New Build

[JRPizza]

It may be a little late for your inner arch but when you are laying out get ready to build your vent arches you might want to lay them out flat on the ground around your form, then mark the desired location of the bricks for proper spacing. As you build the arch you can make minor corrections as you go and avoid having to make a big one at the end.

[thevance53@gmail.com]

Yea, I set my arch up and did a dry run with bricks, but I failed to mark where each one went and was too focused on plumb and level with the first few courses and the mortar joints expanded on me a little. Lots of learning curves on these projects. Thanks for the tips.

[Tim_FB]

It may be a little late for your inner arch but when you are laying out get ready to build your vent arches you might want to lay them out flat on the ground around your form, then mark the desired location of the bricks for proper spacing. As you build the arch you can make minor corrections as you go and avoid having to make a big one at the end.

A Trick we use at Forno Bravo for the front arch is cored brick. Costs a few cents more at the local supply yard, but allows you to use rebar for strength and holding your line.

Just a suggestion.

Regards,
Tim

[Alomran]

Mike,
Coming along. A tip keep the arch bricks ahead of the dome courses. Much easier to make tie-in adjustments. Dip you hands in vinegar to counter the lime. I also used rubber gloves.

What did you use for mortar? I see you used lime...what else and at what ratio?

[Alomran]

Mike,
Coming along. A tip keep the arch bricks ahead of the dome courses. Much easier to make tie-in adjustments. Dip you hands in vinegar to counter the lime. I also used rubber gloves.

Allow me to throw this question, if you build the arch first, the brickwork will have separation between the arch and the dome. Perhaps one is better off if the arch is designed with bricks cut so that the bricks integrate into the arch as one piece.This is also true for the connection point between the arch and the dome.

[Alomran]

I have just started building the base for a pizza/food oven in my garden in the UK, with the dome 1.9m (75") in diameter. I intend to use pumice as an insulation for the floor and for the dome. The dome will be made of Victorian red bricks as fire bricks are very expensive for the amount I need. I am aiming to have the dome internal height from floor around 90cm (36") and the door will have a double arch with chimney chamber 60cm in width in between.
Is the gigantic dome too low?
Is ready made Vitcas cement not as good as using a mixture of lime and Portland cement with fireclay?
I already have 60Kg of fire cement, any idea if I need to mix it with sand or should the firecement be used on it's own?

[Gulf]

Allow me to throw this question, if you build the arch first, the brickwork will have separation between the arch and the dome. Perhaps one is better off if the arch is designed with bricks cut so that the bricks integrate into the arch as one piece.This is also true for the connection point between the arch and the dome.

That is easier said than done. On a hemispherical arch, a couple of courses will work out fine.On a flattened arch, maybe a couple more. I saw this attempted on a few of the older builds on this forum. It's a "beach" to interlace the courses of an arch on a vertical plane to the courses of a dome which are on a compound curve.

[Gulf]

I have just started building the base for a pizza/food oven in my garden in the UK, with the dome 1.9m (75") in diameter. I intend to use pumice as an insulation for the floor and for the dome. The dome will be made of Victorian red bricks as fire bricks are very expensive for the amount I need. I am aiming to have the dome internal height from floor around 90cm (36") and the door will have a double arch with chimney chamber 60cm in width in between.
Is the gigantic dome too low?
Is ready made Vitcas cement not as good as using a mixture of lime and Portland cement with fireclay?
I already have 60Kg of fire cement, any idea if I need to mix it with sand or should the firecement be used on it's own?

Alomran,

I should have welcomed you to the forum on my previous reply. Let me do that now .

A 75" ID oven is a "little big" for a residential oven That is much larger than most commercial ovens and means a lot of wood to fire and operate. That said, I can only respond to the dome height question and remark on the entry. You are only dropping the oven height by 1.5". It would be easier to keep the oven hemispherical and, on that large of an oven, you are not going to gain that much for pizzas with the lower dome height imo. Also, an extremely large oven and a very deep entry will make for some very long tools with which to operate.

[thevance53@gmail.com]

What did you use for mortar? I see you used lime...what else and at what ratio?

I am using the home brew. 3 parts fine quartz sand, 1 part portland cement, 1 part lime, and one part clay mortar.It works out pretty well and is pretty easy to work with.

[Gulf]

Alomran,

I am afraid that we have hijacked this thread . Please start a new build thread for your oven. I can then move the appropriate posts from above to it. We can continue this discussion over there. I think that you will also get more feedback from other members on a thread of your own .

[thevance53@gmail.com]

Ok, so I got my 6th chain done, my inner arch completed, and am starting the 7th chain. Not the prettiest build on the forum, and I have a few spots where the brick joint lined up a little, but I think it will work. On the back side of my 6th chain, I noticed that I was a little short of my IT and thought I could cheat a little bit at a time and get back to fitting properly. Well, I started my 7th chain at the back, and now that ledge is 1/4" to 3/8". I figured I may as well get back on with the IT and will either have to leave the ledge, or grind it off and transiting the bricks as best I can. Problem is it is right in the back and will be the most visible part of the inside. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Also, on the left side of my inner arch (looking from the inside), I ended up on one side with 1/2" step down from my 6th chain to the inner arch bricks. Should I try and fit a flat 1/2" sliver in there, or just fill it with mortar when my 7th chain goes over the top? Thanks for the advice

[UtahBeehiver]

I see you tapered the last few inner arch bricks to make up the mortar creep and it took care of the problem. On the outer arch, which is more visible, mark your joints on the form and even consider tapering all the arch bricks. I have a program on my pc to determine brick dimensions if you go that direction, you can specify brick joint sizes,etc.

Consider starting at the back of the 7th course and adjust the IT so you bricks fit flush and transition the ledge towards the front half of the dome where no one can see.

IMHO, I would mortar in the small triangle gap at the tapered arch. No one will ever see it.

[JRPizza]

Nice recovery! By the time you get to your outer arches you will have it down and they are the ones that everyone will see.

[danjmath]

I'm glad your going ahead of me Mike, With your pictures combined, I finally understand the tapered arch Russel was talking about.
I'm still trying to figure out a good IT I can make without a welder, but again, looking at your pictures is helping.

[thevance53@gmail.com]

Glad they can help. Bottom line is you just have to jump in and start cutting bricks. Once you are there, it all makes sense. Here is the latest update. Made the arch tie in with the 7th chain, over the arch with the 8th course, and the 9th is getting real close. Keeping this thing level is a lot of work, but once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty well. Still have some issues with steps sideways, and vertically but all in all, not bad for a rookie. Glad I am keeping the circle round and staying with the IT for now. What course do you typically pull the IT?