Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

[Arator]

I'm brand new to this forum, but I have been looking around off and on for quite some time. My wife and I would like to build a brick oven for baking bread sometime in the near future.



This fire brick came out of a glass plant in Henryetta, Oklahoma. My wife's grandfather worked there right out of high school in 1933 and retired sometime in the mid 70's. Anyway, he got a quantity of these, and they have come down to us. The dimensions are
13 1/2 by 9 by 2 7/8 inches with a half-inch bevel on the front of one width. Can they be used in building a brick oven?

[oblertone]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

It's probably going to need cutting but as far as I'm concerned any fire brick could be used, I suppose it all depends if you've got enough of them

[stonecutter]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Sure you can use them, but they are most likely high duty brick. If so, the conductivity will be greater.

[Arator]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Sure you can use them, but they are most likely high duty brick. If so, the conductivity will be greater.

Is that good or bad? Please explain "high duty" and "greater conductivity".

[leetheldc]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Firebricks come in 3 grades low medium and high duty I think most people on here use the medium duty the low duty are to weak and the high would take to long to heat up and get to hot I.e greater conductivity hope this helps

[deejayoh]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

you can use them, they will just be a b*tch to cut. Heavy duty have higher alumina content and thus hold more heat/take longer to get to temp. Great for a bread oven IMO.

They are also much harder than the other types. But free is good. Just be prepared to go through a few saw blades.

[Arator]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Thanks all for the info. I think I saw somewhere on the forum a way to tell their density by a formula made up of dimensions and weight. Would that be helpful in determining their duty/conductivity? If so, does anybody have a link to that info perchance? Our plan was for a bread oven, though no clue as to design.

[deejayoh]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Thanks all for the info. I think I saw somewhere on the forum a way to tell their density by a formula made up of dimensions and weight. Would that be helpful in determining their duty/conductivity? If so, does anybody have a link to that info perchance? Our plan was for a bread oven, though no clue as to design.

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[stonecutter]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

Firebricks come in 3 grades low medium and high duty I think most people on here use the medium duty the low duty are to weak and the high would take to long to heat up and get to hot I.e greater conductivity hope this helps

I actually prefer low duty brick and more than capable of handling oven temps.

A couple things - The opposite is true about high duty brick...they are more conductive than med duty and med duty is more conductive than low duty. Conductivity is a materials ability to abosorb and transfer heat. Another kind of fire brick....insulating.

[v12spirit]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

I'm brand new to this forum, but I have been looking around off and on for quite some time.

Well. Am I the only one who doesn't see the picture?
It looks as if it has been deleted or something.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

My whole oven is made of super duty bricks (60% alumina) made for a steel mill, many tapered just like yours. These would make good floor bricks. As far as heating my oven, they don't really takes more time than what others are experiencing and fuel usage seems to be on par, IMHO. The major draw back of super duty is they really take their toll on diamond blades. Don't assume one blade will do it. I went through a good dozen, but they were cheap blades though. Here's a pic of how you could use them for a floor.

[Arator]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

In my original post I used the editors "insert image" button to display my brick. I'm still learning how to attach photos, so here's another stab at trying to view the sample brick I have.

Again, thanks for all the info. I am still miles away from beginning this project, so I am gathering all the information I can right now.

UtahBeehiver, I'm guessing I would want to lay the bricks smooth side up (Anchor side down)?

[cobblerdave]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

G'day
This would be one for you as the builder to choose.
I've my doubts that the lettering wound interfere with the operation of your oven, that is, it don't think it would catch you peel or any thing. It might collect a bit of ash but each side of the brick does anyway.
Could add to the charm of your oven and it would certainly be a talking point.
One thing I would do if you were to have lettering up...... get them all face the same direction, not sure how that would work with a herringbone pattern but you can set them out before hand.
Anyway I myself think they are cool and like the fact that they have a history.

Regards Dave

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Can this brick be used to make a brick oven?

I agree with Dave, lettering up or down won't make a difference.