Inner arch template - what have I done wrong?

[shanxk8]

I'd be interested a copy of the spreadsheet you created (sent you a PM). My inner arch had flat sides, but my vent/chimney arch and decorative arches will be full hemispherical.
Til now I had tried to model them in sketchup and then measure cut distance & angles, but a spreadsheet sounds easier.

[Gulf]

My inner arch had flat sides, but my vent/chimney arch and decorative arches will be full hemispherical.

That may be a little tricky to do. You may end up having to insert your insulated door sideways to get it past the outer arch. That is, unless you incorporate one heck of a reveal.

[deejayoh]

Just follow what your IT tells you for the entry arch bricks. Your dome will be slightly taller than wide because of the height of your pivot (sounds like its 0.5"?) but your IT will get your angles right. The tilt of each level will be slightly shallower than the model says. If you wanted you could tweak the spreadsheet - but probably not worth it (and I did it so long ago, I'd need to go back to school for the math )

[Canada 150]

OK, making some progress but here is my next question. I ended up purchasing tapered bricks - figured it was faster to pay $0.25 more per brick than chop off my fingers trying to create the tapered bricks. I have arranged the bricks on the template and will likely shave a few to open up the mortar joints.

I'm a bit confused by the next step in the process:

• I've marked the 'upper and lower' angles on my TDC brick using the IT tool
• Do I transfer the same angles to each of the remaining bricks (ie same for every brick) or do I somehow mark different upper and lower angles on the other bricks?
• As you can see from the picture, I have scribed a line on the rear face of the bricks but I'm not sure what I do with this line? Do I actually cut the bricks with the 'upper and lower' angles and then scribe this line and...?

Any guidance on this is much appreciated!

[UtahBeehiver]

It appears that you may have the arch bricks too far inset. Here are a couple pics for clarifying cutting of bricks.

[Canada 150]

Those are the full length bricks (9.5") and the scribed line is set for the inner diameter. So I see the need to cut them - just wondering where? See the attached of a (misshaped) tapered brick with the top and bottom angles cut that is sitting on top of the arch bricks. Do I mark the same upper and lower angles on all the bricks and cut those?

Thanks!

[UtahBeehiver]

You need more than a half a brick. The top dead center brick of the arch will be the longest. You can have the front edge of the 9.5" brick out in the front pass the OD of the dome. On cutting the tapered arch bricks. Start with the TDC brick, use your IT to scribe the ID and OD of the dome. Use the angle of the centerline of the IT to be the top slope, mark the bottom slope using a pencil on the IT to do the inner arch of the dome. Cut. these become the template for the bricks left and right of the TDC. Note each brick is slightly different so you just cannot cut all at once,

PS, you are not alone on this process, it is one of the more difficult concepts to understand, but the light bulb will come on and you will go ahhh, I get it.

[Canada 150]

Thanks Russel and others for all of your guidance - really helpful. It's one of those frustrating things where I can fully conceptualize what I need to do, but just can't translate that into lines on the bricks!

I think the suggestion of just moving the full length brick past the outside of the inner arch template is a good one. I can basically get the angles at that point and then cut off the face to make it flush with the inner arch template.

I appreciate the encouragement - It is like the other part of the build - Chipster's Jig, etc once you do it a few times it become much more clear!

I'll keep you posted...and I must start my build thread.