Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

In my experience the angles are consistent as long as the brick size is equal across the course. Once i had the trim one brick to correct an angle or taper, it is difficult to get back to the consistent angle. If i cut the whole course first, and left room for mortar in the calc, everything looked pretty and ready.

My $0.02 on this is that if you make the bottom width of the new course the same as the top width of the last course you end up with the same number of bricks on both courses and a) your angle remains the same and b) you don't have to worry so much about staggering your joints!

of course, my sloppy mortar joints would always seem to mess up alignment for me - and I had a pretty imprecise jig system. But if you are being super precise with your cuts and are able to keep your mortar joints consistent it should work very well. I'd recommend trying that approach as the starter.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Dennis,

My build is in the early stages of the brick laying, what can I say, your done and cooking pizzas, my pizzas come in a cardboard box right now. Going to take all this in and plug along. I have never done any masonary so trying to be precise and learning a new skill don't seem to go hand in hand. My build is going slow right now.

[texman]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I would definitely try DJs approach, as he is spot on. My problem, i think is the accuracy of the cuts and once you get off, using the width of the bottom of the top brick the top of the lower brick gets crazy and then you make a cut to save a bond and it gets more crazy. The lower courses are easier and, IMO, get more difficult as you go up.
Russell, you have a much superior setup for the cuts. I used pieces of cut bricks and string and a porcelain marker. I wasnt able to use DJ's method because i was off before i knew that method.
Your patience will definitely pay off, just don't worry if you have to make adjustments as you go. It looks like you will be schooling us in no time. And as Gianni told me, it adds character to your oven.
Tracy

[deejayoh]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Dennis,

My build is in the early stages of the brick laying, what can I say, your done and cooking pizzas, my pizzas come in a cardboard box right now. Going to take all this in and plug along. I have never done any masonary so trying to be precise and learning a new skill don't seem to go hand in hand. My build is going slow right now.

Russell -
Please take my comment on precision as a compliment! I am super impressed with your build thus far. You've done some stuff I totally wish I had done (that jig comes to mind...). I figure if I there is anything that can pass that I learned along the way that might be useful, I should.

Personally I think I made a mess of the mortaring but the thing gets hot and it is still standing, so I am happy with outcome!

Dennis

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

You guys do know that when the real Italian builders "cut" or "bevel" a brick they do so with a hatchet most of the time, right? Basically they just use half brick and fill in all the gaps when done with a runny refractory mix.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Oh they keep the inside joints plenty tight, the oven just ends up looking like a porcupine before they clad it.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Putting along, did 3/4 of course 3 (course 4 if it were standard 2.5" thick brick). Drill holes in one brick, 0.5" from the interior wall and 0.5" from exterior wall for thermo couples (thanks to Karaga Dude's input). Have some 316 SS tubing that I may insert the TCs into but the jury is still out on that idea (any pros or cons welcome). I have flexible wire TCs with mineral coated wire and good to 2000 F. Just placing TCs to satisfy the tinkering side of my brain.

As suggested by Texman, cut my course 3 in segments, so far no adjustments need but a small angle correction might be coming up as I close this course. Jig is working as designed.

Installing the arch as I finish the course, making final cuts as I close as suggested by GianniF. Keeping an eye on small closure bricks (thanks Tscarborough).

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Hi Russell,

Looking good, I would put the TC's maybe in the next course so they would be a little higher up the wall I think at the 3rd course they are a bit low I put mine about midway.
The SS tube is a good idea if you think you might need to replace the TC's at a later date, if that is the case then you would need to make sure you can easily slide the flexible wire in and out.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Doug,

Thanks for the input. I will take you advice and move to the next course which will place the TCs about 11" up in in the dome wall and about center front to back. Appreciate the feed back.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Slloooowww, day today. Marrying the arch and course 3 kick my @#$, lots of trips to the HF saw. Now I understand GianniF's concept of "shaving" a brick. Came close to over cutting a couple times. Bet I walked a couple miles back and forth to the saw. But it is done. Having a martini now.............

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Why isn't the saw next to the oven?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

OK, take this as advice, not criticism, but the joints next to the arch are stacking vertically. Why not cut a few further away so that you are leaving the closer as a full or near full brick.

[flyfisherx]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

Slloooowww, day today. Marrying the arch and course 3 kick my @#$, lots of trips to the HF saw. Now I understand GianniF's concept of "shaving" a brick. Came close to over cutting a couple times. Bet I walked a couple miles back and forth to the saw. But it is done. Having a martini now.............

Russell, a angle grinder might prove to be a big help with those course to arch joints. I took mine out yesterday. What a big difference with precision. If you look at Gianni's build photos.....you can see the angle grinder in some. Try it out. Rough cut it with the HF wet saw and precision it with an angle grinder. It works wonders.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I wouldn't take them down, just note for the other courses.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Wood Fired Beehive in Utah

I just noticed those are the arch brick. In the words of Rosanna-Rosanna-Danna, "Nevermind".