Pompeii circumference guide tool.

[Bartybull]

Does anyone know where to get the circumference guide tool used in the energsmartNH videos? Just thinking that may be a high priority before starting.
Not to mention the skill needed to actually set the bricks firmly mortared neatly in place.

This project has been on the bucket list for years, thinking this may be the year of lift off. (How successful, time will tell)

[Gulf]

Bartybull,

Welcome to the forum. I did a quick searh of "Energsmart". Google did not come up with any hits with the "NH" on the end. All I could find were links to residential insulation. But the "Indespensable Tool" (IT, Hendo Dome Guage) has been built by many DIYers on this forum. Can you provide a link to the "circumference guide tool" just to make sure that we are on the same subject?

[Novaslo]

Mortaring the bricks is not at all difficult. It takes some practice and after your first row or two you will better understand it. I used a mortar bag. Sort of like a pastry bag. I would mix the mortar in the bag - put it in and shake it....then squirt it in place. Admittedly the mortar was a little more wet, but that didn't seem to matter all too much. I also didn't let the brick sit in water too long as I was preparing to set a brick. So the extra moisture in the mortar seemed to set up nicely. LIke I said, it took practice. My method required very precise mortarless cuts on the inside though. Depending on brick laying skill, I have seen very different amounts of mortar joint sizes.

[Bartybull]

Sorry...the site is energysmartNH on youtube . I left out the y first time around. His oven came out very nice. I just wonder how the bluestone will hold up as a mantel for the chimney ??

Over the years I've had a lot of experience with stone and mortar, but none with brick. Appreciate all the helpful advice.

[Gulf]

Does anyone know where to get the circumference guide tool used in the energsmartNH videos? Just thinking that may be a high priority before starting.
Not to mention the skill needed to actually set the bricks firmly mortared neatly in place.

This project has been on the bucket list for years, thinking this may be the year of lift off. (How successful, time will tell)

Yes, the tool that energysmartNH is calling a "radius tool" is the IT that I mentioned above. They are fairly easy to make. Here is a site search for the indespensible tool.

[Bartybull]

Thanks for the info Joe !

We definitely have the oven on this years honeydew list.

We retired in 2003, and bought a small farm here in central Massachusetts in 2009. We raise full blood Galloways, beef cattle.(just wonderful animals) Just 3 cows and a bull "BARTY". We have three calves every year. So we had a lot of work to do to keep the cows where they belong. But now we are able to get some other stuff done.
However after 70...the mind is willing but the body lags behind more and more.



Sal Morelli

[Bartybull]

Hey Darin,

I have been looking at some of the ovens here. "Obsession" is an understatement !

[Gulf]

Sal,

I'm only ten years behind you. But, I'm recently medically retired. I do understand about "the body". We just have to take it a little slower. When taking on a project of this size it is best to set small goals. IE: foundation, stand, hearth, dome etc. But don't "sweat it", if your goal takes a few more days than you expected. Just enjoy the build. I think that I enjoyed the build almost as much as I enjoy the fruits of my labor. Though, the food has been great . If you get tired or frustrated, take a break from the build . It is better to start fresh on a new day than it is to take shorcuts that we later regret . The video referenced Forno Bravo a few times. The only one that I have watched so far, was few minutes of part two (the dome). It seemed to skip a bit of the layout for the dome and landing entry. Do some resarch on a few of the more recent builds on this site. The free (or next to free) plans that are offered on this site are a great benefit, and are a very good starting point. However, there have been some improvements that you may well be interested in. Don't be afraid to ask questions, keep them located on the same thread (just so that we don't get confused with our answers), and good luck with the build. Also, you mentioned that it was on yall's "honeydew list". If she's on board with the idea, "no problems mate" .

[UtahBeehiver]

Sal,

There are a couple critical nuances when building an IT (which can be done with common materials) so when you are ready be sure to ask the gang on the forum.

[Bartybull]

Simply amazing work by ALL.

Just CURIOUS; What is a good estimate to complete this project from start to finish? ( Considering my time and effort will be spent on this project, to get it done, this summer.)

Also, what is a good estimate for materials cost ?

Are any of you professional masons?

I have built many walls, and stairs with mortar and stone. Which is very forgiving, at the same time rewarding.

Russell;
Love the Heat of the SUN on the top of the dome ! (It must cut down on wood consumption )

[UtahBeehiver]

Time line - that is a difficult question to answer, too many variables, enclosed, not enclosed, type of finish material, stucco, stone, brick, etc. I have seen builds go up as fast as 2-3 months and some lasting for years (like mine). Many builds get the oven functional then do the finish work later.

Material Cost - again too difficult to determine, each area has different material cost and availability. It also depends whether you buy all your materials at retail or have the time and patience to look for surplus, repurposed, used materials. In addition, what tools you have or have access to. Many of us are scroungers/repurposers on this site. There are a couple threads where some builders have detailed out their cost but it is a little dated.

Mason's - I believe for the most part, with exception a few (Stonecutter, Tscar) most of us are/were wantabee masons. I myself never laid brick before but I am a DIY person, slow go and the right tools and the forum will get any person through this project.

[JRPizza]

Sal, if you have mortared structure together you are way ahead of me .
I did all of my work without any help, except for the hearth pour, and even though I'm retired I only worked on the oven a few days a week due to other obligations. I started my stand the first of August, had my hearth cured out by the 17th, and started laying down bricks by the end of the month. Finished my dome by September 10 - that was the easy part. Spent the next 8 weeks getting ready to build my chimney/vent. This is where IMO the job gets tougher, as there is far less detailed instructions, and you aren't just laying bricks following your IT. I'm building a tapered arch and vent, so lots of double cuts to bevel bricks, and am planning a heat break, necessitating more cuts. Forms are needed for the fore and aft vent arches, and I had to wait on my vent pipe and adapter so I could see what dimensions I was going to be working with.
As Gulf said, the build process can be very satisfying and I enjoyed the design aspect of figuring out all the cuts. I have been on hold since late fall with the short Seattle days, poor weather, and holidays, but I believe if I had started in spring I would have been cooking by late last summer. I plan to be back to the build in the next few weeks, now that the days are getting longer and the temps are getting more mortar friendly.

[RandyJ]

When I started I had never laid a brick. I started in April and was mostly done in july. I think I have roughly 250-300 hours in to the build. As others have said it depends on what is your goal. A igloo could be a lot less work but I know there are a few that have taken that design to another level and then you time goes out the window. I did a enclosure and covered it in stone veneer. Close to half of the time is from after I closed the dome in. Things can get very putzie and tedious the closer you get to the end of the build as you figure out how to finish something. This is where i was as of mid july. I now have it grouted but that is about all I have done.

Randy