30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

[jms]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

I wanted to get two courses done today but only managed one. Not having a solid face to work from took up a lot of time, I mortared two bricks and then left them to set for 30 mins, otherwise they were just getting pushed around as I tried to add more.

Gravity was definitely starting to make itself known with this course. I might be able to do the next course without a support but I'm going to look at getting an exercise ball or making a form to hold up the later courses.

I'm really happy with how circular it ended up. The arch transition finished well so I'll take the arch form out tomorrow.

[mrchipster]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

I wanted to get two courses done today but only managed one. Not having a solid face to work from took up a lot of time, I mortared two bricks and then left them to set for 30 mins, otherwise they were just getting pushed around as I tried to add more.

Gravity was definitely starting to make itself known with this course. I might be able to do the next course without a support but I'm going to look at getting an exercise ball or making a form to hold up the later courses.

I'm really happy with how circular it ended up. The arch transition finished well so I'll take the arch form out tomorrow.

Set one brick on the next course up as the last thing of the day, by the next morning it will provide a nice starting point.

It is nice and round.

No rush to remove the inner arch form unless you want it out to aid in cleaning, just do not put any undue stress on it if you take the form out.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Also save you form as a template for your door.

[Bookemdanno]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

If you set a form in at this point, you can cut all the bricks one day, and then close the dome the next.
I couldn't get the exercise ball to match the radius well enough so i got happy with my jigsaw and cut loads of sections of the radius which i glued and pinned to a disc. Set this on some bricks to the correct height and carried on. It was a nice break from brickwork for a night or two as well.

[stonecutter]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

I wanted to get two courses done today but only managed one. Not having a solid face to work from took up a lot of time, I mortared two bricks and then left them to set for 30 mins, otherwise they were just getting pushed around as I tried to add more.

Gravity was definitely starting to make itself known with this course. I might be able to do the next course without a support but I'm going to look at getting an exercise ball or making a form to hold up the later courses.

30 minutes and the bricks didn't set? You must be soaking the brick too long maybe....even with cool damp weather that should not be happening. Try a shorter soak or just a quick dunk in the water bucket before you set it.

You work looks very nice though, keep it up.

Oh, and thanks for calling them courses...not chains.

[texman]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

I wanted to get two courses done today but only managed one. Not having a solid face to work from took up a lot of time, I mortared two bricks and then left them to set for 30 mins, otherwise they were just getting pushed around as I tried to add more.

Gravity was definitely starting to make itself known with this course. I might be able to do the next course without a support but I'm going to look at getting an exercise ball or making a form to hold up the later courses.

I'm really happy with how circular it ended up. The arch transition finished well so I'll take the arch form out tomorrow.

JMS

you are working fast. You will be done before you know it. I used the stick method on the last courses. They are just boards, or whatever you have that extend from the brick you are setting to the floor to hold the brick while it sets. It makes things slower but works well. you can set 2-3 at a time and then let them bond. Good job on the oven. Looks like you and your saw are getting along well.
Tex

[jms]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

30 minutes and the bricks didn't set? You must be soaking the brick too long maybe....even with cool damp weather that should not be happening. Try a shorter soak or just a quick dunk in the water bucket before you set it.

You work looks very nice though, keep it up.

Oh, and thanks for calling them courses...not chains.

No, maybe I worded it wrongly. I took two bricks and mortared them, then left them to set for 30mins, and they did. Then I used them as a solid start to do the rest of the course. If I attempted to do the course without the solid start they would have moved around.


Course 7 completed today. It went on really quickly. I don't think there was any slippage at all due to using a starting brick. I mortared a starting brick for course 8 so I don't have to tomorrow. I think I'll move to 1/4 bricks for the final courses.


When using a form/exercise ball is there any best way to mortar them? I think I remember seeing a build where the builder placed all of the bricks in place on top of their ball and then poured a runny mix of mortar into all the gaps. Or I could continue doing them brick by brick.

[stonecutter]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

No, maybe I worded it wrongly. I took two bricks and mortared them, then left them to set for 30mins, and they did. Then I used them as a solid start to do the rest of the course. If I attempted to do the course without the solid start they would have moved around.

O.K. got it. Something you can try is hold the brick on the dome as you set the next. You should not need to push against the previously set brick too much. Lateral pressure is an enemy of mason.

But whatever you are comfortable with is what matters.

[jms]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Almost completed the dome today, missing the keystone. I finished the last course just as it got dark (no picture) so I couldn't cut anything else. I removed the inner arch form and it all seems to still be standing .

I did the second to last course with the IT then used an exercise ball for the last. I tried to mortar the final bricks individually but it wasn't working, so I placed all the bricks in at intervals that meant all of the inside edges were hard against another, then I crammed mortar into the gaps. I think it worked well although I'll find out tomorrow when I remove the ball.

I'm pretty pleased with the inside of the dome. If I could do it again I'd put more time into avoiding straight joints.

I'm planning to do a 1.5 brick length outer arch tomorrow.

[boerwarrior]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Looks very good to me jms, congratulations! Nice interior brickwork! You will most likely get a few cracks, but you would get a few even if all joints were separated from each other. Nothing to worry about.

[texman]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Holy cow! your first post was August 2nd and 32 days later your are closing a very nice dome.

Dont let that get out to the world. You make a lot of us look lazy or inept, or both. I think it took me six months or more.

Very nice.

Texman

[jms]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Holy cow! your first post was August 2nd and 32 days later your are closing a very nice dome.

Dont let that get out to the world. You make a lot of us look lazy or inept, or both. I think it took me six months or more.

Very nice.

Texman

Thanks. To me it feels so much longer because I finished the plinth nearly 2 months before I started the oven. That two months felt like forever

[jms]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

I got the keystone cut and in place and cleaned everything up. The oven is small enough that I can reach the back if I stretch, no chance of all of me fitting in the door like with some bigger ovens

I had some unexpected things to do today so I couldn't get the outer-arch built like I wanted to, but I got the parts of the form cut.

[GIANLUCA]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Congrats must feel good soon you will be filling your belly with pizzas

[texman]

Re: 30"/760mm Scotland Pompeii

Congrats on the dome.

Tex