Hi from Massachusettes

[Eddie4]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

Hello Frances,
Thanks for the advice.
I think Im going to take the plunge when we get to spring here in the states.
Do you have any photos of your creation?

Ed

[Ken524]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

do you think an absolute non-mason could attempt something like this?

Hi Eddie,

I'm an absolute non-mason. My father-in-law is a retired mason and I thought I would be dependent on his help. As it turns out, I've been able to do everything on my own.

All it takes is a little patience and some spare time. Go for it.

As for reasons NOT to do it? During the dome build, I rediscovered that I had severe tendonitis in my right elbow as a kid. It reared it's ugly head about 2/3 of the way through the dome. This is definitely my first and *last* dome I'll do from scratch, my arm won't hold up for another. If we ever move, I'll order a kit from James.

[Eddie4]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

Hey Ken,
thank you for the vote of confidence.
How did you build your dome without forms? The bricks seem to magically stay in place with nothing holding them. Also, after your first course of upright brick to start the dome, is the next course put in at an angle to start the formation of the dome? How do you calculate the angle so you end up with a perfect dome?

So many questions.....

Thanks again for your comments.

Ed

[james]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

...During the dome build, I rediscovered that I had severe tendonitis in my right elbow as a kid. It reared it's ugly head about 2/3 of the way through the dome

Ken,
Same thing here. About half way through our house renovation (while destroying the kitchen with a sledge hammer), tendonitis hit my left elbow and hand. I am hoping it will fade soon. I'm looking forward to picking up tennis again when we are done.

I have to admit this is not the first time this has happened to me with construction -- visions of a brick driveway are coming back.

How long did it take for you arm to heal?
James

[gjbingham]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

James,
Tennis is not good for tendonitis, at least in your dominant hand. If you're right handed, it shouldn't be a problem. I developed a golfer's elbow, which is similar to tennis elbow. Come's from too tight a grip. If you rest it for a month or so, it should disappear. There are also arm bands that you can wrip around your forearm that change the focal point of the stress on the tendon which help when you're suffering.


[QUOTE=Eddie4;23606] .
How did you build your dome without forms? The bricks seem to magically stay in place with nothing holding them. Also, after your first course of upright brick to start the dome, is the next course put in at an angle to start the formation of the dome? How do you calculate the angle so you end up with a perfect dome?

Eddie4,
Thick mortar buttered on the brick, place and hold for 30 sec to a minute. Magic! Move on.

You can calculate the angle by laying out a template of the width and height that you want the dome to be, using bricks cut to the size you plan to use, or perhaps a piece of graph paper. I divided 180 degrees (half a circle) by the number of spaces between bricks on the outside of the template, and came up with my approximate angle for each course. Check out my thread "George's Pompeii Progress" for pics.

[dave d pizza lover]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

eddie all materials at medway block on 109 any time you want to check out the oven let me know . very depressed over our football team . although we ate alot of pizza /calzones from the wfo : dave

[Eddie4]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

Thanks for the info.
I don't what happened to the Pats.
The game was a mess.
There are alot of depressed people out there.
But as long as we have good pizza and beer I guess the world is still an ok place.

Ed

[Ken524]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

How long did it take for you arm to heal?

Actually, it still hasn't. It's not as bad as a few months back when I was active on the oven but it still hurts. At some point I guess I need to hike to the Doc and get a cortisone shot or whatever they use.

We have two little ones (3 and 4) and I guess I keep inflaming the thing by picking them up and doing odd jobs around the house.

Ken

[Ken524]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

How did you build your dome without forms? The bricks seem to magically stay in place with nothing holding them.

For the most part, the bricks really did magically stay in place. You'll learn really fast about mixing the right amount of water with the mortar to get that "magic" consistency. The last few courses were a challenge, but it just involved a bit of patience. By the time you get up to those top levels, you'll have the skills you need ).

Also, after your first course of upright brick to start the dome, is the next course put in at an angle to start the formation of the dome? How do you calculate the angle so you end up with a perfect dome?

I "calculated" the angle on the top edge of my soldier course by simply eyeballing it. The bricks that sit on the soldier course I angled using a piece of foam board cut in the shape of the dome profile:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/atta...e-img_1552.jpg

Here's my patented "String Alignment System" I used to mark my cut angles.
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...stem-2670.html

I built my oven pretty much with crude measurements and sloppy cuts. Several guys here are doing the "Scientific Spreadsheet & Engineering" approach. You'll come up with your own approach that will allow you to maximize your enjoyment of the process.

The really cool thing about building these ovens is that you can do it with micrometers or with a big hammer. I'm in awe of both the most precise builds and the incredibly simple builds. Either way, they cook the best pizza!

[RCLake]

Re: Hi from Massachusettes

I built my oven pretty much with crude measurements and sloppy cuts. Several guys here are doing the "Scientific Spreadsheet & Engineering" approach. You'll come up with your own approach that will allow you to maximize your enjoyment of the process.

The really cool thing about building these ovens is that you can do it with micrometers or with a big hammer. I'm in awe of both the most precise builds and the incredibly simple builds. Either way, they cook the best pizza!

I remember a job I had in college working for the Department of Energy, or whatever it was called back then. The saying was measure it with a micrometer, mark it with a piece of chalk and cut it with an ax. Hadn't thought about that for years.

I've tried to do each row as a precise build but unavoidable I get back to my crude construction methods