Should I grind these down?

[Audionatic]

I'm at the point where my barrel vault and inner arch are complete. I'm starting some curing fires while I lay out and start my entry. When I built the inner arch, the bricks at the top of the arch were mudded generously to try and eliminate voids. When it all set up, that produced ridges of homebrew that are approx. 1" thick by 4" and taper sortof between the bricks. My question is this: Must I grind those home-brew ridges out? Since they are where the hottest gases will leave the oven at the top of the arch, they will disturb the flow of the smoke out into the entry and up the chimney, but might they spall off and land in the food? Could they encourage cracks at the top of the entry arch? I know this is one of those times when a photo would help, bit I'm hoping you get the idea. Thanks.

[mrchipster]

Re: Should I grind these down?

Some photos would be. Helpful.

[Audionatic]

Re: Should I grind these down?

Ok. First photo upload accomplished. I think. Sorry its a little creepy looking with the red eye thing. I don't think you can tell that the joints between the bricks are full, and the home-brew mortar has squeezed out to stand proud of the brick surface as much as an inch. The entire oven and entry arch has since been clad in homebrew, so there's no issue with gaps or any smoke or heat passing through what may look like voids above the arch. Would like to think I can avoid grinding that down, since it's tough to get in that arch and work right above my face, but I will if I have to. Any advice would be appreciated. I've attached a couple pix also to show the completed vault before it was concrete-clad.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Should I grind these down?

Transitions should be smooth, that is all I can add.

[Audionatic]

Re: Should I grind these down?

I trimmed-off the inside corner of each of the inner arch bricks approx. 35 degrees to smooth that transition. That's the brick surface you see best in the photo. There is a small approx. 1" shelf, which is visible, above those tapered bricks. The rest of the oven interior was carefully pointed smooth as I did each arch in the barrel vault. I'm just wondering if I can avoid this grinding task and move on, or if those ridges could be likely to crack or spall off from heat. They are solid as heck, and would need to be ground-off. They aren't thin and fragile. Thanks again for any input.