Jim's Build for the Common Man

[mrchipster]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Also, the water pump on my HF saw doesn’t hit the blade. The water gets there, but after it rolls off the brick, about ?” away, which I think wears the blade down faster. Anyone have any luck redirecting the water? I tried widening the hole with a pin, but that didn’t help.

Because the pump is easily clogged i just used the garden hose with at nozzle directed to the blade of the saw. I put an in line ball valve mounted to the side of the saw. You could hold the nozzle or in my case a piece of plastic tubing where you want it with Zip ties or drill a hole where you want it in the spray cover over the blade, that way you can get as little or as much water as you want and just use the water from the house only when cutting. if you are worried about overflow tap in a tube to catch and divert the extra water away from your work area.

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Okay. Construction has started for the 2014 season. I am determined to win the Longest Time to Build award. Though I might have to cave in and finish it by this fall. The first thing I was greeted by when I took off the tarps were about a dozen mice. Some of them didn’t even scatter, as if it was I who was invading there space and they were waiting for me to leave. My cat got at least one of them.

The second thing I noticed is that my insulation got soaked. I had two tarps on the top, but for various reasons, they sagged under puddles of rain a few times over the last couple years. Not much I can do about that now other than dry it out and be more careful. The insulation seems to be structurally sound, even when wet.

Questions: Since my dome is not a perfect circle, I have to make a decision about the inner arch. I only have three vertical bricks down - I haven't put down the bricks that will follow the arch. As it intersects an imperfect circle (dome chains), I believe I will have that “tear drop” effect” as the dome chains have to reach to the arch. I could correct for this by having the arch bricks reach into the dome, more than the vertically stacked bricks below them. Would that cause any problems? I'm concerned that would cause lateral support problems for the arch. I’ve also seen people add a partial brick on the dome chain above the arch to correct this. Is that a better solution?

Also, the water pump on my HF saw doesn’t hit the blade. The water gets there, but after it rolls off the brick, about ?” away, which I think wears the blade down faster. Anyone have any luck redirecting the water? I tried widening the hole with a pin, but that didn’t help.

[mrchipster]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

I agree with Dave, shave off the 1 or 2 bricks above the one that is sticking up, no one. Will ever know but you and it will keep every thing below nice and solid.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Gudday Jim
Round ovens and square brick have been around long before bricksaws an other fancy stuff. Live with the dreaded Vs clean the mortar off the face and get on with it.

3 odds yrs and plenty of feeds and long stop thinking about it
The mortar will be your glue till that last brick goes in the gravity take over and structure depends of gravity for its strength. The mortar now holds the bricks apart and be the cushion when the oven expands and cools.
That brick that pokes up a bit perhaps you would be better to adjust the bricks above rather than disturbing it and the surrounding brick.
Regards dave

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

I put off starting the arch and worked on the sixth chain. As those inverted V's pop up...how important is it to fill the voids on the inside of the dome? WHen I put on too much mortar, the bricks didn't line up/squish up right. Not enough mortar, and I get them voids. It gets messy filling the voids on the inside, so I'd rather leave them be if I can.

Question #2, I got a brick that's not level, one corner is popped up about 1/4", which makes the next course out of level. Can I take a grinder to it, or will this possibly loosen up other bricks? Is it better to chisel it out and grind it down? Either way will disturb other mortar joints, I suppose.

[deejayoh]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

So I realized I won't be able to taper my entry arch bricks with my 10" HF saw. Unless I raise the blade, run the brick through, flip it, run it through again. Or I guess I could do it by hand with my angle grinder and diamond saw. Though it would be difficult either way to keep the angle consistent. Is it worth the trouble? I suppose if they're not tapered, they'll fall out more easily.

Actually it is surprisingly easy to do this. Just eye ball the cut on a sightline with the blade.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Gudday
I don't know about twisting and distorting but I can tell you in the end they will rust out. I will be tapping them out in a few years time and replacing them but I expected that when I built it.
If you get hold of splits , thinner bricks , you'll find the gapes are thinner as they span over more bricks. Check out my own oven the outer arch was constructed of clay pavers. No cutting required. Have brick to brick contact on the inside edge of your brick and gravity will do the job of keeping the arch together.
If you do an arch of this shape it will be alright as the dome entrance as the dome buttresses it but outside entrance arch you will need buttressing
Regards dave

[brickie in oz]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

I've been advised not to follow the original FB plans to make a straight entrance with a piece of angle iron. Is that because the heating/cooling iron will degrade and bend in a few years, causing shifting dome bricks?

The angle iron will rust out in now time, it will also distort with the heating/cooling cycles.

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

So I realized I won't be able to taper my entry arch bricks with my 10" HF saw. Unless I raise the blade, run the brick through, flip it, run it through again. Or I guess I could do it by hand with my angle grinder and diamond saw. Though it would be difficult either way to keep the angle consistent. Is it worth the trouble? I suppose if they're not tapered, they'll fall out more easily.

So, just to make sure I'm clear on the reasoning behind this...I've been advised not to follow the original FB plans to make a straight entrance with a piece of angle iron. Is that because the heating/cooling iron will degrade and bend in a few years, causing shifting dome bricks?

[Gulf]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

.............
Isn't the arch in question is the entrance of the oven dome and is in fact buttressed by the dome itself.?d..........

Yes, it is.

Further an arched entrance way/ chimney structure,that was built separate from the dome ie has a heat break from the dome requires buttressing?

Yes, it does. IMO .

[oasiscdm]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Another one asking the same question on the same day.
Read me.

If you are loading up the arch then you would be advised to buttress, for a stainless flue you will be wasting your time.

thanks for that Alan. Interesting reading. and i'm using a stainless flue so that comment helped also.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Gudday
Isn't the arch in question is the entrance of the oven dome and is in fact buttressed by the dome itself.?d
Further an arched entrance way/ chimney structure,that was built separate from the dome ie has a heat break from the dome requires buttressing?
Regards dave

[Gulf]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

The butress complicates the matter of a heat break between the entry arch and vent arch, since the butress to the entry arch would have to be insulated from the entry arch, too. ............

Take a look at Kbartman's build. The way his heatbreak is designed the rope packing buttresses the entry arch to the vent arch. The vent arch, since it is the one that is really loaded up, will need the heavy duty buttressing.

[jimkramer]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

The butress complicates the matter of a heat break between the entry arch and vent arch, since the butress to the entry arch would have to be insulated from the entry arch, too.

Just when I thought I had this thing figured out...

It does seem that a heat break can keep the oven retain heat with the door closed. Or maybe not, since even an insulated heat break and insulated door won't cover all of the exposed brick of the entry arch, which will then send all that heat up the chimney.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Jim's Build for the Common Man

Didn't think that was necessary for a hemispheric arch.
Brickie?

Another one asking the same question on the same day.
Read me.

If you are loading up the arch then you would be advised to buttress, for a stainless flue you will be wasting your time.