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  • When things are not as they seem!!!!

    Greeting all
    I need to let you all know about the frustration I am having trying to get the right brick here in NZ. So here we go.. to start with the cost of fire bricks here in NZ is way out of keel with the rest of the world.... $6.50 each with seconds at $4.50 each plus 15% GST..... so I decided to get some clay bricks.... bad choice... posted thee first dry course and had instant response telling me not to use them as they are crap.... so off to get the second batch... was sold as chimney bricks and when they arrived they were made of concrete and not clay.... so then onto clay pavers.... yep this is the next best thing in my budget.... so I purchased some clay pavers from monier, made in Australia, sold here in NZ though under the name Clay Paver... I decided on the Pompeii range seeing I was making a pompeii oven (and visited the ruins a few years ago) so with nostalgia on my side I wait another 5 days for them to arrive and yes I am ready for the first corse.... So I set up the diamond blade and start cutting.... mmmmm very tough clay paver..... now what do I find??? check the photo below...... yep my clay paver is over 90% concrete with a dash of clay around the side.... not happy with that one... so it is back to the drawing board and now I have a brick yard out the back that I need to try and sell (I am taking the latest ones back as they were sold as clay pavers not concrete).
    Here's to a change of luck with the whole brick department....
    a frustrated Kriso
    Life is like a box of chocolates.... you just don't know what you are gonna get.

  • #2
    Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

    Hi Kriso

    so I purchased some clay pavers from monier, made in Australia, sold here in NZ though under the name Clay Paver...
    Sorry mate, but BAD CHOICE!
    I built my house and chose Monier Elabana tiles for the roof. Looked great and when I needed to access the roof, I found many broken tiles simply glued up rather than being replaced by Monier! Never, never again will I or any one I can convince will ever have anything to do with this company.
    You are really having a bad run but may I suggest that you go to other suppliers and smash one of their bricks (that they may claim suitable for your purpose) just to check the insides and if they are suitable for a Pompeii.
    I have a pile of 4" solid clay pavers for my next few ovens, but they are not going to help you.
    Anyway, good hunting.

    Cheers.

    Neill
    Prevention is better than cure, - do it right the first time!

    The more I learn, the more I realise how little I know


    Neill’s Pompeiii #1
    http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/n...-1-a-2005.html
    Neill’s kitchen underway
    http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f35/...rway-4591.html

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    • #3
      Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

      I seriously doubt that they are concrete on the interior. That
      appearance is a by product of the kiln process and occurs in all brick to some extent or another.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

        Not that I'm an expert on bricks by any stretch, but the density of the bricks seems to be consistent, just a different color. I thought concrete pavers were/are more porous than that and should show up somewhat, even on a low res pic.
        My oven (for now):
        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f43/...ven-14269.html

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        • #5
          Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

          Tscarborough
          I will be checking what the company has to say about the interior of their paver, if it is all clay then would this change in colour be a problem?? I hope that in the moment I just jumped to the wrong conclusion.
          Kriso

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          • #6
            Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

            It would not make sense to make a concrete cored clay paver. Concrete shrinks over time and clay expands, and the concrete would never make it through the kiln in the first place.

            The heat of the kiln physically changes the material at the surface of the clay, including it's color.

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            • #7
              Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

              Also, a point to keep in mind, even when using dry pressed fire brick is that the cut edge is NOT the one you want exposed to either fire or weather. The inner part will not be fully vitrified.

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              • #8
                Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

                As you can see I am very green to the whole pizza oven and materials etc process so if you don't mind I have 2 questions,
                1. as this is a result of the kiln process will this clay paver be ok to use?
                2. if it is ok to use would you recommend that the cut side faces the fire or the non cut face?
                Cheers
                Kriso

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

                  Tscarborough
                  I think that you just answered my question on which side of the brick to use. What is the diff between dry pressed and extruded?

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                  • #10
                    Re: When things are not as they seem!!!!

                    Dry pressed the clay material put into a mold, then compressed. Extruded is exactly that: The clay material is extruded in the shape of the brick and chopped into brick size in various ways. Normally, solid bricks are not extruded, but they can be. Size tolerance on extruded brick is no where near as tight as it is on dry pressed brick, which is one reason firebrick ARE dry pressed.

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