Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Thanks for feedback on joints. Going to try and push the envelope for a tight mortar joint for the challenge. May change my mind if becomes overwhelming.
Russell

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Keep them as tight as possible on the face, don't worry about the backside, and when you do get larger joints on the inside, no problem.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

WFOs,

Been gone a week on R and R in Central America, but constantly thinking about my other girl (my WFO beehive ) at home in UT. Finished my thermal break in the floor and indecisive on whether to place a thermal break in the arch. Going to start my inner arch this week. Speaking arches I was inspired by these arches built by Spanish explores in the early 1500s while in Panama. Hoping my oven arch last this long............

Russell

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Nice photos Russell! I am planning a "voluntourism" trip to Ecuador this summer. Looking forward to seeing that part of the world

On your heat break - I'm planning something similar to what you've done on your floor - a piece of stainless steel tubing between the oven and vent floor. Can I ask what you have underneath the tubing?

Also - in the picture it looks like your arch is going to but right up against your dome, but I guess you are still thinking through that? It seemed to me that there would be much more heat loss through the arch than the floor (heat rising and all) so I ended up leaving about a quarter inch gap all the way around between my vent arch and inner arch. Picture is of the first two bricks in the arch. I will be filling the gap in both the front and the back with insulating materials.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi Deejayoh,

I am copying GianniF's taper arch design so it is kind of flush with the dome. That is why I am mulling over how to or if I thermal break the inner and outer arch. Been watching your build with interest.

I used some left over "Foam Glass" insulation from my hearth insulation under the SS tubing. My hearth insulation is 2" of foam glass with 1 1/2" CaSi board on top.

Thanks for the feedback,

Russell

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hey Russell,

Where did you get the foam glass from and how pricey is it? I am interested in using that in place of the vermiculite/concrete mix if it is accessible and not too spendy.

Thanks,
Nate

[texman]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell

Just in case you missed this like it did, let that first course float. No mortar between floor and first course seems to be consensus. Mortar between the bricks only for the first course. Take your time and you can get good mortar joints. Are you using the HF wet saw ?
Dry fit with the IT before setting the brick. Hand fitting and eyeball fitting will trick you. The IT will make the face of the brick face towards the center of the oven. I trusted my eyes a few times and mortared a brick and then clamped with the IT to see that the gap i thought was good had changed when the IT properly aligned the brick and the 1/8" gap became a 1/4" or more.
Good luck and enjoy your build.
Tracy

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Nate,

First, I stole the idea of FoamGlas for "Aegis", look at his thread for how he used it under the floor as well as the arch walls.

I modified my build a little by combining 2" foam glass with 1 1/2" CaSi board on top of the FoamGlas based on Aegis feedback on the FoamGlas having good compression strength but fragile to cracking or breaking or abrasion due to impact, thus the CaSi board on top as a protection. Also the FoamGlas will not absorb water.

Long story short, bought the FoamGlas and CaSi from E.J. Bartells in SLC. But it should be available at a refractory distributor. I would check locally. I understand from others that it foam glass does not ship well but since I picked mine up I cannot say for sure. The cost is based on square feet and thickness. Size is 18"x24", mine was 2" thick, seven sheets for my build and I think about $120.

Hope this helps.

Russell

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Tracy,

Thanks for the info, your feedback is timely. I am just finishing my base "ring course" around the floor and will be starting the first course shortly. I am using the old trusted HF saw and have been cutting all my angles for a 1/16 to 1/8" mortar joint. I am experiencing mortar joint creep which is causing me to adjust one or two bricks to make up for the magically growing mortar joint. Any tips on keeping the joints from growing? I am planning of using an IT which I have already built. Thanks for the feedback.

Russell

[texman]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I am experiencing mortar joint creep which is causing me to adjust one or two bricks to make up for the magically growing mortar joint.
Cut and set about 2 or three bricks at a time. Sounds like you cut the whole course and all looked good, right? I did the same thing. You can use a rubber hammer to encourage the mortar to squeeze out in the vertical joints and get them tighter. I started putting a thin layer on that vertical surface since i knew my joint was tight instead of trying to push large amounts out. Just make sure and not get aggressive and move an adjacent brick that is still wet with the rubber hammer. The horizontal joints will be easier, just apply a downward push on the brick and squeeze the mortar until the lower inner edge butts up (using the IT). HTH
Tracy

[Pompeii Nate]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Russell,

I have read through Aegis' thread a few times and thought about the idea but hadn't heard of anything out this direction so I hadn't really considered it too much. But now that I see you with it I will check it out up here and if nothing else, have someone pick some up the next time they come through up to Idaho.

Thanks for the input.

Nate

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Nate,

FYI, I did send you some pics of my early stages of my build to you gmail account. Let me know if you got them if not I will resend.

Russell

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Tracy,

Used you feedback with the rubber mallet and it helped alot with alignment and mortar gap mimimizing. Yes I thought I cut the whole course and dry fit and everthing look good until I started mortaring. So I am going to revise my thought process about cutting the whole course at once. This is why I think the forum is so great with all the help I feedback, why reinvent the wheel.

Russell

[Les]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I am using the old trusted HF saw and have been cutting all my angles for a 1/16 to 1/8" mortar joint.

I'm a little confused. If you are cutting your brick this accurate, why do you need mortar? I found that there is zero chance of cracks if you have the patience to cut them that accurate. I think I am around 3 to 4 years after the build and I have no regrets.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Les,

Hmm, now I am thinking over the process again. I have been able to get this close of tolerance so far but only on the base and first course, now bevels come into play. If I can continue to keep this close of tolerance then I need to rethink mortar or not. Thanks for you feedback.

Russell