Cutting Bricks & Angles

[Spinal]

Having trouble getting my head around the angle's I'll need to cut my firebricks...

Any ideas/advice or articles to read? I keep seeing the three-bricks method mentioned, but can't actually find what this is...

On a totally unrelated note, how do these arches/domes stay up?! I'm very impressed with the bricklayers skill...
Boveda catalana, (BRICK ROOF) construcci?n artesanal. - YouTube

M.

[SCChris]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

Amazing speed and skill shown in the video. as for the brick angles for the dome, you'll be happy to hear that fine tight joints and highly taylored bricks won't make a difference to the pizza you create. These features relate to how much time and effort that you want to and can dedicate.

The indispensable tool is cheap and easy to make and will make a difference to how much time and how nice and round your dome is.
highly recomended!

A 10" wet saw is another recomendation.

jcg31 has posted a very handy chart for angles.
again recomended.

I have a link into a tool that help me to cut the angles, but remember that I think wood wedges will work almost as well and will be cheaper and quicker.

here is the link.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...ool-12478.html

Chris

[Spinal]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

Thanks!

I've looked at the tool - thing is, I'm going with a fairly aggressive dome - so with a diameter of 44" or so, the roof is going to be 20" or so. How does the tool "adjust" to change for each row of bricks?

M.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

M,

Another option, I made an inexpensive brick cutting jig out of scrap stuff around the garage. Look at my thread below and look at post 64 and 90. It does not help you figure the angle but it does help you make a consistent bevel and taper cut. I used JCP31 table as a guide then do trial cuts and use my IT to confirm fit. Good luck.

[SCChris]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

The cutting tool as I used it just reflects the angle of top of the last course and the distance from the oven's vertical axis, and it could be adjusted to change the distance and/or the angle and this of course would change the dome. The I-Tool just spaces the brick so if it were adjusted slowly through the courses to be the 2 inches shorter that you want your dome to be lower, you'll be gold.

The link I provided was really ment to document how the tool works and maybe, hopefully, provide a foundation for those who follow. Remember that I'm a few years away from my build so I recomend that you work with those in the trenches, and mine the build threads. Dino's and Les's builds were my inspirations among others of course.

Chris

[dvm]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

Spinal

I am on the second course of bricks above my soldier course. I took a series of photos of the cuts I am making on my bricks here: http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/21/4...tml#post134262
If your saw does not tilt to form the bevel, you can create a jig to tilt the block instead.

dvm

[Spinal]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

Thanks!

I'm probably not going to use a wet saw, I just can't justify the cost! Even renting one is ?60 a day here ($100ish).

I'm either going with a hand-brick-saw, or finding a diamond-blade for my mitre saw... and maybe my grinding disk...
M.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Cutting Bricks & Angles

Spinal,

I am fortunate to have a wet saw, but Tscarborouh gave me some advice during my build that the important factor was tight inside joints. That said, most of your build can be accomplished without bevels and angles cuts and still get tight inside joints and use mortar to fill the outside gaps. That's how they use to build em.


From Tscarburough,

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.

Good luck with the build from over the pond......