36" in Seattle

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Hey Keb,,
Was wondering where you were..... Your cutting your bricks on a Harbor Freight saw arent you ?? Doing a great job, very neat....

Nice Work
Mark

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Yes, although it is showing its "age". It has acquired a notably loud rattle (not horrific) and associated vibration. I am virtually certain it is coming from inside the factory-enclosed blade-axle casing. I assume the bearings are wearing out.

Only a few cuts to go. Come on baby!

...course, I still have my one-year replacement plan. Ideally, it would break right after I'm done with this project.

[trockyh]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Your arch and vent look really nice.
My saw is making the same noise and I'm just on my eight ring. Hope it makes it, but I do have the one year warranty, I just don't want to take it the hour drive to get a new one. At least not until I'm done.

Tom

[John K]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Hi kebwi

Only just came across your build and have just read through your posts. Looking great!!. Keep up the good work and looking forward to the chimney design!!

regards

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Thanks. My current design would use an 8" double-walled pipe sitting atop the vent. I don't have any sort of anchor plate yet, so I'm completely unsure how to actually attach the pipe to the vent. In my mind, it's just sitting precariously on top of the vent right now, clearly a design that cannot proceed to construction without further refinement. I am really turned off by the price of anchor plates.

The other idea I always considered was to use clay flue pipe (with some sort of veneer brick on the outside and a thermal expansion air gap between the two layers), but I never found any clay pipe I liked and I already bought this steel pipe.

Or I could build the chimney out of firebricks...insulated of course...and I'm unsure how high I could build a brick chimney without creating a dangerous risk of collapse. It's just mortar after all so I don't know if it would stay together confidently.

Ugh. I'm not sure yet.

Cheers!

[vintagemx0]

Re: 36" in Seattle

I encased my chimney in perlcrete, and it dawned on me that I probably didn't need a proper anchor plate. I think if you could effect a decent seal at the union of the chiminey and masonry and provide a means of fastening it just good enough so it doesn't dislodge easily, you could encase the chimney as I did and it won't be going anywhere.

Ken

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

So, vintagemx0, I think you're suggesting a concrete tubular sleeve into which the steel pipe sits, much like the mast of a sailboat. The structural support offered by the concrete sleeve (against lateral forces attempting to displace the steel pipe, aka wind) would depend on the thickness and overall strength of the concrete sleeve and on the height of the sleeve...which doesn't necessarily have to extend the entire height of the steel pipe of course.

That's in interesting idea. I could use the pipe itself as the form. Wrap it with several heavy layers of plastic to form a gap (and prevent the concrete from bonding to the steel, although that seems unlikely anyway), build the sleeve, remove the pipe and plastic and reinsert the pipe, leaving an air gap. Perhaps if I enmesh the concrete tube with chicken wire it would be less susceptible to collapse. I'm unsure how thick I can make it relative to the foot print I have permitted on the upper face of my vent, if you see my meaning.

I'll think about it.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Finished the vent (photos continued in next post). If you look at my CAD design from an earlier (recent) post, you can see that the side-walls of my vent do not conform to the design in that they aren't flush. I'm not sure how that happened. Grrr! Anyway, it doesn't matter too much.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Continuation of previous post.

[trockyh]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Your oven is a work of art. I don't want to post anymore of my pictures.

Tom

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

Yes, it's my belief it will make the pizza taste better. All I really did was clean the hell out of it so there isn't mortar all over the place. Lots of scrubbing, lots of water.

Seriously, we'll see if I can make the outside look any good. I'm totally weirded out by the external construction phase.

...and thank you for the kind comments.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

A few more shots of the completed brickwork (assuming I don't do any further brickwork around the chimney area, which isn't necessarily decided). I removed the floor boards so the interior shots are now "complete".

BTW, does anyone have any thoughts on whether I should fill the angular gaps on the backside (interior side) of the arch (last photo)? I could cut some wedges and mortar them in. I'm unsure if it would help the smoke escape more efficiently or if it would help mitigate spalling along the exposed edges. Thoughts?

[Tscarborough]

Re: 36" in Seattle

I would definitely fill those gaps. I plan on chamfering the inside edge of the upper bricks, similar to how you did the outside of yours. Looks great, BTW.

[kebwi]

Re: 36" in Seattle

It's hard to see in that interior picture in the last post, but if you look carefully or look at (much) earlier pictures of my arch construction, the inside edge of the interior arch is also beveled, for exactly the purpose of easing the smoke's path.

Cheers!

[dmun]

Re: 36" in Seattle

BTW, does anyone have any thoughts on whether I should fill the angular gaps on the backside (interior side) of the arch (last photo)? I could cut some wedges and mortar them in. I'm unsure if it would help the smoke escape more efficiently or if it would help mitigate spalling along the exposed edges.

I'm going to vote for leave it alone. Cracking is not unheard-of in brick ovens and to have brick slips unsupported by anything but mortar is not necessary. Also, I think your dome is so well built that there won't be any problem with turbulence from those little dips.