finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

[czaunb2]

I just finished my dome and left a vent area, and am needing advise on moving forward. I really like the look of the brick front (including arch and going up the chimney) with the stucco back; but I am concerned that the arch might not be able to support the extra weight of the bricks. Since I already have the arch in place (haven't used any angle iron, is this ok?)

I am new to this, but going to try to attach a pic of where I am at currently as well as a pic of what I am going for (courtesy of Forno Bravo pics)

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

You will need to buttress the sides more to keep the arch from splaying, but other than that it should be no problem.

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

Thanks! Do you think I can just insert a 6" single wall stove pipe above the vent area and brick around it (leaving a couple of inches of air in between the pipe and bricks), or do you think that I will be much better off going the refractory clay flue or dura vent route? Now that I am thinking about it, do I even need an insert at all, or will the clay bricks be enough to handle the heat?

Thanks for the advise!

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

It depends. if you do the chimney with modular or common bricks 20x20 OD, it will give you a 12x12 ID. If you do it 16x16 OD it will give you 8x8 ID. What that means is you will have to use metal in the 16x16 OD and can use terra cotta flue in the 20x20 OD. It gets pretty warm in the stack so I would worry about cracking with just the brick.

[Derkp]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

Tom,

In my chimney do I need to leave a air gap in between the terracota flue and the outside finished brick?

Is the honey all gone yet? I am working on this years crop, hope it will be a big one.

Derk

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

You should leave a gap on at least 2 sides so it can expand and contract. The honey butter is almost gone and I shared the bounty with a friend (he got the smaller bottle).

[Neil2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

"In my chimney do I need to leave a air gap in between the terracota flue and the outside finished brick?"

You can fill this gap with loose perlite and "seal" the top of the gap with refractory mortar. You can also do this if using the stove pipe.

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

So, if I am planning on the 8x8ID with brick and using a 6" single wall stove pipe, it would be a good idea to add the loose perlite afterward. I had that thought, but was worried that the really thin metal would get too hot and potentially burn the perlite. If you don't think that it is a problem, I will likely do that to protect the bricks and mortar a little better.

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

Perlite won't burn at the temps we are dealing with.

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

Thanks! By the way, Tscarborough, if you are the same guy from the "Contractor's Talk" website, that is were I found the idea for the "modified rumford" throat for the fireplace I am building beside the oven. I am planning on doing a plywood cutout and just making an inclined throat (vs. the typical curved one.) He says that he just split firebricks, laid them in and then poured mortar on top. I am planning to do just that with a grid of rebar and concrete on top of it. If you have any cautionary tales or suggestions, I am all ears.

Thanks a million!

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

I am the same person. Personally I don't like that idea, but that is not say it won't work just fine.

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

Are you saying that because it is lacking the curve? Should I try something similar to what Dmun did with cutting the bricks at around a 97 degree angle to give me a curve?

I thought about getting the one from Buckly Rumford, but after calling and getting a quote of $1,500 for just the throat and smoke chamber, I decided to take it on myself. I was hoping to spend less than $1,500 for the entire project--not just two pieces.

So far, so good on the budget, but this is MUCH more work than I initally thought. . .now I realize why they charge so much.

Anyhow--all recommendations are greatly appreciated!!

[Tscarborough]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

That curve is pretty important for a shallow fireplace. Yours looks to be a modified Rumsford, so it will probably be OK flat, but if you are making wood falsework anyway how hmuch harder would it be to make it curved?

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

that's a great question! This project was the first time I have ever laid a brick--just really into DIY projects and saving money. I have no idea how easy it would be to make a curve.

Do you think I could get some really thin wood and bend it into a curve and do something similar? I thought about that, but figured that it would be really risky since I was afraid that it would collapse before drying with such thin wood. Maybe I could just make more 2x4 supports all along the curve?

Or maybe cast it laying on the ground where gravity wouldn't be so much of an issue and just set it in place after it dries? Too heavy? These are all questions that I have thought up, but don't have any answers because I have rarely worked with either brick or concrete.

Thanks again for sharing!!

[czaunb2]

Re: finished the dome, need help with finishing chimney

By the way--it is 42" wide and 34" talll and 16" deep at the base.