Starting my barrel vault

[brickie in oz]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

It looks to me like you have the front arch sitting on the hearth bricks, if this is so the thermal break wont really work as the heat will still get to the front arch via the hearth bricks.

For a heat break to be effective it must be totally isolated.

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Al the front arch is on its own platform . The whole front ( red bricks ) at this point is seperated from the hearth . The only portion that I am thinking will be touching will be when I start the chimney . I have not seen a way to isolate that part yet . So what do you think about the perlcrete or is there something better that is readily available ? Thanks.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Pearlcrete is too crumbly, there is ceramic and fibreglass rope that is available, keep it in place with high temp silastic.

I used insulating fire bricks in my flue for the heat break.

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Had a chance today to make a little more progress .

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

my first curing fire woo hoo !!!

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

here are a few more pics of the outside if anyone is interested.

[Gulf]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

here are a few more pics of the outside if anyone is interested.

Great looking oven, and congratulations on the curing fires! I am right there with you at that stage. Also, for every reply, there are at least a hundred others who are very interested in your progress .

Keep your pics and updates coming.

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Got all the holes filled in the structure so now it was time to insulate . I put in 60 cubic feet of perlite ( 10 bags ) and this gave me , at the minimum insulation point 8 1/2 inches and at the maximum point 11 inches . I think that will work !!

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Let it snow , I am ready . That was the big push for me to get everything done to the point that it was weatherproof . I can still work on it as time and weather permits ( as you can see it still needs a ton of work ) but I dont have to worry about things getting wet or snowed on now .The roof jack for the chimney is at the fabricators now and should be done tomorrow . Most of the remaining work will probably be done next spring after worry of freezing , but I can start learning how to cook on this contraption soon !!

[mrchipster]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Very nice and with that much insulation cooking in the winter will be easy. You will be able to cook for a week on one firing.

Great job.

Chip

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

well i have been doing curing fires over the last week . the one today got the back and side walls to 550 , the hearth to 400 and the dome to 750 . so is it time , after the oven cools down , to build a full on scary fire ? What temps should i be looking for? thanks.

[Les]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

so is it time , after the oven cools down , to build a full on scary fire ? What temps should i be looking for? thanks.

It sounds like you are good to go - try and melt brick Have you had the oven burn clean yet?

[jim81147]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

I had a spot about 1 foot in diameter at the center top of the dome burn clean , but that is it . Should i have gotten it hotter?

[Les]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

Jim, I didn't bother with curing. I am fortunate enough to live in an area that in mid-summer, it wouldn't change a thing (I had very little mortar to cure anyways).

If your oven started to clean, go for it next time. Taking your time curing is not a guaranty that you will not get cracks. I do not believe that any one that uses mortar doesn't have some crack(s)

[Tscarborough]

Re: Starting my barrel vault

The only cracks I have are the ones I pre-engineered in the back and front of the oven. I fired my vault the next morning after laying up and every I time worked on it after, since it was cold out.