frances

[Les]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken - Looking great!!! Very clever with the ball. I think I have seen it before, but WAY before your course. And as you said; gravity sucks. (probably means a bit more in your line of work than mine) Keep the pic's coming.

Les...

[Acoma]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, still impressive and creative. You continue to amaze me with the methods chosen to keep that great quality. I almost need a journal to note all the details that help you with this great dome.

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Hey Ken!

Get that ball outta there asap!

after, of course, the bricks are set enough.

I don't want to see mortar on the brick faces!

Understood?



Happy Halloween.

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, it looks great!

I've been wondering about continuing without a form and will probably switch to some sort of support too, after my next row.

Sarah

I would Sarah. Being hard headed I didn't, and I had a few bricks slip down in the dome.....

If I had a do over..... I would of used my wife's exercise ball.

[sarah h]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, it looks great!

I've been wondering about continuing without a form and will probably switch to some sort of support too, after my next row.

Must feel good to be that close to being done!

Sarah

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Just awesome Ken.

Very beautiful work !

Must be the pilot in ya!

Great Job, it is really neat to look at!

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

13th Course. Gravity finally insists that I support from below!



I used a big bouncy ball I found in the garage. Works great. It's a tad under inflated which works out very nicely since it's a much smaller diameter than the dome.



Barring unforeseen interruptions, I'll have a completed dome tomorrow!

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

12th Course.





This was challenging. I had to hold the bricks for several minutes to keep them from sliding.

[Frances]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I just have to post a really unconstructive comment here: the mortar I ended up with was soooo sticky, I just slapped the brick in place and it stayed there... it was really really cool to work with.

I'm thinking I would have had to support the upper rows if I'd been using the same mortar you all are using.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

How are you supporting the 10th course without forms? Is the mortar allowing you to set them that easily?

The 10th was pretty easy. The mortar was just sticky enough to keep them in place. I would place the brick, tap out the excess mortar and hold it in place for a couple of minutes.

The 11th course is being a bit trickier. I laid about 5 bricks Sunday. Had to continuously tap and hold them in place for 10 to 15 minutes before I could let go of them. After they "grabbed", I took a lunch break to let them set a bit before continuing.

My employer then rudely interrupted my lunch and I've been out of town since. It's probably for the best that the first 5 will be thoroughly set before I continue on Thurs.

I may re-think my approach when I get to the 8th because gravity is already jerking my chains

Yeah, gravity sucks. My 10 year old daughter was helping me hold the bricks in place the other day. We were joking that the perfect place to build a dome would be in orbit on the shuttle. Maybe Forno Bravo should look into that!

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

The inside is so clean and neat. Are you sponging them?

Yes. I let the mortar set for about an hour then go back with a sponge and bucket of water to clean things up.