Soldier row on top of floor??

[egalecki]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

I built mine without beveling- just half bricks until I got towards the top. Then I changed to 1/3 bricks (halves were just too big at that point).

You don't have to do all the beveling and cutting if you don't want to. I had great fun building mine, and it works just fine.

The place you need to worry about is in the waterproofing later- I've had trouble with my igloo enclosure because of waterlogging and then extreme (for here, anyway!) cold. However you choose to enclose the oven, insulate well with good materials and then get it watertight!!!!

[dmun]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

I want to have fun.

I think you'll find that a certain amount of trimming of the inside face of the brick is fun in a puzzle kind of way. Up after the third or forth chain you'll see what you need to do a decent (not perfect) cosmetic fit.

[BarryKeith]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

I'm really not worried about cutting, I just know that if I start being exact I will get too anal and I want to have fun.

[Neil2]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

"I want to just use half bricks without the extra cutting."

You can do this for the first several chains and fill the resulting gaps. As you move up the dome you will find that you will have "all gap and no brick" and will have to do some cutting. Start in on it and it will become clear what you have to do.

[BarryKeith]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

If I build on top of the floor, would I use the fire clay and sand mixture on the bottom and homemade mortar brew between? Also, I see a lot of people using half bricks that are cut at all different angles. I want to just use half bricks without the extra cutting. Am I just being lazy or is it necessary?

[Neil2]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

"I don't see an easy way to bevel the soldiers to close the gap."

Don't bother. Fill the larger gaps with mortar mixed 1:1 with silica sand or mortar sand.

[dmun]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

Since the oven will be assaulted with repeated heating & cooling extremes, I want to build as sturturally sound as possible.

That being the case, I don't know why you would want a soldier course at all. I think the full brick height one is particularly unsound structurally. I know it's traditional, but I can't think of any reason not to start your chains at ground level.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

If you read through any of the number of threads here addressing each of your questions, you will find six builders doing it one way and half a dozen the other way. Tscarborough gave a great explanation of ideal mortar composition at different thicknesses. I think the consensus here is that there really is no right or wrong way, only different. This is what makes every oven so exciting to watch as it's built and completed: each one is unique and they all cook food wonderfully.

[Glosta]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

Greetings Gentlemen: Sorry this is a little off subject. But I am at the same point of the build. I am a bit confused. Pompeii Oven Instructions page 37 Ver. 2.0 suggests using the vertical full height soldier if you are building the Naples-style. I thought this was to give the vertical height quickly & the narrower 2.25 brickface looking into the oven would more closely track the circular perimeter. Since the oven will be assaulted with repeated heating & cooling extremes, I want to build as sturturally sound as possible. I have completed the hearth & will lay the initial vertical course atop the hearth bricks. I understand the first course should not be mortared to the hearth course due to expansion & contraction.

Is it structurally preferable to use four (4) chains of 1/2 bricks on the flat to obtain the initial vertical height equivalent to a full soldier course?

Another concern about construction is that the Heat Stop 50 recommends only 1/16-1/8 inch mortar width. The gap at the outer diameter of vertical soldiers is approximately .45 inches. Since my wet saw has a height limitation of amout 2.5 inches, I don't see an easy way to bevel the soldiers to close the gap. Has this been a problem? Do builders recomend the use of firebrick wedges to close the rear gap? Thin wedges of firebrick does seems a little brittle. Use of half bricks on the flat would take more time initially, but it would allow beveling each side of the brick to facilite a closer fit & less mortar at the rear. Since it looks like the builder is eventully confronts to a lot of bevel cutting anyway, whats a few hundred more cuts?? Anyway I would greatly appreciated the input of the experienced builders. Am I worrying about nothing?? Am anxious to proceed with the build. Initially though it might take weeks. Now its looking like months. Thank you for your advice. Glosta aka 7/8s

[fxpose]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

The vertical wall for the first 2 courses is certainly a good idea, I just question the use of soldiers.

That's exactly what I chose to do.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

The vertical wall for the first 2 courses is certainly a good idea, I just question the use of soldiers.

[Neil2]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

The soldier course is used to give a vertical wall at the perimeter. This is easier to clean and also increases the effective floor surface somewhat. Having said that, I agree that a half block soldier would give you most of this benefit and at the same time minimize the lateral force that starts with the first bevel course.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

Yes, it does.

[dmun]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

I've said it before: I don't know what the soldier course is for. I don't see any reason not to lay your first chain of dome bricks right on the oven floor. I think the full height soldier course that has become more popular lately causes the sharp corner of the dome to exert a lot of lateral force on the side walls.

[Neil2]

Re: Soldier row on top of floor??

"It has been said that the 'dome outside the floor' configuration is more efficient than the 'dome on-top of the floor' configuration because the floor heat is contained within the confines of the dome wall."

It's exactly the same thickness of firebrick either way. The temperature right at the bottom of the wall exactly equals the floor temperature at the same point. The temperature may be higher as you go up the dome.