Jim's Build for the Common Man

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

G'day
Of course you'll go with those 1/3s and 1/4s but don't forget those 2/3 and 3/4 can come in handy as well to bridge those gapes and make sure that the mortar gapes don't line up
Regards dave

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Okey doke, makes sense. I'll go with at least one layer of cal sil under the vent, or maybe make the slab out of vermicrete. Great idea to slope the entry floor. I hadn't thought about rain seeping in. I guess that's one of those things you usually learn after it's been built.

Another night session has helped me get even closer, and help me feel less like an absentee father. Mixing the mortar a bit thicker and using the hook/weight has kept any bricks from falling. A thicker mix also keeps mortar from falling out from the inverted V's when I put it in place. I figure I have one more course, then I can cap it. I used 1/3 bricks for this last one, think I'll switch to 1/4's.

How crazy do I need to get about filling in voids? I suppose, as I'm in the North East, freezing of moisture could be an issue. Luckily I'm not claustrophobic, but it ain't comfy squeezing into the dome. Reminds me of getting an MRI.

Glad I was finally able to get a wildlife shot.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Disadvantage is though that insulation goes right back into your oven and provides a path for any rain that falls on your hearth brick to wick back into your oven

Wise words. When you pour your entryway slab, slope it a few degrees away from the mouth of the oven and top directly with your insulation and bricks.

I too had planned to go with a stainless tube between entryway and oven floor, but changed my mind and instead went with a 1/4" air gap. This gives me a 1/4" heatbreak all the way around my entryway and floor, which means my entryway is completely standalone. Even after a five or six-hour pizza session, the lower and outer entryway bricks away from the oven are cool enough to lean against. I feel the heatbreak (especially between floors) is most effective once the oven is put to rest, since during normal oven operation the flow of air over the entryway floor is into the oven.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

G'day
Most folk insulate under the entrance hearth because it doesn't
Hurt and it gives you the same level all the way through.
Disadvantage is though that insulation goes right back into you oven and provides a path for any rain that falls on you hearth brick to wick back into your oven. Insulation soaks up moisture real fast. I have had to fashion an outer door to stop this happening. But if your oven entrance is fully
Protected go for it
Regards dave

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Thanks, GF

Not sure what you mean by the break separating from the floor. So I have my oven sitting on 4.5" of cal sil. Directly in front of that I had planned to pour a small slab, 4.5" of concrete so that the floor bricks of the vent will be level with the oven floor. In between the vent floor and oven floor I'll have a .5" heat break (ss tube maybe filled with kaowool caulk or rope) Are you saying the vent floor bricks need to be separated from that small slab I'm gonna pour? I guess I could just put down another 1.5" of cal sil, since I got it.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Hey Jim,

Nice progress, and looking good! It won't be long now!

As long as your heat break is complete (separates the oven and floor) you should be good to go. Still, 2-3" of vermicrete under the entryway couldn't hurt...

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Dome getting close, so I'm thinking more about the vent arch. Is it necessary to insulate underneath? I"ll have an insulated heat break, so I would think the bricks on the vent side of the break will let their heat escape up the chimney, regardless of what insulation is underneath. Or will they transfer more heat from the oven if there's no insulation?

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Thanks, Dave! Feels good to get some props from a few continents away.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

G'day Jim
Great to see how your progressing. Your not wrong about about keeping that circular right to the last ....well done. In fact you have ticked a lot of boxes now.
Arched oven mouth.....tick
Arch to dome transition....tick
Still level and circular over the arch.... Tick
Keystone....under construction....can't wait!!!!
Regards dave

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Getting close with the dome. Probably 3.5 courses, then the cap. Bricks are really starting to get vertical. I'm mixing the mortar a bit thicker now, to help them stay up, and so it doesn't all slide out of the inverted V's. I made a hook, idea stolen from someone else, with a brick tied to it to keep the dome brick in place while it's setting up. Works like a charm. My twist was to use clothing hangars.

It's getting hard to contort my body to look on the dome side to see if the voids are filled in. Not sure how I'll do this for the last two courses. I guess I got to slide into the oven again. I went in there to fill voids shown in one of the pics.

I've been using half and third bricks. It's getting very hard to avoid lining up the breaks (stay on bond?), but I think it's good enough. I have to say, the whole think is looking not too bad. Better than what I would have said was the bottom rung of acceptable when I first started. Doesn't seem to be a droop over the arch. And I'm amazed the courses are circular, and level. Guess my bare bones IT did it's job.

[deejayoh]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Deejay, I tried a wetter mix, and it is easier set the bricks. But doesn't that make the mortar weaker?

If the water is soaking into the bricks almost immediately, then no. Try lifting up a set brick, you will see it gets dry in a hurry.

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

I'm above the arch! Don't look too close, it gets a little funky right above the arch. But it'll still make pizza. It still goes very slow, but I'm getting a bit faster with the mortaring. Deejay, I tried a wetter mix, and it is easier set the bricks. But doesn't that make the mortar weaker?

And I'm trying that thing (can't remember who first posted it) with scoring the brick to hold them together better.
And yes, Dave, thanks for inspiring me to do the arch instead of angle iron. It does look very pleasing to the eye. For the vent, I had been thinking of casting a lintel, which I could make an interesting shape and etch with a pattern. However, I enjoy looking at the inner arch so much, that I'm going to do it again for the vent.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

G'day Jim
Well its great to see your arch complete, I'm kinda glad I posted on my angle iron entrance . Mine still has not been replaced ...but I have the cut pieces in my shed for when the time comes.
The arch is the real "deal maker " with any oven, let's face it when there flashed up and full of pizza or food the entrance is the frame that people see around the food and the fire, so its good to make it special.
Keep plugging away
Regards dave

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Thanks, dj!

Since I'm almost over the arch I think it will go faster now. This went very slow today, especially since I removed and reset many bricks. I try to squish them down in one motion. From what I've heard it's not good to adjust them after that first squish, which is why I had so many re-do's. But the last several were better, so maybe I'm finally getting the hang of it. I think making a wetter mix will help me set them right the first time.

Here's a shout out to my friends Brian and Seth who helped me out today with labor, consultation, and moral support. Most importantly, their kids kept mine busy for a while so we could keep working.

[deejayoh]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Looks pretty good to me. I've seen much messier. And the mortar holds the bricks apart, it doesn't hold them together. You will be fine!

Note that if you want to get better coverage with the mortar, mix it a little wetter. It will squish out and the excess water will disappear pretty quickly, soaking into the brick