Mississippi 44"

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

I'll try and catch up a little on with the build thread. I've been working on the dome with what little time off I have had:

I knew that big ole HF wet saw box would come in handy

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

As I neared the top courses where it gets really steep I started running into some problems. It was taking too long for the bricks to set and to many support sticks to keep moving around the course. This was mostly because of my impatience and probably not mixing the mortor to match the cool damp conditions. The bricks were kept dry and the build is covered but, we have high humidity even in cool weather down here in South MS.

At that point I ditched the dome guage and tried a row using a method which I saw in a couple of builds on this site. That being using a jack to support a scaffold inside the dome.
EDIT: I learned about this method on Karangi Dude's build.
I have done a lot of reading on this site and absorbed a lot of information and who's builds that I did not give credit too originally. Please bare with me as I go back and give credit where credit is due.
Sorry that I did not get pics of that first couple of rows with this method but, here is what I did. I set three bricks in a triangle pattern from each other using the dome guage and stick supports. While these three bricks were setting I measured and cut a 3/4" piece of plywood in a circle that would just catch the inside edge of each brick. Supported by the jack, this platform would be my guage for the remainder of the row. This method and my time constraints meant dropping the platform and cleaning that row before continuing on to the next.

Three rows and a keystone left to go





Using the plywood platform the previous row. I precut the the brick including the keystone. My last row was apexing at the very center of the dome, so I cut them in half to allow for a proper keystone.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"
Hopefully, this pic will explain the platform more clearly. For the last 3 rows I installed another circle of plywood to hold the each row at the proper tilt. They were cut from 3/16th plywood.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

To bring me up to date. I now have a finnished dome for Christmas I laid the keystone about 3:00 pm CST on Christmas eve.


Now, on to to the smoke chamber, damper and chimney

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

As a final note for anyone using this method: Drill a large hole in the center of the last plywood circle all the way through the underlying platforms. This is to allow the mortar for the keystone an escape route. As I was pressing mine in to place it came to an abrupt stop about 1/4" from the gauge disc. This can be see in my inside pic above of the finished dome which shows up as a shadow between the last row and the keystone.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Great job, Gulf! That's a lot of cuts to stay on bond the last three courses. Not too long til pizza now.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Thanks GianniFocaccia,
I read your build thread along with all the others recomended on http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/n...res-15133.html I should have went back and looked at yours again on how to close up a dome. Now that's sharp. I agree with Karangi Dude "Pure Symmetry".

I have been cutting arch bricks today and building another arch template for my vent transition or fireplace, which ever it turns out to be.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

I have been cutting arch bricks today and building another arch template for my vent transition or fireplace, which ever it turns out to be.

"Company" showed up and I had to cut that last post off early.

I have knotched the bricks for the vent transition 1" by 1". I will set this arch roughly as the pic shows. It will leave approximately a 1/2" gap turning the corner of the inner arch. I intend to pack this gap on both sides with 3/4" ceramic rope insulation.

[IMG][/IMG]

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

For the transition arches and chimney I have trimmed the CalSil so the flu/fireplace can rest on the 4"'s of vermicrete.





It was threatening rain today so I could not get started on anything major in case I had to cover everything back up. I did a trial fit and layout to get an idea of where I was going with this.

Ya'll with the autocad could do this without getting out of your chair. But what is the fun in that
[IMG][/IMG]

I have a 36" fireplace damper laying around. To use it' I would have to take the side walls up as shown. (that would make a transition piece angling in either real steep or very tall)

I found a 24" damper which I can get delivered for close to 100 bucks. For the 24" I would arch the sidewalls in to that point before leveling out.

(either size means I will have to pour a larger 4" vermicrete base for it's foot print)

I also have a couple of ideas about homemade dampers. But I want to find out what is behind Brickies' video before I decide. It's my last day off until newyears so I have a little time to decide.

Saints are playin', I may get back at half time.

[brickie in oz]

Re: Mississippi 44"

I But I want to find out what is behind Brickies' video before I decide.

Ask away..

Either your entry arch is massive or you are useing small bricks and it gives it that illusion?

I calc it to be about 600mm high if the bricks are full size....

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

The Saint's are ahead 21 to 10 at the half

I got rained out around lunch time and had to cover every thing up.

I looked around the shed and found a bucket of brick dust that I had cleaned out of the drip pan dfrom the HF saw which had been laying aroud drying for a couple of weeks..
[IMG][/IMG]

I found the screen that I use to seperate the cat turds from my sandpile and with the use of an old window screen, began to salvage some fireclay.
EDIT: My recomendation for using this method to reclaim firecaly would be to alter the formula for home brew. A window screen will allow fine sand to filter thru. It will also allow sand sized firecaly to filter thru. After some experimentation, I adjusted my formula to 2-2-2 (2 parts sand/2 parts fireclay/2 parts mortor){Bricklaying mortor is roughly 1/2 portland and 1/2 lime with some additives related to type and brand}Just Say'n[IMG][/IMG]
IMG]
Got 2 and 1/4 bags out of that 5 gallon bucket.

[IMG][/IMG]

An added note: If I were screening brick dust for a living I would build a second screen out of 1/4" construction cloth and find a window screen made out of the old fashioned galvanized wire.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Why would you want a damper? If it doesn't go up the stack, it will just go out the front. Looks great other than that.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Ask away..

Either your entry arch is massive or you are useing small bricks and it gives it that illusion?

I calc it to be about 600mm high if the bricks are full size....

The arch you see in this pic is actually a trial fit of the vent/chimney transition arch. I may not be using the right terminology The arch shown wraps around the oven entry arch. My oven opening is approx. 20" wide by 12 1/2 " high. If the conversion chart I googled is right that would be 508mm wide and 317.5 high.

About that damper. I am familiar with fireplace chimney dampers (throke stile). I have also seen the type damper (via internet only) that goes on top of the flu. I am interested in the design of the damper which you featured in the video. I assume that it is a sliding or knife valve so to speak. Could you explain and/or better yet offer a pic or two on how it works?

Also, to quote Tscarborough: (Since this is on the same note)
"Why would you want a damper? If it doesn't go up the stack, it will just go out the front?"

I may be gettin barrell vaults mixed up with pompeii ovens. But, I think that I read a few posts where someone felt that the damper helped them tune their pompeii to the "sweet spot" where heat/smoke flowed up the chimney and not out the front conserving as much heat as possible for the warm up.

I would like to incorporate a damper in with my pompeii oven if it is benificial. If not I would like to skip this step.

Any and all recomendations are very welcomed.

[Gulf]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Why would you want a damper? If it doesn't go up the stack, it will just go out the front.

One more reason that I am exploring the idea of a damper is for smoking meat. I figure that (with a controllable vent type door for the outer arch) the fireplace/vent landing area could be used as a smoking chamber. I don't know if the damper would aid in this or not. But,I am probably going to incorporate some kind of damper into the build just for experimentation or for fear of the (wish I had done that syndrome)
Damn, it started out so simple, It was going to be a cob oven

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: Mississippi 44"

Great idea.

Only down side I can think of would be the extra reach needed to get pizzas in and out.

If you had a removable damper you could hang bigger stuff down the chimney

I once had a slow roasted leg of lamb cooked on a chain hung in chimney in Istanbul.