Finally finished building the dome but now?

[ja1724]

I finally finished the Pompeii style dome on Friday. I have a 'possible' pizza party scheduled for the 22nd. I will let it sit for a week probably with a shop light inside it to at least begin some of the drying. It had styrofoam forms with sand holding them and the sand got soaked due to rain. I plan to do the proper slow curing process.

My questions are:

1) I'd like to get inside the dome and 'grout' any open joints with heat stop or is this not necessary (I'm no mason and it is FAR from perfect)?

2) I have two rolls of fire blanket that I plan on covering the dome with then layering vermicrete on top of that. Should I just layer the blankets on and use that way and after the party install the layer of vermicrete?

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated by this noob.

[Mingy]

Re: Finally finished building the dome but now?

I finished my dome a couple weeks ago (I did nopt use forms) and I mixed up some refractory mortar and applied it by hand whereever I didn't like the looks of the joints, which was only a few places. After I let is set for about an hour, I sponged off the joints using the same technique as if I was grouting tiles. I had used this approach while building the oven, so it works ok.

When I applied the insulation, I was worried about it getting rained on, so I immediately covered it with chicken wire and castable insulating cement. I have not fired my oven yet, so everything remains covered in a tarp while I build the rest of the structure and roof.