Oven number two..

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven number two..

Firebrick split nicely. No one commercially wets brick here, either.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

They do too, I just had to try it.

[waynespizzaworld]

Re: Oven number two..

Thanks for this guys. I don't want to side track or high jack your post here, but you have me very curious now about the pre soaking of my light duty fire brick. I soaked my bricks last time and now I am not 100 percent sure if I should do this on my next build here. Any chance you can shed some more light on this subject for me? I have had advice earlier on this form to wet but not totally saturate the brick but this does seem to be an issue where there is differing opinions on it, or maybe its just my interperatation of what others are saying ............thanks wayne

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

My take on the soaking thing is that ppl dont want the bricks dusty?

Ive literally laid 100,000's of bricks, most of them being dusty to some degree and have never had a failure.

I cant think of any other reason to soak?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven number two..

If the temp were 100 degrees with a stiff wind, you might want to wet the brick, but short of that there is need or reason to ever soak (soak being immerse and leave for a period of time) brick.

The reason masonry specifications are written as they are is to allow for a wide latitude in how the mortar is mixed. Adjust the mortar, not the bricks.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Adjust the mortar, not the bricks.

Well said.
Even when its 36 Celsius here I never wet the bricks, myself, I do wet when its that hot..

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven number two..

Hey Brickie, I finally got some twigs and line pins to go along with your line blocks. I will mail your toys tomorrow if I get time.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Much appreciated.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

I did more work on the oven today as it was raining in Melbourne, work was interrupted when a couple of brickie mates dropped in for a cuppa and chat.

Here is the hopefully thermal break between the oven and outer skin.

I also added some more Thermal mass to the roof of the oven in the form of some castable I had left over from the last oven.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

This steel lintel will carry the chimney load and take the strain off the oven roof.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

The front arch, Ive always wanted to build a gauged arch but have never had the chance.
The arch bricks are squints.
All bricks are cut on both faces to get the desired look of a parallel joint rather than the normal modern wedged joint.

I made the same mistake I always make when making the arch profile, I make the bottom of the profile level and parallel, it should be the top the working face, hence the wall ties for wedges.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

is your flue inside the the oven?

Correct, Im going to put a damper in the flue like the old oven had, a bit of heat is lost this way but not a lot.

[waynespizzaworld]

Re: Oven number two..

Very nice look to the arch with the tapered cuts. I will be fashioning my oven entrance with the same look as yours. On my first oven I just keep on using the firebrick and the same mortar right up to the very front of oven as I was comfortable with the mortar and the bricks I was using. Seeing yours I like the contrast and would like to go with a building brick (if that is what its called, I realize its not a fire brick up front) but on my last oven the very front still gets a bit heated and smoked up. So my question to you is if I went with a brick that is not a fire brick should I stay with the same high heat mortar that I have been using for the rest of the build?
By the way, my buddies rock shear worked like a champ and made nice work of the brick and granite tests we did last night. Seeing your brick shear or what ever its called on your web site inspired us to use this rig for cutting all our dome bricks in half. Will be quicker and quieter............thanks again Wayne

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

So my question to you is if I went with a brick that is not a fire brick should I stay with the same high heat mortar that I have been using for the rest of the build?

My last oven was just plain building bricks and normal mortar on the front, it got hot because of no thermal beak but stood up ok.

A picture of my old oven which is now inside the new oven Russian doll style.


The new ovens front will be rock and brick with normal mortar with a thermal beak, there will be a thermal beak in the chimney just below the damper I intend to put in.
The damper will be made from thermal fire bricks so it should all work.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven number two..

Very nice entry arch!