1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

[Filthymutt]

My bricks are ordered and I'm nearing the starting line. Now, I've been looking at lots of photos of lots of builds and everyone is doing things differently.

I am seeing first coarse of Soldiers or Sailors that are being built around the outside of a cooking floor that has been cut to the shape of the oven. And I am seeing cooking floors that are left untrimmed with the first coarses being built atop them so as to make a higher dome. (I don't know if this is the intention).

Either way can someone tell me if there is some advantage to doing it in either style?

Thanks,
Bob

[brickie in oz]

Re: 1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

Either, either, your choice, same difference, all depends on how much you want to torture yourself over the cutting.
Oven on top = less cutting.

[Filthymutt]

Re: 1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

Masochistic tendencies...

[david s]

Re: 1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

If you build the oven over the floor you will not be able to easily remove or replace a floor brick that goes under the dome. The interior dome height will be the same if the centre is taken from the top surface of the centre of the floor.
Most people building the dome outside the floor leave a small gap to allow the floor bricks to expand freely, reducing outward thrust on the dome.

[Filthymutt]

Re: 1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

If you build the oven over the floor you will not be able to easily remove or replace a floor brick that goes under the dome. The interior dome height will be the same if the centre is taken from the top surface of the centre of the floor.
Most people building the dome outside the floor leave a small gap to allow the floor bricks to expand freely, reducing outward thrust on the dome.

Noted thanks. Is there that much expansion?

[pfennigthecat]

Re: 1st coarse; On top of or surrounding cooking floor?

I haven't actually permanently installed my soldier course yet (my next step) but honestly cutting the floor bricks to fit inside wasn't that hard. It doesn't have to be a perfect curve on each one.