S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

[dmun]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

is what I use when also adding 4 L sand for strength.

Adding sand to vermiculite concrete isn't recommended. It reduces it's insulation properties, and I don't see how it would make it any stronger.

[david s]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Vermiculite Insulating Concrete--The Schundler CompanyYes sand does decrease the insulation properties, just as cement does. It is all to do with the resulting density. The sand does contribute to increasing strength when combined with cement because the cement has something more solid to bind to. Look at the data on the following site. Also of note is the data showing exactly the same insulation value of fine and coarse vermiculite.

[avago]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Thanks David,
very intersting read.

I mixed and poured my vermiculite today.

I did a 1 cement 1 sand to 10 vermiculite and added 4l of water for every 10 l vermiculite. I did find that the consistancy was slightly dry. I was temtped to add more water, however I refrained in the knowledge that more water makes for a weaker bond.

I have covered it with a tarp as we have rain showers forecast for the rest of the week. So it looks like I will have to wait a further week before I begin to place my fire bricks on it.

[avago]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Spoke to the owner of Warwick bricks today.
They are the oldest brickworks in Australia.
He said they still make their bricks the old fashioned way and the bricks that his kilns are made out of are the bricks his grandfather made. I think he said he was 6th generation to be making bricks.
Anyway I asked about refactroy bricks and he said as all his bricks are made with clay and hard pressed and then wood kiln fired, that they would all withsatnd anything a pizza oven threw at them. His bricks are only 86 cents a go. As a side note as nothing has changed since they opened 160 years or so ago, the bricks still come in inches. Their standard brick size is 9 inches x 4.5 inches x 3 inches.

Even with the freight cost to Brisbane it still works out $300 cheaper to get them from him. The only thing that is nagging me is will they hold the heat as well as firebricks?

[BackyardPermaculture]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Sounds good. I used clay pavers for the hearth, and they hold plenty of heat. As long as the bricks in your dome don't start dropping bits into your pizzas, they should be fine

Cheers,
Mick

[david s]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

We only fire to about 500c max. It is not the temp fired to that is the problem, rather it is the rate of increase that is the damaging factor. As an industry standard the rate of increase is recommended not to exceed 100C/Hr. We push it up at about 300C/Hr and thick refractories like brick don't like it. You are expanding one face while the other hasn't had time to catch up in temp. If you want to be kind to your refractory materials then heat slowly, but who has time to do that. You might get cracks but the thing will still hold together. Fire on!

[avago]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

I just checked the density of both bricks.
Claypave firebricks weigh 3.4KG
Warwicks bricks weigh 3.8KG
I'm only geussing, but would that mean the warwick brick would hold more heat for longer?

[david s]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Denser the brick the more heat it can store, but maybe also harder to cut.

[avago]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Been busy, busy, busy. Got my bricks from warwick brick works. I have got as far as getting the arches done. Got them finished Monday lunch time just before the rain started. It has been raining non-stop since.

Today is a public holiday in Brisbane, but alas the rain is still here. All I can do is look at a tarp. over the oven. Still, all this rain will help my mortar cure nice and slow. Will have to sit and wait and pray before next Monday when I will lower the wooden supports and see if my arches are going to stay up.

My kids are driving me to distraction with their constant pleas for it to be finished. I'm sure they will get more enjoyment from the oven than myself, which pleases me. father's day in early September and it looks like I'll be getting a "surprise" gift of an oven peel and pizza chopper :-).

[BackyardPermaculture]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

It is pretty wet for August, isn't it? Make sure you get two pizza peels - you definitely need the square one to place pizzas and the small round one to turn/remove them.
Cheers,
Mick

[avago]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

Thanks for the tip on the peels. Request has already gone in to "her that decides how my day will be".

Stopped raining. Checked my mortar and it is already pretty solid. Laid it on Monday. Thinking of removing the supports to allow for any settlement that might want to occur between the arches, anyone any thoughts on this?
Is it too soon? I still intend to keep the arches covered.

[david s]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

"you definitely need the square one to place pizzas and the small round one to turn/remove them."
The peel I made has both a point, a flat on the front, yet is still big enough to hold a small (9") pizza but small enough to use as a turning peel too. We usually use a wooden placing peel and the stainless for removing though. The handle is short because my oven is small. The handle needs to be about as long as your oven diameter, so the total tool length = oven diam+ tool head length.

[bris-pizza-oven]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

i have a heap off bricks left over if you need some more also i got my rockwool blanket from bellis at coopers plains its rated to 650 and was the cheapest i could find (they supply to the mines)

if you need the number msg me

there on google as well

p.s i got my briscks and fireclay from claypave and a calcium board from bellis

cheers paul doing my render this weekend (if this wind pisses off for a bit)

[BackyardPermaculture]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

The peel I made has both a point, a flat on the front, yet is still big enough to hold a small (9") pizza

Nice peel, David!

[jarredv]

Re: S.E. Quensland Suppliers.

thanks i have been looking for the right insulation for a while now. just talked to them i can get it for $23.20 for a 4m x 600mm role. just not sure how to stick it to the dome and what is a good render mix to go over the insulation?