My progress

[lwood]

As promissed here are some pics so far. includes base construction, slab construction mixing of perlite (50 micron), finished base with concrete slab and perlite insulating slab. We just finshed cutting the firebrick for the inside of the oven today but haven't downloaded the pics yet.

Again, these are filipino construction methods and all hollow blocks will be stuccoed. Will post more soon. This is very intimidating, you know. John

[Ken524]

Re: My progress

Looks good John! Keep us posted.

[lwood]

Re: My progress

What we did yesterday

[dmun]

Re: My progress

Did you insulate? It looks like the upright thin bricks that form the soldier course are sitting right on the support slab, and I can't see what's under the floor layer...

[Neil2]

Re: My progress

What size are the bricks ? They look like 2 1/2 x 4 x 9 ?

If so your shoulder bricks should be "edge on" so that your dome thickness is at least 4 inches.

[lwood]

Re: My progress

Yes, I have 4" of perlite/concrete where the firebrick are sitting. That lip is 2" of the perlite insulation. The firebrick are 1"x4"x7.5" and very inconsistent. I don't under quite understand what you mean by "on edge". Have been wondering how to get a 4" thick dome with these brick.

[splatgirl]

Re: My progress

by "edge on" he means that the thickness, in your case the 1" side, should be facing in toward the hearth bricks. You can use either full height bricks or cut them in half, but the point is that you want the thickness of the soldier course and dome walls to be equivalent to half a brick, or 3.25" assuming yours are 7.5" long. I suppose you could do three concentric circles of soldiers to get to that, too.

[splatgirl]

Re: My progress

p.s. maybe add another layer of hearth bricks, too? The hearth of an oven built with "standard" firebrick like most of us have used is 2.5" thick.

[lwood]

Re: My progress

Something like this....?

[splatgirl]

Re: My progress

yes, exactly

[dmun]

Re: My progress

The ancient romans built many ovens with bricks almost exactly like that:

You can see the whole photo set at:
Pompeii Oven: Brick Oven Arch

[Neil2]

Re: My progress

lwood

What is the inside diameter of your oven ? It looks pretty big.

Also, as splatgirl suggests, I recommend you go with at least two inches of hearth brick material, (and with all the voids filled with refractory mortar).

Are your bricks "fire bricks" or "refractory bricks"? These are made of a different material than normal building bricks (which are sometimes called, confusingly, "fired brick").

[lwood]

Re: My progress

Great thanks!!! The bricks are the only thing available here in provincial Philippines. They look like terra cotta tiles, close to the bricks in the ancient Roman oven. I guess I am following the ways of my ancestors. They say they are firebrick but who knows here. I need to pour 2" more perlite insulation anyway, so I think I will start over with the layout and add another layer of hearth brick. At least the brick is cheap, about 6 cents each. Hopefully it wont turn into a pile of dust on the first firing.

[splatgirl]

Re: My progress

I think it'll be gorgeous looking inside with all those thin chains of bricks! Between that and the size of the oven, you are in for a seriously time consuming build!

[Neil2]

Re: My progress

"Hopefully it wont turn into a pile of dust on the first firing."

They won't. Even if they are the "wrong" bricks they will still last quite a while.