Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I mortared my first course on top of the hearth bricks.

I debated a bit about using the "indispensable tool" versus cutting a quarter-circle / arch to use as a form - and decided to give the indispensable tool a shot. I've seen so many variations of this thing - I thought I'd try to put together something simple - and very inexpensive.

So . . . I walked around HD a bit and let things find me. I ended up with a low-duty gate hinge, a piece of poplar, and a 90 degree Simpson StrongTie angle bracket. I wanted to use a gate hinge because I thought that I could construct the tool in such a way as to have a 21" radius at the bottom but reduce it to around 19 1/2 - 20" at the top. I'm amazed at how well this thing works. Took me around 10 minutes to build and cost a whopping $3.00 and change.



I tested it and ran it up and around the entry arch - and all of my dome bricks will contact the arch. So - my little Google SketchUp exercise really worked quite well (Arch Location)

Course 2 tonight . . .

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Hey Dan,
If you meant did I taper any of the bricks, I didn't for the first few courses then I started to taper just one side for the next few courses. I only tapered the bricks on their sides not the top and bottom, for the last courses I had to taper both sides.
Dan could I suggest that if you intend having a decorative arch that you cut back to a single brick for your vent arch that way your entry won't be to deep. Mine is nice and shallow and is easy to work with and I don't get any smoke out the front.
Looking Good.

Cheers Doug

Thanks Doug. Yes - I'm going to do a decorative arch out of stone. I just looked again at the pictures of your arch and I'm going to do the same thing. Great idea with the bricks turned so the "thinner" profile shapes the outer arch.

More work tonight when I get home from work . . .

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Form pulled - still standing! This thing is solid. I've sprayed down the mortar a few times over the past 24 hours to keep it curing - I don't want anything giving . . .

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Hey Cheesesteak,
Works for me vent arch a little bigger.

Cheers Doug

Doug - that's exactly what I intend to do. I recall seeing your pictures and wondering why more people don't build that way - it looks so much easier and efficient than notching all the entry bricks.

Your oven looks great - it looks like you didn't bevel and bricks in the dome - at least early on. Is that correct?

thanks -
Dan

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I see you moved well past this issue - and it's looking great!
Did you ever get an answer on the width?
What did you finally decide?
I'm figuring 68" but I'm going to use 8" bricks, not 9".
I'll still use 69", that will give me a little margin for error.

Jeff

Jeff - I just went with the 65" width - and it looks like everything will fit (tightly) . . . It's only "close" at the base of the dome and only at that one point where it's at its widest - so I'm not really concerned.

[PizzaIdiot]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I see you moved well past this issue - and it's looking great!
Did you ever get an answer on the width?
What did you finally decide?
I'm figuring 68" but I'm going to use 8" bricks, not 9".
I'll still use 69", that will give me a little margin for error.

Jeff

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Well - I went ahead and built the oven entry arch. Time to get going on courses . . . .

[Aegis]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

azpizzanut and brickie - thanks for the tip on the shims - good idea.

Les - I originally thought to notch the bricks like that - but once I got some half-bricks stacked on my form - I thought - why not just build this half-brick arch. and then build the flue/outer arch just a bit bigger. That way - I wouldn't have to notch any bricks.

Thoughts?

Even though I haven't placed one brick! (in other words - no experience behind my next statement) Notching the bricks not only looks good, has less joints to crack, but also is a narrowing of the heat transfer passage to the vent area. Notching the brick will narrow the brick thus constricting heat flow.
Anyone- does this make sense?????

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

azpizzanut and brickie - thanks for the tip on the shims - good idea.

Les - I originally thought to notch the bricks like that - but once I got some half-bricks stacked on my form - I thought - why not just build this half-brick arch. and then build the flue/outer arch just a bit bigger. That way - I wouldn't have to notch any bricks.

Thoughts?

[brickie in oz]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

. Cut hand holds into the front of your form to make it easier to handle and remove.

Also pack the form up on some shims 5, 10 or 20mm doesnt matter.
When finished and dried without the shims the arch form will be very hard to remove, the shims will just wiggle out making the form just drop out.

[Les]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

I'm trying to figure out a good way to leave a reveal.

Just notch the brick and build one arch with a reveal. #6 here http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/s...ntry-2635.html

[azpizzanut]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Hi Cheesesteak,

Yes, I see you need shims under the arch form. Cut hand holds into the front of your form to make it easier to handle and remove.

Did you plan on using a keystone in the arch?

All the best,

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Okay - trying to lay out the arch. I'm going to bevel the bricks - bu wanted to see where I was. Using the good 'ol string - the dome will hit the top ofthe arch.

I'm trying to figure out a good way to leave a reveal. I'm thinking of building two arch diameters. One is my 19" wide x 12" high for the oven opening - and the other will be a 21" wide x 13" high to give me a 1" reveal for a door.

Lookie here:

Does that look right? Any problems that anyone can see?????
Still dealing with 30mph winds today - ugh.
Thanks.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

Well - got a bit more done on the oven today. I was going to go to HC Muddox for some "seconds" only to call and learn that they no longer sell seconds . . . ugh.

Anyway - I headed to my local brick supplier, picked up a bunch more firebrick, and finished up the hearth. I was surprised at how "imperfect" the bricks were. I dusted s fireclay/sand mixture into some of the bigger gaps and wet it down a bit. The wind is a bother today - steady at 25mph, gusting much higher. It's not conducive to working with find sand and clay - more blew away that made it on the floor.



I also broke out the HF saw and started to cut bricks in half in preparation for the first couple of chains. Of course - I had to stack them in the rough location of the dome to keep myself motivated and feel like I'm getting something done.


I'll finalize my template for the floor tomorrow - maybe try to set the first chain. Who knows . . . .

[Cheesesteak]

Re: Cheesesteak's WFO build - Take Two.

It's raining today in Northern California - what's up with that? It's supposed to be sunny from April to October. I had to run and get the Easy-Up to cover the boards before everything got too wet . . .

Anyway - concrete is curing - and I decided to cut the fiberboards and layout the floor. After cutting the boards - I realized how much of a health hazard those things can be. Out of the box - if in perfect shape - they appear to be pretty sturdy. Bang a corner - or cut them - and they release a tremendous amount of fibers / dust. same is true from just dragging the boards across the concrete shelf. I did wear the appropriate safety gear (mask and gloves) when working with the boards.

So - I decided to place a thin layer of #30 sand beneath the boards and then coat them with a very thin layer of #30 sand / fireclay with a bit of portland mixed in to hold it together while I build. While they probably don't pose a long-term health risk with the oven - I wanted to be sure the particles didn't mobilize when I build and I just wanted to seal them. Better to be safe . . . should be standard practice to seal these boards.



It was just like icing a big cake. I'll put another troweled layer of fireclay and sand to set the floor later this week.

I also drove by the Gladding McBean mill on my way to my son's baseball tournament over the weekend - thought I'd grab a picture for some to see. Gladding McBean supplies the fireclay that HC Muddox uses in its Mortar Clay and for other uses (some on here have HC Muddox fire brick as well). You can see the piles of white fireclay in both pictures. Mounds of it all around . . .





HC Muddox is down the road from me as well - I'll try to gran some pics when I go there for some of their firebrick seconds . . .