I'm getting closer to my Dome!

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Thanks Doug for taking the time and inspecting! I could use all the help available on this site. I did actually finish the soldier course today! YooHoo! Didn't get a chance to take any pics, had to take the neighbors son to the ER for a head injury. They took a CT and all is fine, except for a concussion.
Again thanks
John

[calipizzanapoletana]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

...I am still worried about the entrance being a good base for the arch vent and chimney.

It looks to me as if your interlocking design with the entryway base and the soldier course will provide a good stable foundation. Are you using a full brick height in the soldier course or are you using a half brick height?

The only worry I would have is if it was a full brick height soldier course (due to the talk of instability with side thrust when using a full brick height soldier course without buttressing.)

Keep it going!!
-Simon

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Hey John,
Those bricks on each side of the entry look like they may cause a dead spot and be hard to clean coal etc. If they follow the curve of the soldier course it is not a problem but they do look like they are at right angles to the entry.

Cheers Doug

Let me take a pic from above/behind. Believe me I will redo the entire front if it is wrong. At least I'll redo it before I mortar them in place.

btw, I know why I never became a mason, it took me 90 mins. to lay 8 soldiers! At that rate I would have to be paying the client room and board

Ok, here are the pics, I am still worried about the entrance being a good base for the arch vent and chimney.
Again thanks for the comments!

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Or burnt out..

That would be a good top down burn for sure!

[brickie in oz]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

and can be pulled straight out of the opening

Or burnt out..

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

John,
The build looks good so far -Thanks for the thermocouple info. Also, glad to hear that info on the firing temps w/ regard to the foamglass -should workout fine for you.

Two things:

1- looks from your photos from a previous thread that your plywood cover, protecting the oven floor, is constructed out of 4 sections (the four quarters of a circle). You might find that difficult to remove through your oven opening, once the dome is complete. Make sure that you'll be able to get each piece of the floor out of the completed entry arch without hassle. Could be I'm seeing it wrong, though.

2- the reveal on your entry arch looks large - nothing wrong with this (I tend to think 'the more the better'), but I wonder how the bigger entryway will affect the draw of the oven. How wide is your entry arch going to be?

I wouldn't veer too far from the recommended oven opening dimensions specified in the pompeii_oven_plans2.0.pdf file from FB. -see the chart I attached below

But then again - you've laid more bricks than I at this point.
Anyone more knowledgeable want to correct me, please?

-Dino, Dmun, Help us out!

Cheers!
-Simon

Hi Simon, The actual entry between the reveal is 20" from the forno bravo book. The 20" 2x4 between the reveal is stolen from Dino's build. I am not sure if I will have problems with the reveal this big as I go into the arch/vent area. At this point I can still close the reveal down without much trouble. The one thing I like about having it built this way is the soldiers are locked together with the arch for a little buttressing. I'll make the height of the arch opening 12.5" high as per the directions, with a 21" high dome.

The Plywood is cut into thirds, middle third is the center piece and can be pulled straight out of the opening then the other side pieces can then be moved towards the center and then pulled straight out.
Thanks for taking the time to look things over, again I agree with your statement bigger is better for the reveal, but then I am not a mason! lol
Thanks
John

[calipizzanapoletana]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

John,
The build looks good so far -Thanks for the thermocouple info. Also, glad to hear that info on the firing temps w/ regard to the foamglass -should workout fine for you.

Two things:

1- looks from your photos from a previous thread that your plywood cover, protecting the oven floor, is constructed out of 4 sections (the four quarters of a circle). You might find that difficult to remove through your oven opening, once the dome is complete. Make sure that you'll be able to get each piece of the floor out of the completed entry arch without hassle. Could be I'm seeing it wrong, though.

2- the reveal on your entry arch looks large - nothing wrong with this (I tend to think 'the more the better'), but I wonder how the bigger entryway will affect the draw of the oven. How wide is your entry arch going to be?

I wouldn't veer too far from the recommended oven opening dimensions specified in the pompeii_oven_plans2.0.pdf file from FB. -see the chart I attached below

But then again - you've laid more bricks than I at this point.
Anyone more knowledgeable want to correct me, please?

-Dino, Dmun, Help us out!

Cheers!
-Simon

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Hi all, Here are some more pics of some progress. I have NO, as in NONE, as in first bricks I have ever put down! So things are going in super slow motion. I did get about 9 soldiers cemented in place. That was after spending way too much time on the oven entrance/reveal. Please someone let me know all the things I am doing wrong, I will not be offended. It may be the only way this gets built and still stands after its built! I would especially love comments about the reveal and subsequent arch. Is it too much reveal? Will I pay for it in the arch/vent area? Thanks in advance!
John

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Looks super clean, keep it going.

Mike

Thanks Mike for the compliment, although I hope you can say that when the mud starts to fly! No mud = no mess!

[Mike D]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Looks super clean, keep it going.

Mike

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Here are some progress or not so progressive pictures of the build. Having a little trouble with the reveal/arch/hearth interface. I may have it under control and just might lay the inner arch foundation on top of some hearth bricks. I'll dry stack my solution when I get some more time from work. Till then here is what I have so far....

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Thanks Doug for the info! I wish there was a sticky thread with this kind of real data so we can use the best materials for our particular application.

Again THANKS
John

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

This data tells me that for "our home use" a 3-4 hr firing for "casual pizza" just isn't going to bring that base insulating board to its max temps...especially with a layer of leveling sand on top. Relax...

Thanks Mike!!!!!!!!!! I'll take your advice and open a bottle of Merlot and now I can relax! Again thanks for the info!
John

[SableSprings]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

.... Then I will be laying a sand/fireclay base to allow leveling of the foamglas. Then on the foamglas another layer of sand/fireclay to allow leveling of the hearth bricks! .....

It's hard for me to imagine that if you are putting 1"-2" of builders sand/fireclay on top of the foamglas (to level the hearth bricks) that you'll ever bring that insulating foamglas board up to 900?F with your normal use of the oven. Wing & Scott (The Bread Builders book) have some deep probe figures on heat loading that are pertinent here. The thermographs showed two oven's temp profiles (pgs 204-205) at various depths into the firebrick. At 2" & 3" down into the brick, max temps ranged between 550? to 825?. The high (825? at 2" deep) in a commercial bread oven had 1" temps that stayed above 900? for 6 hrs during their firing and deep masonry heat loading cycle.

This data tells me that for "our home use" a 3-4 hr firing for "casual pizza" just isn't going to bring that base insulating board to its max temps...especially with a layer of leveling sand on top. Relax...

[Aegis]

Re: I'm getting closer to my Dome!

Here are a couple of pics so far of the hearth layout. Hope it isn't too bad, and I especially hope putting the hearth bricks on the foamglas is ok!