Oven number two..

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Much appreciated.

[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..

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..

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..

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?

[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..

They do too, I just had to try it.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven number two..

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

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

I also am interested in the insulating firebrick treatment. Are these bricks given the same treatment as far as adding a bit of moisture to them at layup and I am also wondering if they are about the same in cost as a light duty firebrick.

The cost of the insulators compared to normal fire bricks was the same price.
I didnt wet any of the fire bricks except those that come off the wet saw, they laid the same wet or dry.

Thankfully the practice of wetting bricks (any bricks) before you lay them stopped back in the 70's here in Oz.

Also one more question for you ....sorry about this..........I say your brick splitter on your web site. Would that work ok on Firebricks? I am thinking about all the bricks that I will be cutting in half for the dome construction for a pompeii and the rough edges will be outbound and not seen anyways. Not sure how a firebrick reacts to a split rather that a wet cut?

No need to be sorry, if you dont ask you wont find out.

I havent cut fire bricks with the splitter, but Im sure it would work just fine, it cuts solid bricks better than some wire cuts so with fire bricks being solid it should be ok.

[waynespizzaworld]

Re: Oven number two..

Nice looking oven there. I also am interested in the insulating firebrick treatment. Are these bricks given the same treatment as far as adding a bit of moisture to them at layup and I am also wondering if they are about the same in cost as a light duty firebrick. Looks like a nice way to keep the heat in the oven from spreading out into the landing area. I am guessing its not worth treating the floor at the vent with the same treatment. At the stage I am at I may follow your lead on this one after hearing how this works for you.
Also one more question for you ....sorry about this..........I say your brick splitter on your web site. Would that work ok on Firebricks? I am thinking about all the bricks that I will be cutting in half for the dome construction for a pompeii and the rough edges will be outbound and not seen anyways. Not sure how a firebrick reacts to a split rather that a wet cut?

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Good-looking build, Brickie. I'm most interested in seeing how you incorporate the insulating firebrick into your entryway...

Me too, Im making some of this up as I go along...

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven number two..

Good-looking build, Brickie. I'm most interested in seeing how you incorporate the insulating firebrick into your entryway...

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

And the drive to Johhny The Oven mans shop to buy more fire bricks that I should have bought when I was there last week..

The oven itself is done, I now have to do the enclosure and the chimney.
We have a long weekend coming up so hopefully.....fingers crossed. it might get finished enough to use.

I laid the oven roof bricks flat to get more coverage and am going to use up a load of castable refractory concrete I have to bulk it up for mass.

As you can see the roof is bonded like it should be, even the 20mm pieces down the centre.
If I had of flattened down the profile I could have eliminated the 20mm piece but I needed the height to get to the Golden Ratio of 63%.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Some pics of todays progress.
The hardest thing was driving down Plenty Rd to Bunnings to get the MDF for the form.
They have built houses for 100,000 people out here in the last few years but the road is still little more than a Billy goat track.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Oven number two..

Ill put you on the A list John..