42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

[paynerob]

i, with the help of some tremendous friends, have begun an oven build at my cabin in central Utah. Because this forum has been such a tremendous help to me, I thought I would share my experiences thus far and as I progress through the build. No doubt, there will be hair pulling times when I can use a little encouragement and a few words of advice. So, far, there has been lots of preparation time reading the forum, plotting things out on paper, buying and transporting supplies. I'm now four weekends into the project and finally working with the bricks. It's nice to start envisioning where this project will end.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Here are a few photos of the first two weekends of choosing the location, forming the slab and pouring and mixing the 42 bags of cement.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Now onto the next weekend and forming the stand. I am following the steps laid out in the Forno Bravo manual for the basic 42" oven. I ordered the exact supplies listed in the back of the booklet which included 73 brick and were delivered on site. However, I could not figure out how to use these bricks to form the 65" x 78" block stand mentioned on page 13 of the booklet. Ultimately, I ended up buying three 8x8x4 cinder blocks at Lowes, cutting them in half and using them in each course at the front and back ends of the stand. This gave me a dimension of 66" x 78" which seems just fine. In the end, I used (56) 8x8x16 bricks, (4) 8x8x8 bricks, and (5) 8x8x4 bricks. The remainder I ended up returning to the hardware store.

Tonight, as I am drafting this entry, I have realized the disconnect. Page 13 of the booklet plans for a 65" x 78" stand. The supplies list at the back of the booklet, on the other hand, plans for a 72" x 84" stand (this also accounts for the extra 16 bags of cement and 50 extra feet of rebar I have not needed). Oh well, I like the size and everything has gone swimmingly.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Last weekend was set aside to form and pour the hearth. Here a few pictures. Fun times hefting 18 80lb bags of cement into the back of the pick up and then into the mixer--thanks buddy Bob!

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Extra time after pouring the hearth allowed us to make it a little further in the project and get a taste of where the project is heading. We were able to lay down the FB ceramic board. I like this material but was a bit disappointed that the pieces of board were not perfectly the same in their thickness. We had to use fireclay to level out the unevenness between the pieces of board. In the end, I'm happy with the result.

We then laid out the herringbone floor.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

The last task we were able to accomplish last weekend was setting up the form, laying out our solider course and cutting out bricks for the inner arch.

Following the FB designs, my inner arch will by 20" wide and 13" high at the top of the arch. For ease of brick cutting on my 10" wet saw from harbor Freight, I decided to make my arch approximately 3" deep. This allowed me to get three arch bricks out of a single 9"x4.5" brick. I then started playing with angles and frankly wasted a number of bricks until I got the angle I wanted. I then set about cutting a bunch of bricks and laying them around my arch form. To my complete surprise, and utter joy, I was able to lay out 12 bricks across my arch and they lined up exactly with the edges of the arch. I decided at that point this oven build was meant to be.

It's quite a rush to dry stack an arch and pull out the form without everything crashing to the deck.

Sadly, I must now take a month off before returning to my cabin and the task. I can hardly wait to start mortaring a few bricks together with my Fire Rock mortar. The six day Harley ride through Idaho and Montana will help to ease the pain.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

One last post before signing off for a month. I've decided to build the dome using an indispensable tool. Mine is constructed from a chopped up Harbor Freight clamp, a turnbuckle, some aluminum tubing from Lowes, and some regular and reverse thread bolts and nuts. I quite like the design but the proof of success will be in the setting of the bricks. I can hardly wait.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Looks like you have everything under control. Check with your IT how the tie-ins with the upper courses of the dome will mate with the 3" arch brick. The 3" depth may affect the dome shape in the upper courses were the arch and dome meet. Where in SLC you live? I live in the Aves.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Thanks. I plan to spend some time this weekend conceptualizing how the arch and dome will meet. This is obviously the part of the project that is most unclear to me.

I live in the Millcreek area near REI.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Yell, if you need any assistance. Here is a pic from Mr. Chipster show how the IT helps you determine the angles needed for a "tapered" inner arch similar to what you are doing. Tapered inner arches have evolved since the FB pompeli plans were developed. This type of arch is well worth the effort but unfortunately the 3" arch bricks you have now will not work. If you need or want any assistance let me know.

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Thanks, I may take you up on the offer when I get back into this next month.

[deejayoh]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Shouldn't this thread be in the pompeii builds sub-forum (instead of forum guidelines)? Maybe the mods could move?

[paynerob]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

As a new poster to the foum, I think I put this in the wrong place. I'd be happy to have it moved to the right place. I'd also be happy to do it myself if that's possible and someone can tell me how to do it.

[deejayoh]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

you can't move it yourself. I wanted to bring to the attention of the moderator. We'll see if they get to it.

[George_M]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven Build in Central Utah

Extra time after pouring the hearth allowed us to make it a little further in the project and get a taste of where the project is heading. We were able to lay down the FB ceramic board. I like this material but was a bit disappointed that the pieces of board were not perfectly the same in their thickness. We had to use fireclay to level out the unevenness between the pieces of board. In the end, I'm happy with the result.

We then laid out the herringbone floor.

Hi,
The cement is common cement or need cement for high temperatures?

Thanks for the photos!