Texman Build

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

I reset the floor again and got better results. I had some corners that did not align as good as i wanted.

I built the arch first and then I did the first two courses and started the 3rd course which is where i began my dome curve. I used probably 3/4 of a full firebrick next to the arch on the 3rd to hopefully add some strength and get the bond correct.

I started using a hawk(board to put mixed wet mortar on) and that seems to help me. I can work the mortar easier and load the trowel better. I am mixing in a sawed off 5 gallon bucket that is about 5" deep. The alsey mortar needs to be set withing 15 minutes of mixing. I mix about 8 oz. at a time. I can usually get that used in 15 minutes. The mortar can not be retempered, so you have to mix small batches.

I cheated on the brick on the outside of the bar and paid to have it done, but, it is done. I can set my bar top now.
Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Looking good Tracy! I started my arch the same way you are doing it. Seems to have worked out fine.

I don't blame you for outsourcing the bar work. That's a lot of bricks.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

i think i am back to the point i was at post #71 and the "event"
Going well i think the second time around. Doing better this time on the bond. I still have to use small bricks, but don't know what else to do in those places other than cut all the course the same.
i plan to use the grinder on the inside inner arch and make it pretty once i get above the arch top.

Tracy

[Lburou]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy

It looks good to me! If you could see my dome/inner arch transition, you would get a big head

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

Looks good Tracy. It's at about this point that the bricks connecting to the arch start to dip a little. If you have a laser level use it like gulf did to keep those bricks on the level. Even if you have a toy laser I would tape it to a level because these bricks will fool you and you will have some unnecessary work later managing an egg shape.
Here is gulfs pic - I didn't do it and I had a small egg shape to contend with:

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

Amac
I know what you mean by "fool" you. Every time I set the bricks next to the arch, i have to make myself trust the IT because it just doesn't look right. Even then i purposely give it a slight turn up on the arch side. I want to try the laser, but i don't get where you mount it? I can't tell from the pics where the laser is actually mounted.
I was cutting bricks and cleaning up a bit and noticed this. See pic. Not sure how i managed to do this. Probably too aggressive on the spray bottle with water to clean and washed the mortar out. What should i do with this? The brick is solid and set but the mortar is gone on the vertical joint. I can slide the trowel about 3/4 of the depth of the vertical joint and about an inch into the bottom joint. I was thinking of forcing wet mortar in with trowel and fingers or maybe use an old toothpaste tube to try and force it in there. I thought about taking the brick out, but it is set and i don't want to cause another catastrophe.

[Amac]

Re: Texman Build

Every time I set the bricks next to the arch, i have to make myself trust the IT because it just doesn't look right

The only problem with the IT is it doesn't reliably get the height correct, and mine at least, could tilt slightly also.

i don't get where you mount it?

I asked Gulf about it and he said he set it up at the back of the oven. Maybe gulf will jump in here and clarify that.

As for the mortar - given that there are a few mortarless or near mortarless attempts on here I don;t think it is any problem. It is a very thin jont compared with mine. I can't remember if you are using homebrew. I would say if you do as you suggest and use a wet mix and a toothpaste tube or an icing bag you should manage to grout it up.
My attempts at grouting with a plastic bag with the corner snipped off were a waste of effort. I ended up grouting using a small pointing trowel, some wooden ice lolly sticks and the rubberised gloves till I wore holes in them

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy

Looks very good

On those joints, I had that issue too. What I did was take some of the mortar that oozes out of the back of the brick, the stuff that is a little dryer, and forced it into the joint with my finger. You are not going to get the whole thing filled, but you can get quite a bit into the joint

[Lburou]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy, I believe you are too hard on yourself. In my view, the 'errors' in cuts are so minor as to forget them in a month, and you will. Compared to my cuts, yours belong on exhibition in the National Museum of Art.

[Gulf]

Re: Texman Build

I set the level up in the back of the oven directly across from the arch. I had only about 3 completed rows so I was able to set the level in side of the oven. I could have set it up just outside the oven the way I tied the arch in, though. By that I mean that I began racking back. I layed the first of these rows just a little more than half way around each side toward the rear. I felt that this was far enough to keep everything stable. I racked back one bond on each row until I cleared the dome. Doing it this way allowed me to keep the level far enough back that the beam shown on both sides of the arch at the same time allowing me to get reference points to level from. Placing the level just outside of the dome would work as long as you leave enough brick out at the rear of the dome on that row to have a line of sight for the level. Just finish tying that row in to the dome before you complete that row in the back or you will loose that line of sight.

If you meant "how" it is mounted, I just set it on some full brick which I stacked up to use as a temporary base for the level. My level has a few inches of vertical adjustment built in to it. I just kept adding a brick to the stack on each row and the did the fine tuning with the built in adjustment dial on the level.

I only took a couple of pics while I was doing this and none of the wide angle shots showed the beam. That was probably because of the flash. That one pic that did turn out was a staged shot. In reality that row underneath would have been completed half way around and another brick layed on bond (not visible in this close up) would have been used to get the reference point.

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

5th is in. I bought a laser level, so i will see if i can figure out how to use it on the 6th course. All is level and round best i can measure so far. I only got to work Saturday and had honey dos on Sunday. I had to cut all these bricks numerous times, just didn't go smooth. Probably a sign of things to come as i am sure it does not get easier.
I just pushed mortar in the joint that was void with fingers, seems ok to me. I melted my old worklight and had to get a new one. I was trying to use aluminum foil on the old lite to keep the glare down and melted the thing. I have had my first curing fire.
Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

Looking good Tracy. Very level and uniform.

On the brick cutting, I found that the more non-standard sized bricks I used on a level, the harder it was to get the gaps right on the next one. And then harder still on the one after that. If I had it to do all over again, I'd only use the small bricks at the arch joints and make everything else even. But hindsight... I only figured out the right formula to use for the side angles on the last 2 courses!

Surprised to see you are still using the wedges. Seems like an extra step for each level. Is that to save mortar?

[texman]

Re: Texman Build

just to save mortar, really. I have 150# of the alsey mortar and by the time i pd shipping to replace the one i wasted on the rebuild, it came to $100/bag to order one at a time. So, trying to make sure i have enough. i just opened my second bag. I also learned during my deconstruction of the oven that the tighter joints had a lot stronger bond than the larger joints. May be because the larger joints hadn't fully cured and the smaller were more cured, not sure. Also, the smaller joints are easier to manage to me. The larger the mortar joint, the more the brick wants to move after i set it. The smaller joint squeeze is more predictable to me also. when i have a large joint, i tend to over pressure to push mortar out and have to start over on the bond because i pushed to far. The wedges are quick because i just use the pieces removed from the brick course i just set and break them in half basically. I like the look on the exterior(like anyone will ever see that)
I think you are right about the cuts. I am gonna set my bricks next to arch, and then get the uniform cut going, and fill in the gap between uniform and first arch brick, i hope.
I have been trying to set 2, no more than 3 bricks at a time. i alternate from opposite sides of the oven so as not to disturb the brick just set. My mortar time is 15 minutes and that is about all i can set with any accuracy in 15 minutes.
Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Texman Build

If you really want the spacing to be uniform, I found I had to work from one side all the way around. Working from both sides, that middle brick never turned out right. Somewhere around where you are now, I decided I had to bite the bullet and deal with a few aligned joints because it was getting to be such a pain in the butt to deal with cutting every brick.

I get your point on the spendy mortar. I used one $85 bag of HS50 before I switched over to homebrew. I think I spent about $50 total on that for the rest of the oven. I really can't say that I saw much difference given my amateur bricklaying skills.

[Gulf]

Re: Texman Build

Tracy,
If you are going to use the laser level you will probably need to set a brick on bond in each of these locations.

These two brick set with the I.T. are what I used to get the reference points from which to set the level. They both should be the same but I set one on each side to be sure. I then used the level and I.T. in combo to tie in to the dome. Then back to the refence bricks and from there just used the I.T. to lay toward the back of the dome. But not so far as to obsure the levels line of sight.