Counting bricks

[Marcel]

#23

(M) I'm not sure where to post this request but since I haven't started the actual dome yet, I figure that I'm still a "Newbie".

(M) I believe that all of you who built 42" ovens may not have counted how many bricks actually went into the dome construction. I built the cooking floor using around 68 bricks. Now I need to start on the dome proper.

(M) If you have the count for just the 42" dome I'd be grateful to receive it.

Thanks and

Ciao,

Marcel

(M) P.S. On another post a new user wanted to find the Pompeii oven instructions. Here is where I went:

http://www.fornobravo.com/pompeii_ov..._overview.html

(M) But I need to offer a caveat! There are two photos which are in contradiction with the text. One shows the first course as "soldiers", i.e., the brick standing on it's 2.5" x 4.5" side and standing 9.5" inches tall. I have it on good authority that that is not what the instructions were meant to convey. It is a photo that slipped in during the construction of the first prototype. It was supposed to have been excised and may even be so removed now. If you see it, ignore it. Go with the other picture which shows 1/2 height bricks. The important point seems to be that you have a smooth side on the inside of your dome and that the brick walls are 4.5" deep. I'm sticking my neck out with this explanation as I haven't made my dome yet. I hope my wording is clear and correct. If in doubt, ASK !!

Ciao,

Marcel

[svtlightning]

Marcel

My dome is 42" diameter and 21" tall. Total used for floor and dome was 205.
I didn't count the bricks for the floor but I'm sure it's close to yours.
Your count will also depend on the opening and throat design.

Fire clay motar made with portland, sand and fire clay. One 60lb bag Fire clay
was used.

Make sure you wet the bricks before buttering them up. I didn't use spacers or shims to create the dome. I just layed the mortar at an angle to follow the template and tap bricks in place with trowel handle. I will go fast once you get going. It's really not that hard.

Divertirsi

Mike

[Marcel]

"Total used for floor and dome was 205."

#24

(M) "svtlightning" (Mike) wrote:

"Total used for floor and dome was 205."

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(M) Thanks for your reply, Mike. I will assume that when you wrote 205 bricks you meant 205 full 9.5" bricks. If I understood correctly then please don't feel obliged to reply.

(M) So, if I used 68 full 9.5" bricks for the floor, I should expect to use an additional 137 full 9.5" bricks to bring me to your grand total of 205 of 9.5" bricks. Sorry to be so obsessively pedantic but I suspect that other Newbie builders will be using these figures to calculate their brick purchases.

(M) "Plan your work; work your plan. Fail to plan; plan to fail!"

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(M) I will soon be posting additional images on the Photo forum with the title:

"As simple as possible?" which will postulate another approach for laying the first few courses of the dome.

Thanks, and

Ciao,
Marcel

[svtlightning]

Yep 205 full bricks.
I cut them in half for lower courses, thirds in the middle and quarters at the top.
Had to make several trips to the brick yard. My truck wouldn't carry them all at once and the yard wouldn't deliver that small quantity.

You'll do fine in your project. Errors are not fatal and can be fixed.
I'm sure the anceints had many a building mistake, and they only lasted 500 years

Mike