Brick floor plan and cutting bricks

[guiriguiri]

I'm a little unsure what to do right now, I've got the insulating heart part of the oven built but am struggling with the layout of the brick floor. It seems like the preferred method is a 45 degree herringbone pattern. However, in order to do that, I would need to make several clean cuts either right behind the landing (if the landing is not in herringbone) or around the edges if it is. I'm building my dome on top of the oven floor so I don't have to worry about cuts around the rest.

My question: Is there any more affordable way to do this than buying a wet saw? I know renting is an option, but I don't feel totally confident in my ability to get everything right and not have to go back to it another day. Suggestions?

[JRPizza]

If you are building an enclosure around your oven and planning on putting the dome on top of the floor bricks, you could probably get away without doing any cuts on the floor bricks (or at least not too many) but you are going to need to cut bricks throughout your build. What is your plan for cutting bricks for your dome, arches, and vent? Some have built ovens using only hammer and chisel, or using an angle grinder with a masonry blade. What kind of oven and enclosure are you planning for?

[guiriguiri]

Stucco enclosure. My plan was essentially chisel (maybe scoring with an angle grinder first). The only nice looking cuts I see having to make would be around the landing? Or if I went with a herringbone pattern not offset by 45 degrees, I could probably not cut any.

Also, I was just on the phone with a tool rental place who was pretty adamant that I needed a concrete saw, not a wet saw if I were to go that route. Does that sound right?

[JRPizza]

Not really, I used a harbor freight wet brick saw for all my cuts. They may not have a wet saw that can cut as deep as you need (more of a tile saw). The harbor freight saws are on sale locally here for $214 this weekend and you can use a 20% off coupon. The relative low cost (vs renting) and resale value is why lots of builders just buy a saw. I put many hours on my saw and if I had rented it would have cost me at least twice what I paid for the saw. That said I used my grinder to shape some bricks late in my build and was impressed how easily (if not dusty) removing material is with a good grinder.
I know I asked you about an enclosure - I should have asked are you looking at an igloo or a dog-house enclosure? The dog-house can allow you to leave much more floor brick protruding from your dome.

[UtahBeehiver]

If you have an angle grinder, here is an option to cut a few bricks (would want to do too many) but might work for you are thinking. Since enclosing and the dome on top of floor, no need to worry about the bricks being proud (long).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGilLCqO0Pk

Make sure you wear a dust mask.

[david s]

If you have an angle grinder, here is an option to cut a few bricks (would want to do too many) but might work for you are thinking. With the dome on top, not need to worry about the bricks being proud (long).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGilLCqO0Pk

Make sure you wear a dust mask.

A small 4" angle grinder as shown in the video does not give you a very deep cut, a larger angle grinder is better. Also the brick dust is quite dangerous to inhale because it is tiny shards of fired brick which damage the cilia in your lungs, unlike the much finer particles of unfired clay which the lungs can deal with better. So like Russell advised, wear a mask, preferably a respirator mask rather than a paper dust mask. Also soaking the bricks well, before doing any cutting will reduce the dust created.

[guiriguiri]

Thanks for all the advice! I caved and bought the wet saw from Harbor Freight with the plan to resell at the end -- thanks for the sale tip, JR!

Anybody have an indispensable tool they'd be willing to sell me? Someone around here must have one that they're not using anymore and I'd rather skip constructing one myself if possible.

[sharptailhunter]

You can easily make your own IT with cheap parts from the hardware store. A simple strap hinge with a length of wood is even sufficient. Some people make some over the top ITs. I think the cheap ones work just fine. You'd probably pay more in buying and shipping a used IT than just making one to suit your needs.

Alex

[UtahBeehiver]

Agree that you can build an IT relatively cheap and the right diameter for your build. One thing that would be helpful is to make one that has some degree of adjustment. In a perfect world a set length IT works fine but building these beast with so many variables the ability to adjust the length a little (say an inch or so in and out) it worth the effort.

[david s]

I agree, making it from a length of plastic conduit cut to size, allows it to bend easily and it shortens when you bend it. The shorter it is the herder it is to bend, but you can adjust its flexibility by drilling holes in it.

[sharptailhunter]

My IT cost at most $8 to make. A $2 caster wheel from Harbor Freight. A $2 length of 5/16 all thread from Lowes. $4 turnbuckle also from Lowes. Drill hole in caster, insert longer piece of all thread rod into caster, weld on homemade L bracket to short piece of all thread, couple together with turnbuckle and you're good to go. Each chain I go up I turn the buckle a few turns to shorten the length of the rod to keep the dome in a nice hemisphere.

[crisp]

Congratulations with your wet saw.
For those of you who don't have a wet saw or an angle grinder cutting bricks was traditionally done with a hammer and bolster. I am a bricklayer in my 50's, cutting bricks on site was always done with a hammer and bolster for fine facade work. Think about it, all fine historic brickwork in the past was done without power tools. Using a SHARP 4 inch bolster you can achieve a fine arris without power tools, all fine brickwork was done in this way before power tools were available. With some skill it can also be arguably quicker, a wet saw takes a while to set up to for cutting three dimensional angles. Cutting the trapezoid angles on only the inside arris of the facade of the dome can be easily achieved with a template and a pencil line. This video shows how to use a hammer and bolster, the cut is normally in the joint and only the sharp arris is seen at the facade. using a Hammer and bolster for fine brickwork using a Hammer and bolster for fine brickwork https://youtu.be/mprb-f6NvhI

Chris

[George_M]

Thanks for all the advice! I caved and bought the wet saw from Harbor Freight with the plan to resell at the end -- thanks for the sale tip, JR!

Anybody have an indispensable tool they'd be willing to sell me? Someone around here must have one that they're not using anymore and I'd rather skip constructing one myself if possible.

Hi,
You can use string for guidance if you don't want to make IT tool.
You can see my thread photo.


https://community.fornobravo.com/fil...photoid=390278