Continued Design Ideas

[brickie in oz]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

The second design will be more prone to failure due to the angled soldiers.
Why refractory mortar on the top?
You need some ceramic blanket too..

[david s]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

"It follows the taper of the brick except at the top third where it flattens out to follow the catenary curve"
This doesn't make sense as the sides of a catenary are a larger radius then the top. I agree with Brickie, the first design would be stronger. A catenary arch is only superior if its base is about equal to its height.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Both look good and either will work. If the first, you may want to key the first course into the base, but it is not strictly required with the 1" coating.

The second I like better, and the extra mass won't be much of an issue.

[clofgreen]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Thanks again. You guys are a real help. I don't have much building experience so your comments are extrememly valuable.

Craig

[clofgreen]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Several people have commented that the back wall needs to be inside the vault or at least partially inside to keep it from falling out. I don't think I can make those cuts. So I am wondering if I could embed a wire or rod of some kind in the joints to secure the vault and back wall together?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

No wire! You can make the cuts, they are no problem with an angle grinder. It is not that the back will fall, it is that the seal is not the best.

[MetalHead]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Just look here.

http://www.youtube.com/v/eu5CNSBnRbg&autoplay=1

[david s]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Flue inside the oven chamber and no flue damper equals excessive heat loss IMO, but I like the idea of the tapered bricks and no mortaring.

[Derkp]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Craig,

My back wall looks just like your last rendering, except I used a stack bond, I would use the running bond as in the drawing. And as Tscarborough suggested. Give me a call and come up and see.

Derk

[clofgreen]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

Slight change of plans. I bought a 10" tile saw for $65 that works great. Also, my wife took a quick look through the photo gallery and her favorites are the ones enclosed in brick. Further, I bought 600 2.5 x 4 x 8 paver bricks real cheap (11 cents each). So here's the question from someone who knows next to nothing about masonry:

Can I use paver bricks to enclose my oven similar to the design here or here?

Craig

[Tscarborough]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

No. If they are paver bricks they will have spacers molded into the sides (1/8-1/4" ribs). They look pretty bad when used as face brick.

[clofgreen]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

No spacers. They are just a solid brick. Everyone around here just uses them as patio bricks but the ones they use on houses has three holes in the middle. I didn't know if I need to use the ones with holes or if the solid brick would work.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

There are no spacers on pavers here too.

They can be laid but are painful to lay for there is no frog or holes for the mortar to escape to when pushed together.

[clofgreen]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

I have another question: I plan to cast the chimney vent and use an 8 inch round clay chimney. I've read that rebar inside the cast vent has a different thermal expantion rate and can cause it to crack. Is it possible to just set it on a couple of angles that are set on bricks and let gravity keep it in place or should it be mortared or anchored somehow?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Continued Design Ideas

No rebar in the cast, probably need SS needles. Probably do not want the angles either.