help on cutting bricks

[jersey]

this may be a dumb question but how do you cut the bricks for the floor in a curve. is this done with repetative cuts and then grinding the curve???? help please and thanks

[Les]

Re: help on cutting bricks

. is this done with repetative cuts and then grinding the curve???? help please and thanks

Yes. You can slightly spin the brick as you feed. The brick is pretty soft so you can get a decent curve.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

Yes you can use repetitive cuts that's what I did. You talked about grinding the curve well I don't know about that. If you think about it for a moment the inside and outside of the oven is round in shape yet this round shape is made from a bunch of straight lines. So even if you grind to a perfect circle the square brick that are use will have something sticking out somewhere.

Are you building your floor so that the floor is inside the first run of bricks or will your first run set on top of your floor?

[jersey]

Re: help on cutting bricks

thanks for replys. i was planning on building the floor inside any thoughts on if this is better, harder, or should i put the first course on top of the floor

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

I put mine on the inside. If I ever have a problem with a brick I can take it out and fix it. But you can do that with both ways just if you have the bricks sitting on top of the floor the edge pieces would be more difficult to fix. Your call on that one.

This is my floor but keep in mind I built this as a bread oven so I have lots of extra thermal mass.

[jersey]

Re: help on cutting bricks

wow your floor looks great. so you have know mortar between the floor and the first course (at the bottom inside) and this just gets filled in with ash.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

Correct. First I put down the floor with the fire clay and sand mixture. Then my first run is
standing up. So my first run is a full brick standing on end. But that is just the way I decided to go. There are many variations to this so you will need to work out what is best for you.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

A number of builders will place their first course directly on their firebrick floor. The reason for this is that 100% of the dome weight will rest on that initial course perimeter and by placing it on the floor you spread the weight over a larger area. It is also an uncommon occurrance to have to replace a floor brick. If you build your oven this way, the exactness of your floor curve can be more relaxed.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

True what you don't see on my oven is that I also have a flat layer of brick under my oven floor so that is what my dome and floor is sitting on. It gives me about 7 inches of brick in the floor.

[Pisani]

Re: help on cutting bricks

FIV,
By Using 7" of bricks for the floor do you find it takes longer to heat up the oven?


pisani

[jersey]

Re: help on cutting bricks

Well everyone thanks again for all the help. iam still alittle confused, i like the idea of putting the bricks on top of the floor if that helps spread the weight. but does this mean i cant put them right on the fb board? and when you put the first course of bricks on top of the floor you dont put mortar between the floor and them is this correct thanks again for all the help.

[dmun]

Re: help on cutting bricks

iam still a little confused, i like the idea of putting the bricks on top of the floor if that helps spread the weight. but does this mean i cant put them right on the fb board?

Both ways work. Use which ever method you like best.

when you put the first course of bricks on top of the floor you dont put mortar between the floor and them

Correct. You will get a little mortar there from mortaring between them, but you don't need to put a layer of mortar down under your first course.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: help on cutting bricks

@Pisani

Yes that does increase the heating times. I also have 7 inches in the dome.

I tend to start with a slow and easy fire then build it up over time. I plan on 4 to 5 hours to heat the oven. My big thing is bread so multiple full loads is not uncommon.

I am thinking it would be nice to build a quick heating pizza oven.

[Les]

Re: help on cutting bricks

but does this mean i cant put them right on the fb board?

The board will support the weight which ever avenue you take. I posted a pic sometime ago where I drove my truck onto the product. Have no worries.

[fxpose]

Re: help on cutting bricks

As far as grinding it's easiest done using an angle grinder with the appropriate disc. It's a very versatile tool to have. You'll use it throughout your oven build.