daves build

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

A question regarding chimmney!
Reading through the forno plans it says that the flue should be 3 or 4 times the area of the opening height? does that just mean that if my opening is 30 odd cm that the flue ht should be 90 to 120 cm high? would appreciate any help with this.
cheers

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

couldnt resist had to go out and finish it, the arch that is! will leave it now and let it cure for a few days while I take a well needed break and up the beer count.
Have a good weekend!
Chhers
Dave

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

Todays update! Im not even sure if anyone is even reading this but what the hey I will post it anyway maybe someone will get something out of it down the track!
I managed to get a bit done today. I tapered bricks leading into chimmney like I saw on this forum, Im not sure if it makes the flow any better? has anyone done the same thing?
cheers
Dave

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

thanks raffy liking your build forum, its hardning up well now , I think I was just being inpatient!

[Raffy]

Re: daves build

I just spoke to brick place , and they assured me that being soft the next day is perfectly normal and more likely if its cold overnight which it was last night , so feeling much better.They also said it can go back to putty like if it rains and will totally harden after first burns.

Looks like it is one of those heatset mortars. You shouldnt have any problems with that unless water
seeps into the dome. Frances and dvonk have used the same type of mortar. It has expansion qualities that cement doesn't have and it doesn't set like cement.

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

getting a bit done its amazing how a few rows doesnt look like much but can take up hours of work!

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

I just spoke to brick place , and they assured me that being soft the next day is perfectly normal and more likely if its cold overnight which it was last night , so feeling much better.They also said it can go back to putty like if it rains and will totally harden after first burns.

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

The stuff I have got is refractory mortar bought from brick refractory so it should be the bee's knees! It is a bit harder than I originally thought I might ring the brick refractory, thanks for your replies
Cheers
Dave

[Les]

Re: daves build

OK - maybe it's an issue of humidity. My home brew was hard in less than 24 hours (it will get harder in time, but there was no way I could push my finger into it). I am in the desert with very little humidity. In regard to the purchased mortar. Ref Mix fired on me in minutes from a point of workability -heat stop was not far behind.

Les...

[Les]

Re: daves build

Hey les, love your build, awesome!
I might have to speak to you later on about how you tie the barby into that benchtop!

Not a prob - just send me a PM.

Les...

[kebwi]

Re: daves build

Well, like I said, I know nothing about the bag mixes and Les's comment suggests it should harden quickly, but if it had been homebrew, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it were soft only half a day later. I would often rag-wash my mortar (to clean my joints) up to 48 full hours after mortaring, even 72 hours, although I had to rub pretty hard at that point. The homebrew really takes a long time to become "rock-like".

But I just can't speculate in the case of premixes. Maybe someone else will chime in.

At any rate, you can certainly work on top of mortar that hasn't cured to a rock yet. My oven was often hardening several rings below where I was working.

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

Hey les, love your build, awesome!
I might have to speak to you later on about how you tie the barby into that benchtop!

[crwdtb]

Re: daves build

I used the bag stuff and just added water to a peanutbutter consistency!
I also put the fire bricks in water before laying so they didnt suck water out of mortar, that was last night and this morning you can still push your finger into it! can I lay anoter ring ontop of that? its hard but not like real mortar

[kebwi]

Re: daves build

Which refractory mortar? If you mean homebrew, it takes a very long time to thoroughly harden, like weeks (and it probably isn't truly finished until you cure the oven with fire). If you mean the premixed, like HeatStop, then I have no experience with it.

I was impressed over the course of my build how the old mortar slowly got harder and harder. But honestly, it took weeks.

The slower is cures, the stronger it'll be...I think.

[Les]

Re: daves build

No - it should dry rock hard and fairly fast. What did you use?