Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

[Mike D]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Nice job on planing out the arch placement. Don't stop now there is plenty more to do.

Mike

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Got a bit more done today. I ended up finishing two more courses. I'm surprised how long it takes to get this done . . . between cutting bricks, mixing the home brew . . .





I got a bit frustrated with the amount of mortar it took to fill the joints between bricks - so I started cutting them at slight angles (just eyeballed them). I'm using the waste from my cuts as shims - for both the vertical and horizontal gaps. This is giving me a good tight fit - and minimizing the amount of grout/mortar needed.

[Mike D]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I think it is a 3-5 degree angle on the sides, there is a thread here that gives a good diagram to help make things go faster http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/it...al-3124-8.html post #76.

I did this way at first and then did a variety of way depending on the course.

Mike

[Bert]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Looking Great Cheesecake.

Awesome fireplace at your old place!

You mentioned home brew mortar...What mix/proportions are you using? The refractory mortar here is $36 a bag so this may a good alternate for me to keep costs down.

All the best with your build. I will be watching.

Bert

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Looking Great Cheesecake.

Awesome fireplace at your old place!

You mentioned home brew mortar...What mix/proportions are you using? The refractory mortar here is $36 a bag so this may a good alternate for me to keep costs down.

All the best with your build. I will be watching.

Bert

Hey Bert - I'm using the 3:1:1:1 (sand/fireclay/portland/lime) - although I'm adding around 1/2 of the brick dust from my brick cuttings. I drain the water tub from the tile saw and let it dry overnight. The next day - I get a fine clay-like powder - that is made from the same materials as firebricks. I figure it's gotta be good stuff - right? So - my mixture is really more like 3: 1-1/2 :1:1. I paid around $5 for 50# fireclay, $3.50 for 50# sand, around $8 for 90# portland, and around $10 for 90# hydrated lime. So - for the 3:1:1:1 product - I'm around $14 per 100 pounds.

Mike - thanks - I've seen that chart. I've opted for the eyeball method - I've actually got less chance of screwing it up that way (at least I think . . . ). Like I said - my joints are quite small because I'm using firebrick shims to wedge it all together. Fingers crossed it holds together . . .

I'm out of bricks again - gotta go out and get more.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Moving right along - bot as quick as I'd like - but still making progress. I'm at the top of the arch with my courses - and have gone to 1/3 bricks. I've managed to keep the interior joints fairly small - and have used quite a bit of firebrick cuttings for hims to try to pack everything in good and tight.



I'm around 6'4" and around 215lbs - and I'd contorted myself to get inside to do some work. I'm still wondering how I'm going to finish the last few courses - as I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to get in through the oven opening. We'll see . . . .

[countryboy]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Lookin good!

Love your first build. This will be even prettier.

As far as the final courses, i didn't have to get inside the oven until the last stone. What I did was build a scaffold out of brick in the center of the oven and then used shims and small pieces of wood to hold bricks in place as the mortar set. Once I got to that level I could only do one course a day so it would be really firm before applying gravity inducing pressures...

Keep up the good work.

[PizzaIdiot]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Moving right along - bot as quick as I'd like - but still making progress. I'm at the top of the arch with my courses - and have gone to 1/3 bricks. I've managed to keep the interior joints fairly small - and have used quite a bit of firebrick cuttings for hims to try to pack everything in good and tight.



I'm around 6'4" and around 215lbs - and I'd contorted myself to get inside to do some work. I'm still wondering how I'm going to finish the last few courses - as I don't think there's any way I'm going to be able to get in through the oven opening. We'll see . . . .

Looks great! I guess that will be me in a few weeks (6'2" and well maybe I'll drop 10# and be down to 215!

Q. Did you pour the arch for the wood storage when you poured the floor?
Looking good!

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Looks great! I guess that will be me in a few weeks (6'2" and well maybe I'll drop 10# and be down to 215!

Q. Did you pour the arch for the wood storage when you poured the floor?
Looking good!

PI - yes, I formed the arch when I poured the floor. Much easier that way, in my opinion.

countryboy - thanks - and I'm still mulling over how best to handle the last few courses. I'm hoping to close the dome this week. Finger's crossed . . .

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I'm close to closing the dome. Ive got 1 1/4 more courses to go - then the plug. I can see the finish line . . .



I'm also amazed I fit in the dome. I squeezed in to give the last two courses a good cleaning.



I am also somewhat amazed at how well my homebrew mix holds the bricks in place without much support at all. I support the brick with my indispensable tool long enough to trim and butter the next brick and it holds in place itself. I'm going to try to close the dome one night this week - start the outer arch / flue and start slowly drying out the dome with an old electric hotplate.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I closed the dome yesterday.





The last couple of courses were a bit tricky - trimming and fitting bricks took a bit of time. It's not the prettiest closure - but those bricks are in there solid. The mortar you see is really just a gap filler - the bricks touch each other most of the way up through the dome.

I started to pour a thin slurry coat over the dome - and I'll probably burn through the rest of my homebrew covering the dome.

I'm moving on to the out arch / flue this week.

[Mike D]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Nice Job. I think that is the best feeling in the world (closing the dome).

Mike

[md_massimino]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Nice, the finished dome looks great! I'm about to start the 8th course on my oven and seeing your progress has me pumped.

[chidding]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

awesome work so far, and that keystone looks like its working really well! looking forward to the rest of the build! keep it up! and more pics!!

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I've made a bit more progress. I completed the outer arch and installed the clay flue. I'll add another 18" section after I get the walls / roof framed.



After a few days at rest - I lit a small curing fire in the oven.



The draw was pretty good - the fire was not very hot and the flue likely didn't get hot enough for a really good draw . . . we'll see what happens when I light bigger fires.

We had some good rains here yesterday (it's not supposed to rain in California in the summer . . . ) so I'm going to get back on the wagon and light another fire tonight.

I can almost smell the pizza . . .