32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

[Cheesesteak]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

My oven is floating on my insulation board. The insulation board is non-structural - so I'm not sure mortaring bricks to it would really do anything.

I don't recall seeing any oven built with bricks mortared to the insulation board.

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks Cheesesteak, that makes perfect sense!

In that case I guess the only thing I need to be careful of is that the mortar between the soldiers doesn't get sucked down into the CalSil board. I have noticed (thru dampening a scrap piece) that the board does not like moisture!

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

The board is cut and laid and the floor bricks are installed.

The board was flat enough that I didn't need to use any fireclay/sand to level the floor bricks so I placed them directly on top of the insulation board.

I hope that is OK!!

I decided for some reason to use half-height soldiers. They looked better than halves laying flat. It is only a 32" oven so I didn't want to use full height soldiers.

I am almost ready to mortar the first course! I am using the home-brew mortar mix. Never used it before so it might be interesting!

[kbartman]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Looking Good......Like how your floor turned out..... Look forward to watching your progress.

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks KB!

I finished mortaring in the soldier course - which feels like a lot of progress to me! Finally something permanent! No turning back now

I plan to address the "arch tie-in problem" by using an almost full brick together with a thin sliver where the reveal is - see photo. I will still have a single long joint there but it is only at the reveal and structurally it seems the arch base will be much stronger and better tied into the dome. Comments/critique welcome!

(Photo doesn't show the actual sliver I will use but you get the idea)

First dome course is next!

[Les]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks KB!

I finished mortaring in the soldier course

It's more like a half header course but it is looking good.

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

That's true! I guess half-soldiers are more like headers (but the army guys probably think sailors is a more appropriate name! )

My engineering brain didn't like how thin the sliver was so I angled the large brick as shown so my sliver is now a uniform small rectangle. I will use very little mortar to keep this reveal sliver in place because it is going to be exposed to a lot of heat and I don't want it to fall out (but no big deal if it does as it is easy to replace). I will also make sure I "trap" it well between the lower and upper courses.

[kbartman]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks KB!

I finished mortaring in the soldier course - which feels like a lot of progress to me! Finally something permanent! No turning back now

I plan to address the "arch tie-in problem" by using an almost full brick together with a thin sliver where the reveal is - see photo. I will still have a single long joint there but it is only at the reveal and structurally it seems the arch base will be much stronger and better tied into the dome. Comments/critique welcome!

(Photo doesn't show the actual sliver I will use but you get the idea)

First dome course is next!

Boe,

I would rethink the sliver. If you?re thinking what I think you?re thinking, the sliver will probably fall off leaving you no reveal. As far as tying the dome to the arch idea ?..?..... I received some constructive critiquing....... I have been known to chase a rabbit or two down the hole of no return as others followed..... Looking forward to what others may say about yours.

Made a little progress yesterday.......My idea of tying inner arch to the dome and staggering joints didn?t work as well is planned. The further up proved next to impossible.

Attached is the outcome, I settled for tighter joints verses staggering

You don't need to stagger them anyway. The dome is going to move and that line will act as an expansion joint, which will protect your arch from movement better than if you tied into the dome.

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks KB!

I appreciate you taking a look and giving feedback!

yes, I am also a little worried about the sliver falling off - although it's now 1" wide so not too tiny. I only have one per side (see photo). The one advantage I see of my design (actually not mine - idea is a modified version of an idea stolen from someone else) is that is greatly improves the buttressing of the arch. I think I am more worried about the arch falling down than I am about a reveal sliver falling off. So I need to decide.....

As far as the expansion joint goes - I will actually have one but in a different place from some others here. its is actually behind the reveal (see photo) and this joint will continue up and over the arch so I think it will allow for some movement. Again I am thinking that this design allows for a joint AND some buttressing... but of course this is all guesswork on my part!

I have been following your build but I have resisted commenting because I have no experience and only opinions!

But I will throw one out: I think your design will work fine - I have read a lot of brick oven design posts and have yet to see one that has fallen down after it was reasonably well built - expansion joints or not. I suspect you will get some cracks but they all seem to. Also I know of a pizza oven that was built very badly and it is standing fine (it doesn't cook great but that is another issue!)

Neil

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

After studying this all for a bit I didn't think I could change my design adequately without some major rework - so I went with the 1" reveal sliver for the second row. I may regret this later - in which case I will post that it is not a good idea!

I got the first real dome course complete. As you can see I did not attempt to make all the angle cuts which reduce the gaps at the back of each half brick and reduce the amount of mortar required. I have read many pro's and con's of cutting the bricks (mostly pro's actually!) - but both the pro's and con's seem happy with their oven performance in the end.

I am pretty pleased with how it is going. The home-brew mortar (3:1:1:1) is easy to work with. My goal is to reduce the amount of mortar facing the inside of the oven and so far that has been achieved (easy with only one course I guess!)

I am a bit embarrassed that my oven will never be as well made as many on this forum - but I can't afford to make this a full-time job. So I am leveraging what I hope is the best information here and hopefully making a very functional oven relatively quickly.

Thanks to all who contribute here - would have been impossible to make rapid progress without being able to refer to the thousands of pictures and comments here!

Neil

P.S. excuse the Duct Tape! It is to prevent mortar staining the soldier course bricks now that I can no longer remove my wooden form (holding the IT) without dismantling it!

[kbartman]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Neil,
I now have a better understanding of what you are trying to accomplish after seeing your pics the sliver's seem more substantial are of little concern from my new prospective........ As far as expansion joints in the dome and outer arch I have not given much thought or consideration.

My thoughts were building it well and as Utah put it, it would be determined by the WFO gods if my dome cracked??..Now I?m thinking cracks.

I have cut many predetermined stress relief cut into concrete slabs and sidewalks, Why not WFO predetermined stress relievers????????????

[Les]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

It is to prevent mortar staining the soldier course !

You are setting brick so the terms mean something to the real masons( which I am not - I designed printed circuit boards) A soldier is a brick standing vertical with the narrow edge facing you, a sailor has the wide part facing you. A stretcher is a brick laying down long ways. A header is a brick rotated 90 degrees from a stretcher. I hope I got this right - I would hate to send a newbee into the weeds

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Thanks Les

Believe it or not my day job also involves electrical engineering!

But i am a little familiar with the masonry terms - and I do indeed have half height soldiers. The half bricks are standing vertically with the narrow edge inwards. My sailor comment was a feeble attempt at a joke!

Neil

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

I have completed the second dome course. I am already starting to see inverted V's - wasn't expecting that so early but I guess with a 32" oven with no angle cuts it is no big surprise.

I have now reached the height of the vertical sides of the entry way (my entry is only going to be 10" high) The question now is whether or not I continue building dome courses or do I build the arch. I believe that the consensus on this forum is to build the arch next so I will take a look at doing that.

Comments and critique welcome!

Neil

[boerwarrior]

Re: 32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Third dome course done.

I was able to do one more course without doing the arch. I think the arch is next!

It is really satisfying smoothing the outside of the some and feeling how solid it is! (maybe I just need to get out more!)

Because of the inverted V's I did go ahead and start angling the sides of the bricks in order to reduce the amount of mortar facing the inside of the oven. As suggested by others in this forum I simply made one angled cut in each full brick so that I ended up with two half bricks each with an angle (needed about 8 degrees for this course)

You can just about see that the third course has smaller V's (facing in) than the second course.

Neil