Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

[ronwass]

My horrible transitioning

Well, I showed my progress to the wife, and she said, "as long as it cooks pizza it's fine."

I tend to agree with her, although this all gets curiouser as I go along.

[ronwass]

rebuilt arch and transition.

This is the second arch I built. It's not attractive but it will hold the next course. (I'm pretty sure.)

The first one was totally nonfunctional. The course against it refused to stay up.

From here the dome will just be a matter of finishing the circles.

[ronwass]

nightime photos of successful transition

Successful, in the sense that it is holding the ensuing course. Not successful in the sense that it is in any way looking like a well crafted oven. Oh well, I am beginning to be able to taste the pizza coming. Wife is already planning on cooking Thanksgiving turkey in here.

BTW: Thanksgiving this year falls on the first day of Hannukah, so we are calling it Thannukah. Probably a once in a lifetime event. Instead of mashed potatoes with the turkey, we will have latkes.

I'm thinking that it will soon be time to think about ordering the insulation blanket, and looking into Chimneys.

Wife is set on something clay from Superior clay corporation. Anyone use anything successfully from them?

But first I have to get back to my Craigslist brick supplier because I may run out of tapered bricks. He wrote that he had sold some since I last visited him a couple of months ago, but you may recall that I said that he had thousands in his basement.

In an emergency I can go to the local stone yard. They have the I believe 8 inch firebricks. I can cut them into perhaps thirds for the few last courses.

I'm also going to need a fourth blade from Harbor Freight before I finish. These bricks are really dense.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

RW,

On the home stretch, cleared the arch. I recall your bricks looked like high duty so your lucky with only 4 blades. I went through a baker's dozen on my build with high duty bricks. I see fire soon.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Looking good! I think it will cook pizza just fine.

[ronwass]

Human interest.

I don't remember if I mentioned that my house is right near a pond. During the summer, I am rarely out of my bathing suit, including when I am building ovens, etc.

Here is a picture of my brick mason's getup.

You have to be very careful of falling bricks with this system.

Also note my saw position in the yard, and the spray of wet firebrick dust on the neighbor's bushes.

Also, note that the neighbors are two very nice Irish ladies.

Finally, the build as it stands as of yesterday. Just about 5 courses to go. Then on to the chimney. Today was pouring rain so no work.

[ronwass]

two other local pond projects I am working on

I got this vintage ice cream cart on craigslist for about $150.00. (New ones are in the thousands.)

I put on the insulation under the door and got a small hunk of dry ice from a place near me. I was going to put out some ice cream bars for the neighborhood kids at the beach on the pond, but everything melted. I am going to need about 4 times the amount of ice when I try it again.

Also, I rescued this turtle that had gotten wedged into some rocks. He was hissing at me as I was rescuing him. Then he stared me down. I left him alone and he was gone 1/2 hour later.

Nasty creatures those snappers. There is another one in the pond that is twice this size of this guy. That other one's shell must be about 15 inches in diameter. This guy was about 8 or 9 inches.

[ronwass]

Last course done before final dome keystone

Wow. I've almost made it. Hopefully the keystone goes in tomorrow. My plan is to trace the circle on a piece of paper and pencil and then transfer it to the top of two bricks, (each brick half the keystone) and then cut the cut with an inward taper.

This last course was tricky. Some of the bricks were so thin I'm wondering how they will stay up when I remove the plywood. I glopped in extra mortar, and made the mortar slightly thinner so it would get all in between these skinny slices.

Keep forgetting to order my blanket. Is FB open on Saturday so I can call tomorrow?

Also, need information on chimney height. Any recommendations? I'm thinking 18 inches.

PS: You guys like my 12 inch Craigslist bricks that are drystacked in the front? I bet these are the longest ones around here. It will be fun thinking how to utilize them in the vent sides.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Almost there! Have you looked for a local source for cf blanket?

[cobblerdave]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Gudday
That ovens going to work real fine. And my experience is the bigger the amount of gape between the brick the less chance of cracks of any note developing. Congrats on the final keystone hole from the pics it looks like a single brick to span it . If you cut from a pattern cut inside the drawn lines and then some to allow for the mortar. This way it will sit just fine, you can't hit it with a hammer so you want it sit down in the hole to the correct height.
Regards dave

[ronwass]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Interesting from the pics you can so clearly see how my mortaring improved as the courses rose. Thanks all for the words of encouragement.

Ron

[ronwass]

I'm going to have to do this arch over again.

As you can see, I guess when I pushed the keystone in it started to push out one of the bricks in the left side column. I think my mistake was that I didn't let the mortar in the columns cure enough before I put up the arch.

I'll have to do the whole thing again later this week.

Do you think I should add another column of bricks on the far left and right so support the main columns? Those stacks would sit directly on the concrete base and not on the front of the oven floor, so that would be good. I assume I can also use regular clay bricks there too. (I'm almost out of fire bricks.)

Any other comments before I rebuild this part? Is my chimney opening large enough? I calculated its size at approximately 15% of the size of the front opening.

[mrchipster]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Fire brick is not required for buttressing and it would be a good idea, try to stagger the joints and if you are building a house set them lengthways against the vertical part of the arch.

[Greenman]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

I had a similar issue and pulled that part down and rebuilt it with a decent buttress. Between one thing and another that arch holds a bit of weight and outwards is where it wants to go. I figured that it was better to backtrack a little than have a failure in the future.

With the flue opening I will leave that for the better qualified but I would have maximised the size of mine if doing it again.

Clay bricks should be fine for the buttress.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Rockland County, NY 36" build with pictures.

Gudday
It's bad that that brick moved, but you can make good from bad. You'll now be able to bond the buttressing into the front entrance it will look less like an after thought that way. And if you like, use some more interesting brick in the construction perhaps , firebrick can look a little bland.
Really, your now over the scary bits of the build and at the presentation stage with the bricklaying skill a lot more developed. That has to be a good thing.
Regards dave