42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I agree with the ark. I can say with great certainty that oven won't float. I have pictures somewhere on how I did my arch see if I can't dig them up for you. From my best memory I think the intersection from the dome to arch almost (again) almost got me into tears.

So like anything difficult in life...one brick at a time...and you'll do fine. :-)

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

OK cool...I made the form for the arch today and will I'll try that tomorrow, though it may rain again here. I think that I should just tarp the oven and start building an ark!

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Start with a whole brick, the longest one will be top dead center (TDC) of the arch. Use your IT to scribe the outer and inner dome radius and the slope of the IT rod to determine you top angle and the arc of the inner radius to determine your bottom angle. They are not linear cuts as shown in the link I sent you and change from brick to brick as move either side of TDC.

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I did the tapered inner arch years ago and it was well worth the effort. If I remember correctly the upper part of my arch was a full brick and that tied in my entrance.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

OK gotcha...looks like maybe 60% of a brick for each piece?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Dino's build pretty much outlines the tapered entry but I am talking about the inner tapered arch which may have evolved after Dino's build. A tapered inner arch will make the dome to inner arch much a smoother tie-in. Dino's tapered entry is great but no reason why you cannot incorporate the taper inner arch as well. Your build is at the right transition point to do this.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Thanks! Here's what I'm working with. It's Dino's build.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Here are a couple pics to show you the shape of the tapered arch brick, BTW they are more than a half brick. I have seen several incidents where builders try and make a half brick work and it just does not. The IT pic show the tracing of the outer radius of the dome. Good luck.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Thanks Russell! I'll try working with it. I set the bricks on the front landing to make the arch this morning, but when I did so, the chord height was like 4 1/8 and the wall height is 5 1/2 for a total height of 9 9/16. I understand that it should be 12-13". Hopefully this will give me a better height.
Paul

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Mira,

Here is a link showing how you use an IT to help make a tapered arch like yours.
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/oc...tml#post119582

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I've been trying to figure out how to do the arch transition and the thermal break just wasn't something that I wanted to mess with. I have a farm with a lifetime supply of wood. Faith's suggestion on cutting the corners of the entrance to the inside of the oven made perfect sense. I figure that today I'll cement the bricks on the sides of the transition, and then make the form for the arch.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Gudday
I don't have a heat break and don't miss not having one. The brick surfaces of the chimney and entrance are pre heated by radiant heat from the oven and the flue gases which is lost to the oven anyway. You only feel a change in temp in the outside of the chimney only after the oven temp has dropped below usable temps (120C) which for a normal firing is 24 to 36 hrs later. If you need to use it again a small amount of wood will bring it bake to baking temps in say 1/2 hr
Regards dave

[Gulf]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I also decided not to do a thermal break...sounds like too much trouble for not alot of benefit. If there are significant reasons for doing so, please tell me.

Mirassou,
I'm sorry that I can't answer that question honestly, at the moment. I chose to include thermal breaks at every juntion. I am just one of those "wish I had of done that types". I think that heat breaks are a modern twist too the pompeii oven. They worked well for thousands of years without them. I think that you will have a great oven with or without. If fuel (wood) is a expensive to come by, I think that every attempt to conserve the heat is warranted. I don't have a problem finding "free" wood at the moment. That may change though, as I get older.

Just sayin'

[Faith In Virginia]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

That looks very nice. I know you will be happy not to have that catch there.

For a general purpose oven I think I would agree with you about the thermal break. My oven is built for bread so the thermal break would be nice because I have to use just the thermal mass for baking so I don't really know how much loss I have there.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I also decided not to do a thermal break...sounds like too much trouble for not alot of benefit. If there are significant reasons for doing so, please tell me.