New 42" Pompeii Weymouth, MA

[MrIdeas]

Hi Everyone,
I have been planning this project for so long, my friends and family are tired of hearing about it. I'm the type of person who researches something for so long I could have built the oven 10 times by now. I started the project last year by pouring a 10" slab for my outdoor kitchen. I have completed most of the block work and I was able to pour the insulated layer prior to the snow flying. I was so inspired by photos and advise from of Pizza_Bob and James as well as many others, I couldn't wait to get started.
I did a lot of research on fire brick and finally ended up getting them from Harbison Walker. I worked in a stainless steel foundry for 22 years and saw dozens of heat treat furnaces and metal furnaces relined. After visiting a number of companies that supply masons, none of them could tell me what type of brick they were selling or give me a spec. sheet on it. In the end I decided to go to the experts.
I am building a 42" Pompeii oven after spending a lot of time talking to a friend who built a 36" using a kit. He always complains it's too small.
Last Sunday I cut the brick for the floor in a herringbone pattern. I am getting ready to set it this weekend and start the dome. I was going to set the floor on fire clay with a 1/4" x 1/4" notched trowel, is this a good idea?
Has anyone ever used a wet diamond polisher to smooth out the floor? Is this a good idea? Finally, how important is the 1/4" space between the floor and the soldier course?
I know I ask a lot of questions, but I have always sought out the opinions of experts and fellow DIYers to hopefully learn from their mistakes.
I am going to try and be faithful in posting photos of this build, as I have found they are the best way to convey a concept.

I can hardly wait to get started!!

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New 42" Pompeii Weymouth, MA

Ideas,

Welcome aboard, looks like you are well on your way. I am assuming, by the looks, that the floor brick are sitting on a perlcrete or vcrete insulating slab. Nice cut on the floor brick. I place a ring of card board between the floor and my first course of dome bricks. If you look close on the pic you can see it. Another thing to be aware of is to keep mortar out of the gap between this space. Just run a strip of duct tape between the floor and the side wall of the dome during your build. Good luck and ask away, lots of good advice here. If you go to the Newbie section and look for Lburou's FB Treasure builds you will find some of the well documented builds. Good luck.

[Gulf]

Re: New 42" Pompeii Weymouth, MA

It sounds like you have done your research and are off to a great start. I wouldn't use the wet diamond polisher on the floor. You will just be adding copious amounts of water to your floor insulation .

I used the herringbone floor design. Some have "dry ground" their floors for smoothness. I just placed the floor brick on top of my insulation layer. The herringbone floor design offers an "angle of attack" that keeps the peel from jamming .

[MrIdeas]

Re: New 42" Pompeii Weymouth, MA

Thanks UtahBeehiver, Great advice. I like your design for the base to hold the support tool, the masonite protects the whole oven floor and it looks like the center section will pull straight through the oven opening, mind if I borrow your design? Starting my soldier course today.

[MrIdeas]

Re: New 42" Pompeii Weymouth, MA

Thanks Gulf,
I've kept everything dry to this point, a quick dry grind it is. I picked through my bricks looking for the ones with the sharpest corners for the floor, what I didn't notice right away is that some of them have a crown in them and some of the sides are more than 90 degrees from the top face preventing a tight fit.
I know the firing process is not an exact science, so I checked for flatness and a light skim with the diamond saw brought the sides square.

Thanks for the advice.