Rustic Primitive Materials

[cobblerdave]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Gudday Annie
The "home brew " mix has
Sand... The aggregate, the matrix ,all the other parts fill the spaces inbetween the grains
Portland cement ....the "glue " that sets first and holds the show together till the temps of your oven destroys it
Hydrated lime.....the higher temp "glue" that takes over from the Portland getting stronger in the heat
The clay..... Makes the mortar stick better to the brick, let's you squish the brick down if its to high. Slid the brick a bit when not perfect without it the mortar will come away from the brick. It's the part that allows " masonry inpaired" folk like myself to build a 1/2 reasonable oven.
By the way wash that beach sand to remove the salt it weakens mortar and concrete

Regards Dave

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Way to go girl. Just like the old time masons.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Mortar 2 pcs of brick together and throw that into the fire.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

IMHO, the home brew is that the WFOs use is tried and tested. I believe you do not have to do a "test" if you use the common 3:1:1:1 ratio that was talked about earlier in you thread. What you will find as a variable is how much water you will need to make the homebrew the right consistency (like peanut butter). Soaking the bricks in water before you slathter on the mortar is a good suggestion. Good luck, will be watching your progress.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Tscar is the expert on lime. I defer to him, there has been lengthy discussions on S and N limes. Not in my pay grade.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Type S mortar may or may not have lime in it, use Type S lime if possible.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Way to go. What clay are you using. Is this why there was talk about a test fire? Fire clay (HC Muddox's mason fire clay) is rather inexpensive I think I paid $10 a bag and used 1.5 bags on my build. Should be able to find at any mason/brick supplier. Good luck.

[Laurentius]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Those are reasons to keep an eye on you. By the end of this project you're going to be full of helpful information for the newbies. Hang in there and keep on keeping on. Got your back.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Annie,

Go to the HCMuddox web site and it show the distributors, not sure where in the Pacific Northwest you are located but Muddox has distributors in both Washington and Oregon. Hope this helps. At least you have a know qualtity of clay by using this product. I have a ceramic/pottery background and some clays have a really low fluidity temperature, ie earthenware versa stoneware vs porcelain. Just a thought.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

If it is indeed volcanic bentonite (which I would almost bet on), it is high in kaolin which should work fine, IF you can get it dry enough and IF you can get it ground fine enough.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Annie
Did you look on muddox website? They have distributors in BC too.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

PM me your mailing and I will send you 10#, that should be enough.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Very nice gesture Tscar..............

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

De nada, the shipping is more than the clay, and that isn't much (but don't promise anything to Australia).

edit-to fix my poor Spanish grammar.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

(but don't promise anything to Australia).

Actually, the shipping to here from the US is half of what I have pay from the UK.
I would have thought the same box weight would have been the same for the same Kms traveled, but its not so.