My Old Kentucky Dome

[Acoma]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken and RT, i'm in. Now updated for my oven will be insulated CalSil board for the door.

[RTflorida]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, you stole my thunder. I believe and insulated door would do wonders for heat retention for the serious baker.
I have a 1/4" plate steel door that I made, it radiates a tremendous amount of heat after it is put in place. As it is, I'm happy. Not much into bread baking (not yet anyway). I make a bunch of pizzas, slap the door in place, and the next day I can throw in a 5 - 6 lb roast or chicken in for 5-6 hrs and all is good. A real baking I think would want more control over heat retention.

This may be a topic to throw out to the group - insulated or non insulated doors?

RT

[CanuckJim]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

RT,

I've always used an insulated door of some sort (several different designs over time). You save an enormous amount of heat that way, and it's quite true you can bake bread one day and a roast the next if you use one. My current door is simply a piece of three-quarter inch ply with a two inch layer of Matrilite 18, a castable insulator, attached to it. There's no reason you couldn't use a scrap piece of SuperIsol to serve the same purpose.

After all, the cooling weakspot of any oven is the door, so why not plug it properly?

Jim

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, you stole my thunder.

Hey; this is my thread! I'm allowed to do that!

[dusty]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken,
How high will your dome be inside?
Dusty

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

How high will your dome be inside?

Dusty, I'm shooting for 20 inches. So far, so good.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Course 10:





I used a combination of 1/2 bricks, 1/3 bricks and 1/4 bricks. Next course I'm switching completely to thirds. The steep angles are making it difficult to keep the heavy halves from sliding.

I stopped using the String Alignment System (SAS) about 2 courses ago. As the dome closes in, it's pretty easy keeping everything aligned by sight.

[Acoma]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, as master of your thread, you are a stud! Doing so damn good. I expect you in the November running, but I guess it depends if James has several categories (completed, close, dome work, etc.). Keep it up!

[wlively]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Great looking dome Ken.

When I got up that high I cut a "floor" out of scrap foam board and rigged a piece of all-thread to prop it up against the edge of the last course. It worked great for holding the bricks from sliding and keeping the two course edges lined up. When the entire ring was set, mark the new floor size, remove, cut and reinstall for the next one.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

That's very clever. Great idea! I just finished the next course using 1/3 bricks. It was much easier than the last. The slightly smaller bricks made a big difference.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

11th Course complete.
So far, so good. I may be able to finish without a form or support from below.

[Acoma]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Ken, you are kidding? No support from below on the latest course? What a stud. I am watching carefully, seeing that your ways set great example for ovens to be.

[Ken524]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

Acoma,

I'm not trail blazing new territory with the "no forms" approach. Honestly, I haven't found it that difficult and I'm as klutzy as they come.

Has anyone else noticed that most of the current domes are being built without forms? Les, Dave, Wayne, KC, Sarah, Frances, Paul and a few others are all building form free.

When I first started looking at Forno Bravo, most of the builders were using forms.

Seems like a trend developing!

[asudavew]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I think most want to be able to clean inside their domes.

I did have to use a few sticks for temporary supports.

I freaking ran out of bricks today, and can't get any until Moday.

I just needed about 5 more to complete the two outside arches and flue hole.

Sad day in dave land.


BTW Ken!
Awesome as usual man!

Gonna finish another course Sunday?

[Hendo]

Re: My Old Kentucky Dome

I just finished the next course using 1/3 bricks. It was much easier than the last. The slightly smaller bricks made a big difference.

Ken,

I've been thinking of going to thirds, but am concerned about straight joints. You don't seem to have had a problem - just the odd cut brick? Or was it not quite that simple?

Your dome is looking grand!

Cheers, Paul.