Shims

[Dr.Lee]

The directions for a build your own state: The subsequent chains are made up of brick cut in half and set on their wide edge (4 1/2) with the clean edge facing in. The angle of the inward curve is set using a standard wooden shim."
I have seen all kinds of wood shims. What are the dimensions of a standard wooden shim? Thanks!

[JRPizza]

If you build yourself an indispensable tool and have the right consistency of mortar you don't need shims. Just butter up the bricks and press in place. The IT controls both the distance from center and the angle.

[Dr.Lee]

I think I have had a revelation if I understand your comment. Up to now and without having yet built an IT I may have been thinking about its utility incorrectly. Up to now, I was thinking that its function was distance and evenness of the bricks. So now, if I understand as the IT tool angles up, the bottom of the tool conforms to the angle line of the top of the subsequent brick course. Is this correct? If so, then this is the best birthday gift I could have - which is only an hour and 15 minutes from now. It would make me understand so much more.

[JRPizza]

Pretty much - see the attached pics for how the both the angle and distance are set. And Happy Birthday from a fellow Leo!

[Dr.Lee]

Thanks for the good wishes. I have seen a couple of photos of different IT's. Do you have a diagram or plans for this one? Also, if I understand, the length of the IT remains constant through a single build. So why is the length adjustable unless you are building more than one oven?

[JRPizza]

The length does not have to be adjustable, but it can come in handy and was inherent in my design. When I was laying out and cutting my floor bricks, I put a carpenter's pencil in a holder I copied (I think from @)UtahBeehiver), set it to mark the outside of my dome (my bricks are on top of the floor) and drew my circle. Then I switched back to the L bracket and adjusted the length to place my dome bricks for a 39" oven ID. An adjustable IT is also good if you need to compensate for not having the pivot point and axis of rotation of the IT very close to the center of the oven and at the level of the top of the floor. I don't have plans for mine, but you can see pics of it and some discussion on my build thread.

[Dr.Lee]

On 9/1/2015 you posted a photo of your build progress that seemed showed the ceramic fiber board. I think you used 2" but it appears that you did two layers, is this correct? I ask because the Forno plans refer to 2" only. Also I found 2" FB online in what is approximately 19X39 dimension. It costs a little over $120. So I guess I would need 2 sheets unless you did double and then I need 4 pieces. Do these dimensions and prices seem right to you?

[UtahBeehiver]

Two inches of CaSI board is the minimum floor insulation. If you are wanting to do multiple day coking then you need to consider more that 2". CaSi board should be available locally in the PA area look for refractory suppliers, trade names could be Thermo Gold 12, Isoblok 19, ect, should have min 75 psi compressive strength, and a K value of around 0.55 Btu-in/(rh ft2F). FB is a good product, FYI, it is a AlSi material. In your design, these high tech insulation are very water absorbent and you need to factor in how to protect it from water igress. Wet insulation is one of the most common performance problems with ovens.

[Dr.Lee]

Thanks for this information.