Buttress the outer entry/arch

[Filthymutt]

Hi all,
Been away for a while. Took a vacation for 5 weeks away from Beijing and the oven but now I am back.
Gotten some work done in the last week and only a few chains from closing my dome now. The inner arch held ok, the outer entry is all mortared in and solid but I am wondering, before I start mortaring in the outer archway bricks, should I buttress the outer entry?
I mean you are looking at a stack of bricks 5 hich holding up an archway by itself. Is this going to hold? Maybe I should buttress. But how? A metal L bracket with some insulating board sandwiched in between? Or a stack of regular bricks perpendicular to the entryway bricks?

Anybody?

Bob

[Filthymutt]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Posted some new pics of the latest progress

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/memb...ing-build.html

[deejayoh]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Bob - I looked at your pics. Yes, buttress it for sure. that sort of axed arch has a lot of outward pressure. Metal L bracket will work, but since it's not your forever oven, I wouldn't be overly concerned about heat loss from your entryway - so you could just mortar a concrete block up to it.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Yes, you should buttress that arch. It doesn't need much but it needs something.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Agree with DJ some sortof buttressing needed but any of the ones will work. Btw Easter Island on the bucket list. How nice to have 5 weeks off. Your oven coming along nicely.

[Ken524]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Hi Bob,

Your progress looks great! Here's a pic of what I did. I used a heavy duty shelf bracket. There is insulation board between the bracket and brick.

[Toomulla]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

I cut a groove in the back of the arch about 25mm deep and set a threaded rod in the slot with a nut and washer both ends. I did this as a dry fit before laying the bricks and fitted the rod as I laid the arch. I did this to the two courses that make entry vault, on the decorative front I have the bricks as two half brick arches and did a similar thing in the joint between the two courses

[Filthymutt]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Thanks all, I thought so. I'll get the buttresses in before setting that arch.

[Filthymutt]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

Agree with DJ some sortof buttressing needed but any of the ones will work. Btw Easter Island on the bucket list. How nice to have 5 weeks off. Your oven coming along nicely.

Russell, Easter Island is a good trip. Not a big place, we saw everything in a couple of days. Not so mysterious as we are led to believe, based on what our local guide had to say.
PM me if you want details on how to get there, what to see, etc.

Cheers,

Bob

[Gulf]

Re: Buttress the outer entry/arch

I would set a decorative arch and side walls with a space on the sides. The space can then be filled with vcrete.

I would also move the vent a little forward and complete the exterior arch next to the inner arch.