Building supplies in NZ

[MarkJerling]

Mastermix in Foxton for Fire Cement. Collect from them as it's much cheaper in bags than getting the tubs couriered.

[MarkJerling]

Hi Mark,
Very helpful.
Where did you get your fire bricks from?
cheers

Hi Korbi

I repurposed old night store heater bricks. Most night store heaters have a very dense brick with a little lip at both ends as that allowed them to run the elements through. Each brick is 230mmx190mm with a thickness of 34mm but, 40mm at the lip. Some have another raised lip in the centre too. I found that if I cut the bricks in half with a diamond bladed tile cutter or grinder, that I could get two bricks from each night store heater brick and if I laid the 40mm thick side to the outside, the 34mm thick side to the inside, I'd get an almost perfect radius for a 42" (1067mm diameter) oven.

How I got the night store heaters is I asked all my friends and also posted in facebook marketplace and on neighbourly, asking if anyone had night store heaters they wanted removed. As expected, there were many lying around in the Wairarapa and I got most of them for free. Each smaller night store heater yields 8 bricks (16 halves) and the big ones usually 12 bricks. (24 halves)

Two large night store heaters were of a different design to the others and they had very large bricks - 395x266x45mm. I used those big ones for the floor. The regular size ones will work fine for the floor too, but the bigger bricks gave me less floor joins.

Good luck with your project!

Kind regards,
Mark

[MarkJerling]

Hi Mark,
Very helpful.
Where did you get your fire bricks from?
cheers

Hi Korbi

All my fire bricks are from night store heaters. People tend to throw out old night store heaters and I did several posts on Neighbourly and picked up night store heaters all over the district for free. I also got a few cheap ($10 etc) on Trademe and a few from friend's sheds.

Most night store heaters have 12 or 16 bricks. Each of these cut in two, so that gives 24 or 32 usable bricks per heater. A few of the heaters had really nice big bricks, 300x220mm, and I used those for the floor. The regular size brick is 230x190mm, and about 40mm thick and I used those for the dome, the door arch and the base of the chimney. I needed about 160 half bricks, 40 for the door arch and about 20 for the floor, so 140 bricks all up, so quite a few heaters! (About 10 heaters)

Check out my build photos for more information.

Regards,
Mark

[Korbi]

Hi Mark,
Very helpful.
Where did you get your fire bricks from?
cheers

[MarkJerling]

I hope it's OK that I resurrect this old thread. I have found some great companies to deal with on my oven building quest.
Thermal SolutioNZ for ceramic fire blankets.
Ausperl for vermiculite.
Mastermix for fire cement. Cheapest is to collect from their factory in Foxton, where you can get a 30kg bag for $40.
Authentic Oven for infrared thermometers and tools (if you're not making your own tools like me)

[Purplegoanna]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Just started building mine, got my hearth base from Brick & Cobble factory in Henderson, ( i got 80% of my firebricks from 2 houses that got demo'd, so i was first in line for the firebricks, however i needed 8 more and got them as seconds ($4 each) from Certec Industries in Te Atatu, refractory glue 25kg pail for $99 from Certec as well (if you want pizza oven info then ring certec they'll happily answer all the questions youve eva wanted to ask, one stop pizza oven building shop), building my oven dome out of chimney bricks from the 1920's house chimney,(cutting them with a brick chisel & hammer easy peasy)...you can get the ceramic blanket from Bot Pots in East Tamaki or Crow Refractory (he has pricelist and freights all over nz) in Wiri, Manukau (both places near identical in price). Also as tinfoil is another additional layer u can get thick grade tinfoil from Ullrich Alumnium in manukau, way thicker than what you get in the supermarket.
See my progress via fb My Pizza Oven | Facebook

[Mark Newton]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

In Taupo currently in the process of building a Pompeii oven just over 1 metre in dia. using fire bricks ( from placemakers) for the base & red chimney bricks for the dome, to expensive to use all fire bricks. The mortar I have used for the assembly is fire mortar, formulated & sold by Mastermix in Foxton (06 3635686). Havent completed dome yet but getting close.

[wemme]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

LIME source.

Placemakers has the lime and they also sell fire bricks. I got my lime from placemakers in riccarton across the road from bunnings.

[rob_jenny]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

I bought some of those insulating bricks that are advertised on TradeMe from the yard in Waitakarie, I intend using them as the base insulating layer instead of a board or vermiculite

[wemme]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Check with Tanz
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/h...html#post78834
He reconned he got some from formans.

[Andrew Beal]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Anyone know where to get some insulating board for the hearth? Formans only have kaowool board and its no good as turns to mush with a bit of moisture.

[wemme]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Thats not bad best I can find down here is $35+gst

Virmiculite & Perlite
100L $35 +Gst

Quantum Grow Ltd
14 Alloy St Sockburn Christchurch
03-343 0190
Just around the corner from Canterbury bricks.

[Andrew Beal]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

I bought some Vermiculite 100 litre bags $33 inc gst from Nuplex Building supplies Great South Rd Penrose Auckland.

[wemme]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Got some prices from Canterbury Clay Bricks.

Fire Bricks $4.95 + GST these are apparently made in house for their
kilns and are also used in their pizza oven kits and have heat holding properties.
can not verify the density though.

25kg fire clay $15 + GST
25kg Fire cement $25 + GST

Pre cast Oven $800 inc
also have Flue kits not sure if they are any good though.

[wemme]

Re: Building supplies in NZ

Hi Rob,

If your referring to the article in the shed magazine Feb/March 2008 then its $#!T.there are alot of short comings in its design, have a good read up here first. the shed oven has no insulation under the fire bricks and hardly anything around the dome and they never talk about spalling of common bricks in the dome. I have heard there is a newer article out in this months issue but that it has it's usual half baked, half detailed content.

I too recommend Formans Building systems. I have had good service in the past.

There were a few boxes of superwool 607 sold on trademe last week for $50
Superwool Insulation Below Cost (cost $160) for sale - TradeMe.co.nz - New Zealand

Also Shinagawa.co.nz has firebricks and castables. they have a Depot in Invercargill and Up in Huntly. Their castable is about $28+GST per 25kg bag and about $5.5 +GST per firebrick. there castables work out way cheaper than bricks to build an oven.
most people use around 10 -13 bags depending on there size and thickness.

Fire bricks in NZ are expensive as hell $5.5 + GST each is typical. has anyone found a good supply??? Keep in mind there are insulation and dense/storage bricks the later is what you want for a pizza oven.

Topcat roof and tiles in chch also sell Fireclay/bricks and afew other items but they arn't the cheapest either..

Canterbury Clay Bricks - - - Canterbury Clay Bricks, New Zealand - - -
also have firebricks but they are closed until the 11th.

There is also Certec up in auckland. Welcome to Certec
Unfortunately they are too far away from me to be of any use.

I recommend you download and read the pompeii design which is available free from the main fornobravo site. lots of use full information and also have a good read in the forums here.

also when looking for vermiculite or perlite have a look at proper horticulture wholesale suppliers. I found 100L bags for $35+ GST most places around here are asking around $70 including GST.
also make sure you get the coarse stuff.

Regards
Bart