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  • #1

    Spring has Sprung....

    Just spent the past week on the coldest spring walking holiday ever. So it was great to get out in the warm spring sunshine and make a start on my oven. Well it was just going to be an oven but I am only the contractor and my 'client', The First lady of the Purse Strings, has other ideas. I have to redo the whole of the back yard. This is going to be a major job and she wants it finished by the time of our next holiday, the first week of July. Started digging up the flower beds and a Robin gave a helping hand taking away the odd grub and worm but was not interested in any heavy digging.
    Now for the questions. When I got my fire bricks I also got quite a few of the softer fire bricks, 3" thick. Will these be OK to put under my hearth bricks for insulation.
    sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.
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  • #2
    Re: Spring has Sprung....

    Insulating fire bricks are about the same in thermal value as vermiculite concrete. If you are using only them, you may want more than one layer, or lay them on edge.
    My geodesic oven project: part 1, part 2

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    • #3
      Re: Spring has Sprung....

      Thanks dmun. I held off on this one. I knew someone would jump in with a good answer.

      RAFV,
      Just make sure the bricks that you are planning to use as insulation are actually insulating firebricks. I have no idea how you tell the difference between the two types, but if they are not the correct type of brick, you're adding to your oven's themal mass without insulating the floor at all. Not a good idea. If you can't verify that these bricks are indeed insulating fire bricks vs. standard refractory firebricks, I wouldn't recommend using them.

      Perhaps a local mason or masonry supply shop can tell you exactly what you've got.
      GJBingham
      -----------------------------------
      Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make mistakes when nobody is looking.

      -

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      • #4
        Re: Spring has Sprung....

        Didn't someone test this by holding a blow torch to the brick and seeing how far the heat spread?
        "Building a Brick oven is the most fun anyone can have by themselves." (Terry Pratchett... slightly amended)

        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/p...pics-2610.html
        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/p...nues-2991.html

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        • #5
          Re: Spring has Sprung....

          From the brick primer:

          Insulating fire brick. These light-weight refractory bricks are designed to stop heat, and as such have low conduction and low heating holding capacity. They are often used to insulate industrial equipment. A typical insulating fire brick weighs about 2 lbs, compared with an 8 lb light duty fire brick.
          They are very light and very soft. You can dig your fingernail into one.
          My geodesic oven project: part 1, part 2

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          • #6
            Re: Spring has Sprung....

            Thanks all,
            The fire bricks I got had been used in an electric pottery kiln and the soft bricks had been used for insulation on that. I just wondered if it was a good idea to use them under the hearth rather than waste them.
            It is pouring with rain today so the digging out is on hold. I was soon found some indoor jobs and I am having a quick tea break. Yes thats right, the wife has gone shopping. Better get started again before she gets back. I hope to figure out the photo thing tonight and post some pics soon. thank for now.

            Rafv.
            sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Spring has Sprung....

              I'd defer to dmun's comments. Sounds fine if they were used as insulation in their prior life.
              GJBingham
              -----------------------------------
              Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make mistakes when nobody is looking.

              -

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Spring has Sprung....

                Insulating bricks, the light one with lots of little air holes, would make a good insulating layer under the hearth. I wouldn't go shopping for the specifically for that purpose, as there are modern insulators that are much better, but if you have them -- go for it.

                For fun, take the How do They Make Insulating Firebricks quiz:

                http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f6/h...icks-1077.html

                James
                Last edited by james; 04-23-2008, 10:56 AM.
                Pizza Ovens
                Outdoor Fireplaces

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                • #9
                  Re: Spring has Sprung....

                  Spring did not last very long and I spent most of the week dodging rain showers. Rain and digging out do not mix, mud up to my eyeballs (I added the eye bit just to be polite). Dispite the rain I got most of the digging done and hope to pour the concrete footings on Monday.
                  The pics are of an Ash tree in the garden that needed a bit of a prune, I did it a couple of weeks ago and it is now all cut, split and drying out.
                  3 Photos
                  sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Spring has Sprung....

                    April showers have been interupting the work but tomorrow is Mayday, I just hope someone tells the weather. I could not find a photo of my stacked wood the other night so I took another one today. I did not get the footings concreted untill last thing this afternoon. On the close up photo the white bits at the edge of the trenchs are 4 1/2 inch nails put in every 4ft with a spirt level and the ends painted white. It makes getting the concrete level very easy.
                    5 Photos
                    sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Spring has Sprung....

                      Good firewood! I wish I'd had mine in place before I started. Better order or cut twice as much for the near future. That looks like 25 oven firings worth, more or less. Using the oven once a week, that's about six months.

                      Nice rock wall on the side! I'd kill to have enough rock to do a nice wall like that. Hard to pay for rocks somehow. They're free if you just pick them up. The ones around here are either 200 LBS or 6 oz.
                      GJBingham
                      -----------------------------------
                      Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make mistakes when nobody is looking.

                      -

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Spring has Sprung....

                        Originally posted by gjbingham View Post
                        Nice rock wall on the side! I'd kill to have enough rock to do a nice wall like that. Hard to pay for rocks somehow. They're free if you just pick them up. The ones around here are either 200 LBS or 6 oz.
                        Too true! Lovely wall... I'm guessing you didn't just collect the stones for it though?

                        The stones for my stand were the single most expensive item for the whole oven. Kind of cramps your finances for the rest of the build... and if you live in the right place you'd just be able to pick them up!
                        "Building a Brick oven is the most fun anyone can have by themselves." (Terry Pratchett... slightly amended)

                        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/p...pics-2610.html
                        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/p...nues-2991.html

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                        • #13
                          Re: Spring has Sprung....

                          The stones for the drystone wall all came from out of the garden, the big ones in front of the pond came from the local quarry for not much more than the cost of delivery. I built the house about 14 years ago on a bare plot so with the exception of the big Ash tree everything you see I built or planted myself.
                          sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Spring has Sprung....

                            Originally posted by rafv View Post
                            The stones for the drystone wall all came from out of the garden, the big ones in front of the pond came from the local quarry for not much more than the cost of delivery.
                            GAAAAAHHH!!! I did NOT want to know that!!!
                            "Building a Brick oven is the most fun anyone can have by themselves." (Terry Pratchett... slightly amended)

                            http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/p...pics-2610.html
                            http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/p...nues-2991.html

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Spring has Sprung....

                              The week ended well, we have had two days without rain and I am out of the ground with my build. It is a "Bank Holiday Weekend" here in England and one of the big events in this neck of the woods is the Spalding Flower Parade. We have friends in Spalding and their house is on the route of the parade. They will be tapping a firkin of good Lincolnshire ale and I have to go over and help them drink it. It will be hard to leave the build for a couple of days but I am always ready to help a mate out. They have booked the first pizza out of the oven, I will have to get a couple of firkins for that night. I will take and post some pics next week if I can find a place to rest my tankard. I am off to work up a thirst now, Bye.
                              sigpicNever put off untill tomorrow what you can do today. If you enjoy it today, you can do it again tomorrow.

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