Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

[boerwarrior]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Hi Keith, you're making progress!

My opening size is exactly 10X16 ! However I need to warn you that I haven't fired mine yet and I am little concerned that it may be a bit small, especially since I read that surprisingly with the smaller ovens it is harder to get the air flow correct.... But like you I also don't want it too big.

I only tapered the arch a bit - down to about 9 1/4 inches high on each side. I plan to make a test fire this coming weekend so I can let you know how it performs then!

Neil

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

thanks for the quick reply! that would be great if you could let me know, i would be happier personally going for 18" wide but concerned about heat loss, although i am building mine as a full arch so that would reduce the area of the opening somewhat right? i am considering upping the internal size to 34" then maybe i could widen the opening a touch!

[david s]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

thanks both,

dave, thanks for that study interesting reading, so would you recommend leaving the slab covered for a week prior to starting the dome construction? and also do i need to mix it by hand or could a cement mixer be used for larger amounts?

neil, i think i've decided to drop the xtratherm now i'm not convinced its upto the job and not worth risking but i'll have a search for that thread it will be interesting to know how much heat will seep through as i have the concrete flags below which ideally don't want to much heat on them!

Keith,
Because the vermicrete contains so much water i don't bother covering it for a week to retain that moisture. There is way more than enough there for the hydration process. Regarding the mixing I have tried using a mixer, but it really sticks to the mixer and makes it difficult to clean as well as creating volume reduction because of the abrasion. I prefer to mix in a barrow or bucket, where you can see the stuff easily. I usually find a 20 L bucket, a sturdy stick and mixing batches of 10 L at a time works pretty well, mixing the cement in dry first then adding the water.

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Hi david, what's your opinions on oven opening size (width)? You have a smaller oven don't you? What size is your opening do you find it ok?

Keith

[david s]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Hi Keith,
my oven opening is 400 x 160 mm, just big enough to fit a 5 Kg turkey in. Quite wide enough for good access to the oven, but the downside is that it probably loses more heat out the door. I can crank out 90 sec pizzas all night by maintaining a fire on the side during pizza cooking and with an insulated door it's fine for roasts for the family or a few loaves of bread.
A wider opening gives you better access but more heat loss; a narrower opening retains more heat but is more pokey to operate. We often light our oven just for comfort so we like the wider opening.i have a very shallow entry so the fire is closer to the front of the oven, my footprint is square.

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

hi

david - sounds like you have a mean oven i hope mine operates that well!!
so your opening is 160mm high? is that not abit of a squeeze getting a turkey in?

i have now decided i am upping the oven size to 34" and going for a 18 by 11 inch arch opening! it's tight for room but i'm pretty sure i can fit it on! i'm going to have 7 1/2 to 8 inch either side after my brickwork to fit insulation and render finish in thats should be ok shouldn't it?

anyway tonight i have drawn out a template on 6mm ply for my oven bottom and opening and landing so i can now lay my storage heater bricks out and trace round it then get cutting!!

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

a few more pictures! got the floor in today, the arch built and the first course round. i went for a half soldier course for the first course as i thought a full brick was too high.

the next tricky bit i'm thinking is going to be the transition over the arch!! i can't quite get my head around it yet but, i think it will become more clear when i get up there. i will have to cut the angle off the back of the arch bricks in situ as i didn't know what angle or how much too cut off them as i was building it

[boerwarrior]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Looking good, Keith!

I also used "half-height" soldiers and so far that seems to have worked well.

I also built my arch-dome transition in situ. It was tricky and I ended up with some gaps and "crevices". SableSprings recommended that I fill these crevices before continuing and that is what I did. His post is here:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/32...tml#post153034

So if possible try and avoid getting deep crevices when you do the transition. There are plenty of posts in this forum that show very nice dome-arch transitions. Good luck!

[david s]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

hi

david - sounds like you have a mean oven i hope mine operates that well!!
so your opening is 160mm high? is that not abit of a squeeze getting a turkey in?

Yes it is a squeeze. Like I said I can just fit in a 5 Kg turkey. My oven has a floor area the same size as a standard domestic oven, but it's fine for cooking roast s for our family or as many pizzas (one at a time) as you want.

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

hi got behind on the updates abit! this last week i have managed to get the dome completed! i'll pop a few photos up of along the way!



dome to arch transition wasn't as bad as i thought it was was going to be! i angled some off the back of my arch and shaped a brick either side in to the arch, had to mortar the middle in a bit as the bricks didn't quite meet the arch on the line of my indispencible tool, if that makes sense!


next i made some forms out of the kingspan i had


then filled inbetween with expanding foam, which when set i cut to the shape of the dome to create the form, it worked a treat!


and finally a finished dome!

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

got the forms took out this morning and tidied up the bricks inside. i rushed finishing abit as i wanted to close it in the few hours i had after work, but i'm fairly pleased with the out come, after all i was going for a rustic look! and it was never going to be perfect using the old red bricks! i cut all the bricks with a hammer and bolster basically to save on time, noise and most of all dust, some of the cuts could probably have been better!



next up is the landing and chimney and hopefully it will stay dry for the next few weeks here so i can get the curing fires underway then get it insulated and rendered up!

[boerwarrior]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Hi Keith

it is looking good! I'm glad you found a good use for that XtraTherm

Nice dome interior! You'll be curing in no time

Neil

[Sharkey]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Nice looking dome for hammer and bolster cuts only.

It could probably be called 'old-school'. I like it.

[SAGGY470]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

Looking good, new to the forum and trying to ind som uk guys to get more local ideas

[kstronach]

Re: Keiths 32" build in north yorkshire uk

a couple more updates . . .

got the flue set in place now. i shuttered the gap in between my front and back arch and filled with a mix of sharp sand vermiculite lime and cement angled into the flue.



tonight i have insulated the dome, not as bad as i thought it was going to be! i ended up cutting triangles out and the pinning back together with bits of wire, worked rather well! ive got 4 inch of ceramic blanket, the last layer is abit patchwork in places and i had to use a little bit of rockwool to finish off as i had used every scrap of the CB!

next step is mesh it over then get a render coat slapped on! went to the builders supply today and got a roll of chicken wire. i thought this would be easier to use on the dome than the proper expanding metal, however the exp metal is thicker gauge so the render has more to get hold of so to speak so i may now go back and get some of that instead! what mesh did others use and did it work ok?

keith



ps . . i know its not the most attractive flue but it was free so that works for me!!