30" Cast Scotland

[Mullster]

Daveholdn great to see your thread started - been wondering when you would .

Looking great so far too.

I had some similar ‘lips’ when I first laid my bricks but more because I was laying onto the vermicrete layer directly rather than differences in the bricks. At the time my fireclay hadn’t arrived but I did have a lot of dust from the brick cutting so I simply mixed that with some builders sand to do the leveling. Definitely nothing scientific in my case - I simply scattered it and then as I lay each brick I put more or less under the next one to level it off.

It didn’t end up perfect but it was as good as I could. Since then I’ve cast the dome and emptied it of sand. I even tried using a peel in the oven - no catches whatsoever despite what I thought where some leftover ‘lips’.

From my perspective I’m glad I didn’t set about trying to grind things down or anything - it would have been unnecessary as it turns out for me.

[sergetania]

Dave,

I am not that far into the build yet. Just finished a stand and getting ready to cast a concrete countertop.
Planning to use a cf board and just going to lay it down, multiple pieces, nothing to join. My understanding is the weight of everything else on top will hold it down. Hope someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[Daveholdn]

Hi sergetania , thanks, not a DIY person as such but loving this. I'll have a look at your thread. I've rwad somewhere that it's OK taking a lip or 2 down with the grinder, but I've quite a few, I think the bricks where from about 12 different batches, but think I'll try today with a bit of fireclay or just sharp sand to level, I'll let you know how it goes. Are you using cf board under the bricks? If so have you had to join them together at all? Good luck to you as well mate, cheers.

Dave

[sergetania]

Hi Dave,

That is a good start, looks very nice! I have started a 30" build as well.

I have been wondering about leveling the cooking surface too. What if we go at it with a grinding masonry wheel to make it smooth? Making the bricks the same size instead of trying to use sand to make the base uneven to make up for brick size differences? Just a thought, someone with more experience will hopefully help.

Best of luck with the build!
Sergei

[Daveholdn]

Hi Team,

I'm moving my posts from the Getting Started forum, under 30" cast pizza oven - Scotland so I can get a little more input here. I've used a lot of resources available on this forum and it has helped no end, so thanks.

I'm basically building a 30" internal diameter pizza oven using home-brew, sat on vermiculite, CF board and Firebricks. It will be insulated with 50mm home-brew, 50mm superwool, 25mm vermiculite layer and then a render.

I plan to cast the gallery all as one with a small heat break, angles cut out of the bottom of the entrance firebricks and stuffed with either left over CF board or vermiculite, seen from previous builds

I've built my base and added the 50mm vermiculite slab, the weather then turned in glorious Scotland style and basically smashed it down for 2 weeks which stalled me a little. The weather is now a little better so I've now managed to cut the CF board to shape and then measure and cut the firebrick floor, probably the hardest part for me as i'm not really DIY orientated!!! but I'm sort of happy with it. All photos attached.

There are a few lips on the floor which are annoying me, I'm just wondering what people have used when levelling the floor. reading the resources I think using a mix of dry fire clay and sand would work? Is it just normal sharp builders sand I can mix? And I take it you just scatter on dry where it is required.

Also I have had to cut my CF board into 3 sections, I've ordered CF silicon strips to join them together, in anyones experience is this the best way or can you just push them into place and hope the firebrick floor keeps it in place?

Cheers for your help.