42" corner build, Devon

[Baldywills]

Hi Gary,

If you are still set on laying the first row of bricks directly on the supporting slab, here are a couple of suggestions you might consider.

Firstly, laying soldiers as a first course introduces the problem of creating long vertical joints between the soldiers. Because the most vulnerable part of any hemisphere is at its base (think of an eggshell cut in half), many builds using soldiers use a steel band around the soldiers. This is a difficult operation, especially across the oven mouth and introduces corrosive steel. A better solution is to use two half brick courses instead of the soldiers, so the mortar joints are staggered, eliminating the long vertical joints.

Secondly, if the first course of half bricks is insulating fire brick, rather than dense fire brick, it will insulate the base of the dome very well.

I love the detail on your build by the way. Did you abandon the concrete polishing in preference to the granite?

Dave

Cheers Dave,

Yeah it turned out the concrete polishing was going to be bigger than Ben Hur so I binned the idea and opted for the granite. It is expensive but I could outsource the job so I didn't have to worry about it.

The main problem with the concrete polishing was I don't think I made the mix hard enough and so as I was polishing I was getting grit crumbling off the concrete surface. I only tried to polish one corner with a small wet polisher but even if I could hire a larger machine I think it would have taken about three weeks of very wet work, I simply couldn't afford the time.

The weather is warming up in the UK now so I should be able to get back out on the dome. Will take a look at your suggestions on the soldier course.

Cheers

Gary

[Baldywills]

Thought I would take a quick break and tidy up. Have finished the BBQ area and completed a few courses on the oven dome. About to think and contemplate the entrance arch and reveal so thats going to hurt a little. It's one of those things where I know what I want and just have to make it work by many cuts using the big brick saw and small adjustments using the angle grinder.

[Baldywills]

So today in the partial sun but harsh wind I managed to get some brickwork done on the front surrounding the landing and casill boards. I am lucky as I have a roof over the top so I haven't had a problem of water getting to the casil boards but it is nice to finally encapsulate them.

I still need to do the transition from the front landing into the dome but it's all planned . I think I will add another pier of bricks to the front to cover the weight of the archway once I build it.

I did a few awkward cuts today which was soooo much easier with my big brick saw. I remember the last time I built an oven (8 years ago) I was simply using an angle grinder for cutting bricks- nearly lost my foot and some fingers a few times.

[Baldywills]

Nice kitchen, looking forward to seeing the oven finished!

Two questions:
- Did you waterproof the granite already? I understand you need to impregnate it to ensure you don't get water stains in it.
- What's the material underneath your oven floor, in between the calsil and the bricks?

Sorry, I didn't realise I hadn't answered this question.

The granite is already waterproofed and should last me a couple of years before I have to reapply

Nothing underneath the bricks, they are laid straight on top of the calsil boards.

cheers

Gary