Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Aceves,

Thanks for the compliments. The biggest reward for me is to see more and more builders incorporating this design. No reason to reinvent the wheel whatsoever.

[aceves]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Hi Aidan,

Gianni is by far a master WFO builder; I'm just an apprentice. Did you see his cuts and his transition? Incredible!! He and Karangi Dude and Sharkey came up with the arch transition idea, I just borrowed it. So I give credit to those guys for their amazing design and skill level. Thanks guys!

As for building the arch as you go, that is what Gianni did. He built up his arch to attach to this rows as he was building the rows. I built my entire arch first, let it set, then I continued with attaching my rows to the arch. It worked out fine for me. I got a little bit of the droop at the top of the arch, but I didn't worry too much. My oven is still going to work good!

I say the method for building the arch is up to the builder's choice/preference. Do what your skill level calls for & just keep going forward - don't worry too much if a brick or two sets up out of place. Most of us are novices here, so perfection is difficult to attain!

Good luck! And post pictures! We all want to see your progress!

aceves

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

BTW wikipedia tells me that the native americans used to use soapstone for their pipes since it was a bad heat conductor

I looked this up, and find it very interesting. I imagine that soapstone's heat up/radiation characteristics have a different curve with a smaller, intermittent flame although it may be entirely possible that what the indians were smoking could have made them think it wasn't hot!

You can still do a first-rate job with an angle grinder, IMHO. You may not be able to control all the beveled cuts and tight joints, but many builders have made perfectly-fine ovens with bricks cut in half only.

[Amac]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Hi again aceves and Gianni (or John) I am just looking through your dome build again John - let's just say I'm impressed. I knew I had got that 39" idea from somewhere - only I decided to move out from 36". Also that Soapstone floor is just something else. I took the trouble to look up sources for soapstone here and apart from some artist suppliers - nothing. Google informs me it was mined (quarried?) in Co Donegal in 1896 - so I guess it is a firebrick floor for me. BTW wikipedia tells me that the native americans used to use soapstone for their pipes since it was a bad heat conductor. That sounds like the property of an insulator. Are there different kinds?
Sorry aceves for using this thread - but looking at you and Johns arches has made my mind a bit easier, Only problem I have is I am doing all my cutting with an angle grinder with a 9" diamond blade. It cuts pretty good but I doubt I'll be able to get fine cuts. So far I cut just enough for one row - maybe a little more - in half. But I will wait until I'm building before doing any further cuts. I have an idea now what I will do with the arch. It will be just over 21" at the bottom and about 12.5" at the keystone - but I will set up the arch dry with spacers in advance and mark for cutting with the IT so that I can hopefully achieve something like you guys did. Or should I wait and cut as I am building?

[Amac]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Sorry - of course I missed that - thanks to Gianni also - and thanks aceves for that comprehensive answer. At the moment with the atrocious weather all I can do is plan and paper napkins and such like are admittedly a feature, Yes I have been reading back through many of the tales and there are many paths it seems to the goal.
I will think on it again tomorrow and some more quetions may arise.
all the best
Aidan

[aceves]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Hi Aidan,

The previous poster was Gianni. He's a super-skilled builder and a great resource! Thanks for your post, Gianni!

Aidan, thank you for the compliments. But really, everything I did on my oven in terms of design and building, I learned from this forum. This is a great resource, full of information! So I compliment all the builders on here who were - and still are - always willing to answer my questions and concerns. So you should definitely ask away and they will help you with your build!

I did not use SketchUp. I did all my designs and calculations on paper, cardboard, napkins, etc... It can be done!

As for your questions: My brick size was 9x4.5x2.5 inches. It worked out for me to cut the bricks 5" on one side and 4" on the other, so with one cut I got 2 equally sized half-bricks. This worked great for the first few rows. I then started to custom cut my bricks according to the radius of the row, so I was making 3 cuts per brick to get slightly smaller half-bricks, something like 3.5" on one side and 4" on the other. The final 3 rows I was cutting my whole bricks into thirds, so I was making 4 cuts per brick.

I never cut a bevel to my bricks, and it worked out great. I only cut the angles. That was just my preference. For your questions about making a slight bevel with one cut, it can be done, but you will have to adjust according to your row, as each row will have a different bevel. I decided not to bevel, to keep my cuts to a minimum and to keep a consistent ring of bricks and mortar.

As for your question about the radius of my entry arch: the radius is 11.5" with the bottom length of the half-circle being 23". Note that this is the entry arch so it is slightly larger than the oven arch so I could keep a lip to rest my oven door on.

The height of my entry arch is 14". This means that the entire arch is 2.5" taller than normal. It is a perfect half-circle with 2.5" added to the base. If you look at the pictures it will make sense. The bricks at the bottom of the form added the 2.5" I needed to raise the arch.

I hope this helps. And please, ask away and you shall receive an answer from someone on this forum.

aceves

[Amac]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Thanks aceves
I downloaded sketchup last week and struggled for a while with it but it needs more patience than I seem to posess. I tried to make a hemisphere - got as far as a sphere with difficulty but maybe I can construct with individual bricks. I'll have another crack at it. I think I will need to work on my patience with this dome anyhow.
Do you need the pro version?
Aidan

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Aiden,
A 3"-brick will require a different configuration than a 2"-thick brick, especially if you wish to maintain a small, uniform joint size. Once you have the inner arch dimensions (including the shape if it's not a true hemisphere), you should be able to create amock up quite easily in SketchUp or something similar. I wish my bricks were 3"!

[Amac]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Hi aceves
Just started planning a 39" dome. Yours is one of those I want to aim for although you've maybe set the bar slightly high.
I like your oven entry arch and would like to attempt something similar. Without knowing your brick sizes (maybe I missed it somewhere). I find it hard to estimate the size. What is the radius of your entry arch. I also like the idea you had to cut the half bricks 5" on one side and 4". How did that work out? And is it maybe possible to add the side bevel also in a single cut, by having slightly less than 5" on the bottom and say slightly more on the top if you know what I mean? I'm finding it hard to visualise.

My bricks are 9"x4.5"X3" or the decimal equivalent.
Thanks
Aidan

[aceves]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

It's been a while since I last posted. Here's an update:

My electrical is 90% done and my roof is on. We were only able to cover half the roof in cement board before darkness fell. We were also able to cover the rest of the clay flue in FB blanket.

I also kept a little blanket for my oven door - my nephew is cutting and welding me a custom SS door - and the leftover FB blanket is going in the door (2 inches thick).

I'll keep working on the enclosure as time permits. Good thing is that I am curing (and cooking in) my oven, so it is a functional WFO at this point! Bad thing is that with vacation and winter, I have little time to keep working on it!

I want to complete this thing already!

aceves

[SableSprings]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

I finished my oven in the late fall of 2009 and recently baked loaf # 1,000. My neighbor and I bake about 25 loaves per week. We started using parchment paper early in our baking (under the "normal temp" loaves) and are extremely happy with the system. We did have one bread bake where I left an oak log burning and it left a strong disagreeable smell and taste in the bread...won't do that again. I now am convinced that leaving a fire (or even coals) in the oven is a BAD idea when baking breads (IMO).

I start the oven fire late at night before the next day's bake and put a good sized log in to bank the fire. Normally, my morning temps are about 200-250F the next morning and I can easily restart the fire from the remaining coals. I start feeding the fire on the hour from about 7 am to 11 am. I have learned that I need about four hours of temps > 600F to fully charge my oven for our planned bakes. I clean out the remaining coals & ash about noon, wire brush the hearth and then use my copper blow tube to clean ash from the cooking area. I close the oven for an hour to equalize and then we're ready to bake baguette type breads (from 550 to 590F). These are the only loaves I currently bake directly on the hearth. My 11-12 oz baguettes take about 15-20 minutes to finish.

When the hearth drops to 525F or so, I start putting in the sourdoughs and we continue to work down to the enriched breads like Challah and Finnish Pulla as the hearth gets closer to 400F. All the breads after the high-temp baguettes get a piece of parchment under them. I keep the used (and very brown) parchment for starting the next fire in the oven. I'd strongly recommend keeping hourly temp readings on your oven to determine how best to fire it for breads and other baked goods. I've included one of my temp charts if you're interested.

[david s]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

I find it better to have the bread on a tray. often the floor is too hot and the bottom burns if directly on the bricks. placing it on a tray takes the sting out of it and also has the advantage of letting it rise without disturbing it, risking collapse.

[aceves]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Hi Mike D,

Thanks for the advice. I'll skip the parchment paper and go for the loaf straight on the firebrick. I'm definitely learning as I go!

aceves

[Mike D]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

I don't think you want to cook your bread on parchment paper either. It would go straight on the brick like a pizza. The parchment might catch fire (if you have a log going).

Mike

[Lburou]

Re: Aceves's Corner 42" Pompeii Build

Looking good! Those first cooking ventures in the new oven are really fun. Glad to see you enjoying the curing process!