Texman Build

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

who knows - its probably unlikely now - but the promise of a texan beer could tempt me.
anyhow glad to be of some assistance - I owe a lot to this forum - time to pay back a bit I guess.

Beer and Pizza on me, airplane tickets on you.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

I am glad you pointed that out. I had been using the IT to measure the top center of arch and trying to figure out how to measure around the arch. So yes, i was doing it, but didn't know i was. My thick head never thought to SIMPLY tilt the brick
Thanks a million. I knew i had some arch transition problems, but couldn't figure out a good way to mark them. This will work.
you can see my missed cuts where my dome meets the inside of the inner arch. Also, as you asked earlier about not building arch yet. Glad i didn't now. I think i can mark the unset arch bricks and recut them on wetsaw, and correct the arch bricks that are set with the angle grinder.
Tracy
PS Good eyes! I owe you a beer if you ever come to Texas.

I think this is what you were trying to get me to understand?
it looks close, just need to make some minor adjustments i think. the biggest errors in cuts are on the lower part of arch bricks already set. should have known that since i could see it as i set them.

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

I owe you a beer if you ever come to Texas.

who knows - its probably unlikely now - but the promise of a texan beer could tempt me.
anyhow glad to be of some assistance - I owe a lot to this forum - time to pay back a bit I guess.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Nice location tracy - you can virtually ignore the vagaries of the weather, and don't have to constantly drag a tarp on and off.
Use the IT while you are building the arch. If you can remove the clamp and rotate the angle around the arch it will be a good guide that it will (should) align with the dome wall. Come to think of it I guess that is what you are doing with that brick in the clamp. Thats an even better idea
Nice work - keep it up
Aidan

I am glad you pointed that out. I had been using the IT to measure the top center of arch and trying to figure out how to measure around the arch. So yes, i was doing it, but didn't know i was. My thick head never thought to SIMPLY tilt the brick
Thanks a million. I knew i had some arch transition problems, but couldn't figure out a good way to mark them. This will work.
you can see my missed cuts where my dome meets the inside of the inner arch. Also, as you asked earlier about not building arch yet. Glad i didn't now. I think i can mark the unset arch bricks and recut them on wetsaw, and correct the arch bricks that are set with the angle grinder.
Tracy
PS Good eyes! I owe you a beer if you ever come to Texas.

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

Nice location tracy - you can virtually ignore the vagaries of the weather, and don't have to constantly drag a tarp on and off.
Use the IT while you are building the arch. If you can remove the clamp and rotate the angle around the arch it will be a good guide that it will (should) align with the dome wall. Come to think of it I guess that is what you are doing with that brick in the clamp. Thats an even better idea
Nice work - keep it up
Aidan

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

I have had that nightmare, and the one about burning your house down. All for the cause, good food and good times.
i now have version 3.0 of the IT. I think the third time is the charm, as usual. I moved the clamp position, and added relief straps on top and for brick face. It is as centered in brick as i can do. I decided i like having the clamp mounted to the IT and the screw clamp. Very solid and can clamp with one hand.
I think the next step is build the arch. I am running out of excuses not to.
I mocked it up and if i can set it as good as the mock up, i will be very pleased.
As a friend told me, " it is good enough for who it is for."
tracy

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

There is the oven of your vision and the oven you build. One is perfect and the other one is the one you build.

Then there is the oven of your nightmares - it collapses in a heap of rubble - hope it's not the one I built

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Laku
So True!

[Laku]

Re: Texman Build

Then there's the one you could build after you've finished the first.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Most of us would prefer to not know exactly how bad a bricklayer we are - completed domes hide a multitude of sins
I found the few times I relaid bricks that I had to do them 4 or five times - scraping off the mortar each time before I was happy - so I was not so fussy in the end.
Looks pretty good - how do you find building the arch as you go. It was the first thing I did and I found it useful to have something stable to butt each course up against - but others prefer that method.

Amac
I was thinking that building the arch as i go would allow for tweaks if necessary. Now that i somewhat over the fear of mortar(permanence of mortar), i think i could go ahead and finish arch. It would be good to have something stable to push the first brick against. The inside of my inner arch is not as perfect in the transition to the wall as i would like. I am thinking that i can tweak that with the angle if i deem necessary.

I followed Octoforno and your example (i thought) but am a little off. I have learned this: There is the oven of your vision and the oven you build. One is perfect and the other one is the one you build.
Tracy

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

The proof of the tool accuracy is when you start the next course above the previous angled course. If it doesn't line up with the top inner edge of the brick below, the tool is off.

That's correct Tracy. In your case the shortest line to the centre would be the lower edge - so the each succeeding row would tend to overlap the lower one slightly - but as you say wrong grip on the clamp etc can also cause similar effects.

I found out what kind of brick layer i am and also that i need to be a better one in places.

Most of us would prefer to not know exactly how bad a bricklayer we are - completed domes hide a multitude of sins
I found the few times I relaid bricks that I had to do them 4 or five times - scraping off the mortar each time before I was happy - so I was not so fussy in the end.
Looks pretty good - how do you find building the arch as you go. It was the first thing I did and I found it useful to have something stable to butt each course up against - but others prefer that method.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

more pics
pic 7 course three laid. Fighting the bond joints. So much to keep up with.
brick alignment, bond alignment, mortar mix, dont move the brick you just set, dont let the mortar dry out, make a pretty oven (drink beer)

pic 8 ready for the next course

elsa-new german shepherd puppy. i am as tired as she is!
Tracy

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Glad to sit down for a while. Made decent progress this weekend, i think. i learned much this weekend. The real work starts when you start the dome curve. For me, that was the third course. Thank you to Amac for pointing out the problem with the IT. I may make a third revision of that for the next course, but i think it will work either way.

I removed about 8 or 9 bricks and 2 from the arch because i thought that the angle was off. My angle isn't perfect because of the IT problem, but i think maybe a perfect IT centered would change the angle maybe a 1/16". Don't know if that is worth worrying about after laying a "real angled" course. The proof of the tool accuracy is when you start the next course above the previous angled course. If it doesn't line up with the top inner edge of the brick below, the tool is off. That is what happened i thought. that is why i removed the 8 or 9 mortared bricks. What really happened, i think, is that i placed a brick in the IT at the wrong angle and tested the alignment. I then believed my angle was wrong and removed the mortared bricks. I relayed them and did the same test and the alignment was wrong again. then i noticed the brick was not in the tool at the correct angle, which caused the error. Lesson, be sure of your IT before depend on it. Use shims and test alignment on each succeeding course.

I am some what glad i took the bricks apart. I found out what kind of brick layer i am and also that i need to be a better one in places. i also learned the importance of consistent mortar mix, moist bricks and compression of the mortar joints to remove voids. I am using Alsey flue set and the mortar needs to be used within 15 minutes of mixing, after 15 minutes, the mortar will not compress to achieve consistent mortar joints. As a newbie, i think i should have mixed some test batches and then taken them apart to see what a good joint looks and feels like. now i know at least more than i did. some joints were only bonded on one side(dry brick below) is suspect. pic wfo1, wfo2, wfo4, wfo5.
I relaid the removed bricks and cut the remainder for that course. pic wfo6
It is exhausting working on the rear of this oven! no room and i have to get in the oven to get comfortable reach. i am spraying the layer blow with water as i go, since i cant dip those bricks in water after they are set. they need to be moist just like the brick you are setting. keep bricks moist and use consistent mortar! (drink beer in between mortar batches)

Tracy

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Amac

i modified the IT and used it this weekend. I have gone from too low to too high on the center placement. IT is working, but caused me some problems this weekend. I removed several bricks that were mortared the night before because i was convinced they were at the wrong angle. I really think it is the tool not being centered and not having the brick placed properly in the tool. The relief spacer(piece welded to inner side of angle iron) should be at the top of angle iron, that would be better. I think it will work, after this weekend of use. The next layer is lining up good looks like( 2nd pic) thanks for the help!

Tracy
will post progress in a few.

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

The angle iron is too wide and interferes with the adjacent brick and the clamp throat is too deep and protrudes to interfere with the brick below it

Also the shaft should attach at the centre point (top to bottom) of the angle iron. It means that a line through the centre of the brick will point at the dome centre. Yours looks like it is a little low, meaning the brick will "lay back" a bit. Not a major problem - a different design which a lot of people use is just a flat board with a block screwed on underneath and it seems to work OK (it would have the opposite effect) - but having gone to that much trouble why not. There is a cheap quick release clamp which doesn't need screwing to tighten or release - it might be better (Irwin is the make I used).
I would think the use of the slices in the "joints" will not cause any problems other than they might be finicky to mortar in.