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**Ope-dog** · 09-17-2020, 06:40 AM

Hi Chris... thanks for the pics of your build. It's really coming together and looking great!!! Your insulation hearth looks robust... I believe you said you did a 5:1 Pcrete pour for that? I'm also a little curious about your courses.. it appears that you use some "skinny" cuts every 2 or 3 courses. Is this for aesthetics, a way to use up brick cuts, or some other reason? I'm just curious as I haven't seen this on other ovens, but I do think it looks pretty cool! (I'm sure the wives are saying.. "who cares.. who will be looking in the oven anyway?" And the husbands are replying... " the whole point of brick is TO LOOK inside the oven!! Haha)

Keep this pics coming.. I love your "supervisor" in the first pic of your saw. Has he/she been out to jump up and inspect your hard work? :-)

**Chris inPA** · 09-18-2020, 03:29 AM

Ope-dog No, I don't let that cat outside. He's strictly indoors. There's too much car traffic where I live. Been there, done that, hate to tell the kids that it happened.

I did the Pcrete mix for the base. I figured it'd be a lot cheaper than using the CaSi board. It wasn't. If I would ever build another oven it's going to be with the board as the base.

The 1st several courses have a taper/bevel on 3 of the 4 long sides. My idea was the more exact I cut the bricks, the less gap I'd have between them and thus to use a lot less mortar. It worked that way. I'm this far into the build and have only used 1.25 bags of mortar where a lot of other builders have used 3+ bags for their build. The b.... here is how much time it took to make all of those extra cuts. For time management sake, it's better to just use more mortar. I'd be finished with the dome by now if I did. The last few courses I've laid don't have the bevel cut on the top. Just the sides that touch the adjacent brick in the same course.. The increase in the gap between the rear of the bricks is easy to see in the picture if you look for it.

**Ope-dog** · 09-18-2020, 06:36 AM

Well, a few follow-ups...

1. It's so nice to hear you care about the well-being of your pets and family. As a pet-owner and animal lover, that's refreshing to hear. :-)
2. I really appreciate your candor regarding the build notes.. ie CaSi board vs. Pcrete base. This is something I've struggled with for several weeks now. Obviously, economics is a concern for most folks. I was also hoping to build an oven that would replicate an "old-world" build, but I'm learning through folks like yourself that trying to replicate these more ancient methods aren't always cheaper / easier / efficient. So I have some more food for thought. :-)
3. I understand what you're staying about all the extra cuts. As my build is at my weekend property and I won't have a chance to work daily on it, I will probably take your advice and forgo some intricate cuts in order to keep pace on the project. I plan to use the home-brew so I'm hoping the extra mortar costs won't be too obnoxious.

All that being said.. I really do l like the look of your alternating course sizes and it's given me some new ideas to chew on before I start laying my bricks. Appreciate your feedback and keep the pics coming. It's looking awesome!

- Scott

**Chris inPA** · 09-21-2020, 05:06 AM

I finished the brick work on the dome Sunday.

Attached Files

**Chris inPA** · 09-26-2020, 07:24 PM

I started building the base for the chimney. The bricks are beveled to sit on the arch.

Attached Files

**Chris inPA** · 09-26-2020, 07:28 PM

Here are the pictures of the transition from inner arch to outer. I notched the bricks and lined it with a strip of ceramic blanket. An expansion joint that isn't mortared.

Attached Files

**Hazidoc** · 09-27-2020, 10:45 PM

Great job Chris. You really got your dome done fast. I am impressed. Mine took 6 weeks. I really like the different color fire bricks. It looks really nice. Looks like we might be making pizza soon.

**Chris inPA** · 09-28-2020, 07:44 AM

Decorative arch complete as of today.

If it doesn't rain I should have the p-crete insulation finished this week.

Attached Files

**Ope-dog** · 09-29-2020, 04:22 PM

That's looking great. Your off-color keystone also adds some nice variety. Did it just work out that way or did you scorch it or something to get that dark color?