Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Today I built a table from ths scrap wood left over from the frames. I bought a Chicago Tile and brick saw from Harbor Freight, and today I assembled it, and placed it on the table. I cut 50 fire bricks in half, in preparation for the floor and the dome. I layed some bricks on the floor as a dry run.
Tomorrow I will use the paste from cutting the bricks and place the cooking floor in place.
My Web site

Salute

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Yesterday I did use the paste and laid the cooking floor. I marked the circle for the dome and entry. Next weekend I will start on the dome.
My Web site

Salute

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Hello everyone,

Something that has been on my mind since I built my first oven; in the Forno Bravo plans for building the oven, it is recommended to use paste (fire clay, fine sand with water) no cement for the cooking floor, and that is what I did for my first oven. Is there a specific reason not to use mortar? What if the bricks become loose or if the bricks are loose when you are building the dome?

Any thoughts or experiences?

Thanks

Salute

My Web site

[dmun]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

The theory is that if a brick is damaged it can be replaced without breaking up the floor. Also, mortaring the floor leaves it rigid, and anything thin, rigid, and in motion is subject to cracking.

I was alarmed when it was building my oven, you end up standing on the floor a lot during the dome build, and it creaked and groaned when I did so. But in use there's never been a problem with floor shifting.

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Thank you again (dmun), I suspected that much, and it does make sense, but I wanted to hear it from an expert.
Salute

My Web site

[kriso]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Hi there

I am new to this and want to know how to start a post, can some one please help?

Thanks kris

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Hi Kriso,

By posing the question you just started a post.

If you have a question or a comment, pick a category from the Index page, and post a reply to a post, and voila..

good luck

Salute

My Web site

[fxpose]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Pick a category and click "New Thread" near the top left of that page. Add title to your new thread and post.

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Hello Again,
Today I built the form from Styrofoam, and I have plenty of those, I am still not sure about the intersection between the entry arch and the dome, in my last build, I took down the arch and replaced it by a steel plate, but this time I have to do an arch( I do not give up easily), and although I asked this question in a different way, and at that time Les responded, here it is again, where do the bricks rest behind the arch to hold the weight of the upper bricks.
I looked at a lot of pictures in this forum, but could not see enough details.
Thanks

Salute

Eddie

My Web site

[Laku]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

The dome bricks rest on the inner arch.

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

My apologies, I just looked at a number of pictures in this forum photo gallery, and there is so many pictures of the transition. I guess my fear is obvious; can I do that?, but I am going to give it a try. I have to make sure that the dome circle decreases in size with each coarse, so that the fire bricks can meet and rest on the inner arch.

Thanks

Eddie
My Web site

[Muscats]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

I understand you concern about the transition from dome to arch. You have to work out how far into the dome you are going to place the arch. If you place the arch too far out the dome bricks have nothing to sit on and that may be your concern. If you place the arch too far in and the dome goes over the arch. In the middle and the dome bricks will sit on or against the arch. I do up sketches to work it out and ythe make sense in my head. See attached.
Note: my measuremetns are for a low dome 42" Pompeii

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Thanks Muscat, those drawings are fantastic. My concern is the arch will be straight up, while the dome will start arching inward lower than part of the arch, if you lay the bricks flat on the side fo the oven they have a place to sit, but when it comes to the arch no place to sit until you are high enough to the height of the arch, so when I looked at the transition photos, they show you how they are mortared to the inside wall fo the arch, which is my weak point, I want to see how I can do that.
Thanks again for your help, I might be over thinking this.

Salute

Eddie

My Web site

[efleifel]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Today I built 2 courses of bricks, but had to change my approach, I initially wanted to lay the first course with the half a brick tapered and flat on the back, but that proved that I have to cut the bricks differently, so I went back and layed the first course with half bricks on the sides. I am glad that this time I went with the heat stop mortar, what a difference; easy to work with and quick setting. Next week I will build the arch first then continue with the subsequent courses.
a piu tardi.

Eddie
My Web site

[Laku]

Re: Building a Pompeii Oven - finally

Thanks Muscat, those drawings are fantastic. My concern is the arch will be straight up, while the dome will start arching inward lower than part of the arch, if you lay the bricks flat on the side fo the oven they have a place to sit, but when it comes to the arch no place to sit until you are high enough to the height of the arch, so when I looked at the transition photos, they show you how they are mortared to the inside wall fo the arch, which is my weak point, I want to see how I can do that.
Thanks again for your help, I might be over thinking this.

My Web site

You can cut end tiles of the chain to conform the arch. That way you'll gradually climb the arch same time as your chains start to curve inwards, and all those chain ends will help to support your arch and chains above it.

Here's a good example from Dinos build

and another one

It's really not that hard, just slow at times (at least it was for me). I don't have any pictures online, but if I managed to do it with a grinder and diamond blade, you should be able to do it just fine.