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  • Brick arch help please?

    Im trying to figure out the brick arch I want to build around the entrance to my oven. I bought some new red brick and my wife didnt like it so Ive to get some reclaimed bricks. Thats not a problem. I have and angle grinder with a diamond blade and I might be able to borrow a consaw.
    1. Do most people build arches without cutting brick or is it essential to cut bricks to build a 'nice' arch?
    2. If I want to build an arch with the minimum of cutting is it simply a matter of choosing a larger radius to achieve a gentel curve or is cutting essential to building a 'beautiful' arch?

    Thanks

    R

  • #2
    Re: Brick arch help please?

    The smaller the arch, the better it looks to cut wedges, as a rule. However, I didn't on my little arch, and even though I have big wedges of mortar, I like the look.

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    • #3
      Re: Brick arch help please?

      Originally posted by Tscarborough View Post
      The smaller the arch, the better it looks to cut wedges, as a rule. However, I didn't on my little arch, and even though I have big wedges of mortar, I like the look.
      Ditto - the only cutting I did was to shape my keystone.
      Check out my pictures here:
      http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/les-build-4207.html

      If at first you don't succeed... Skydiving isn't for you.

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      • #4
        Re: Brick arch help please?

        Thanks guys!
        Having checked out your arches I going to build with the minimum of cuts, hopefully just the keystone. I'm confident that it can look great this way, like yours do.

        Rich
        Last edited by RichC; 07-27-2014, 02:53 PM.

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        • #5
          Re: Brick arch help please?

          I have a total of 5 arches in my oven! Just like the others who commented, only the keystone was cut for the Pizza oven arches. For my wood storage arches there was no cutting - I used spacers to hold the bricks in place so they were equidistant from each other. After the mortar was in place and had set for an hour or so - then I pulled the spacers out.

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          • #6
            Re: Brick arch help please?

            I didn't even use a keystone....I used straight bricks all across. I built a Styrofoam form that supported the bricks while the mortar set. Then removed the form.

            My mortar joints are tapered, rather than the bricks. see attached.

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            • #7
              Re: Brick arch help please?

              Arch complete and looks OK despite being slightly off square(dont think anyone will notice). Im happy with it anyway and thanks for the help guys. I only had to cut the keystone. Just has to be pointed now!

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              • #8
                Re: Brick arch help please?

                Hi

                we can build arches or we can build arches. It is all in the building as too what we want to achieve. I went for perfection. I.e minimal gaps in all bricks.

                what works works if we want something that just works ok if w want perfection then we get perfection.
                Cheers Colin

                My Build - Index to Major Build Stages

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                • #9
                  Re: Brick arch help please?

                  Originally posted by RichC View Post
                  Arch complete and looks OK despite being slightly off square(dont think anyone will notice
                  A semi circular arch cannot be "offsquare". How can a curved thing be off square? You must be hallucinatin'

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                  • #10
                    Re: Brick arch help please?

                    Originally posted by wotavidone View Post
                    A semi circular arch cannot be "offsquare". How can a curved thing be off square? You must be hallucinatin'
                    By off square, I mean the top keystone area doesn't rise plumb from the face of the base bricks. If I put a flat surface against the face of it the top few bricks wouldnt touch it.

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