42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

[stonecutter]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I build domes in 2.5 days in warm weather, 3.5 in cool /cold weather.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

I used just sand to level the brick on the board. We have kyanite mines in VA and the kyanite sand is a by product of kyanite mining. It's a very fine sand that worked really well to level the bricks.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Thanks,
I'm actually getting 2-3 smaller bricks in the circle, due to mortar joints. I like the idea of the starter brick for the next row. I wonder if anyone has tried doing more than one row in a day.

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Ah yes, I read in someone's post that they also used sand to prevent the bricks from moving on the fiber board.

Gudday
That boards a good flat surface and now you have contained the hearth with a ring of mortared brick your good. When the ovens used any gapes will be filled with ash and be locked in.
Using fire clay and sand slurry is a way to level the hearth brick on an pearlite cement surface that wouldn't be as smooth as the board.
Regards dave

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Have you gone with cutting the bricks in thirds? If so, what row did you start with?

Gudday
It will be above the arch before you have to worry about that.
It's going to be a little different dependent on the internal height of your oven as well.
For now the only thing I could suggest is to start your first brick of every row at the back of the oven that way when you have to cut a brick smaller as the rows circle tightens it can be located at the sides and front. If you do cut a brick smaller to keep the vertical bonds from lining up they will usually be around we're you did they for the previous row. Sometimes it will be better to go bigger at this point rather than getting smaller and smaller slithers.
One piece of advice which I wished I had know was at the completion of every row to set a single brick for the next row, do when you start the next you have something set to start off.
Hope something here helps
Regards dave

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Ah yes, I read in someone's post that they also used sand to prevent the bricks from moving on the fiber board.

[Gulf]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

........... Hopefully by tomorrow it'll start drying out enough to permit the tape to stick...........

If not, some loose sand will keep it from sticking. It can be vacuumed out later.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Have you gone with cutting the bricks in thirds? If so, what row did you start with?

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Hey Cobblerdave,
Good evening and thank you...we're just getting up and it looks like it's well into the evening for you! I'm actually patterning Dino's build and was just looking at cutting the bricks that make the sides of the arch

[cobblerdave]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Gudday Mirassou
You got yourself a tidy little build going on there . Well done, I recon you done your homework.
Don't forget to ask a few questions as you go though. You got the dreaded
( shouldn't be ) arch transition coming so your work now will have a bearing on it.
Regards dave

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Thanks Russell, I'll do that. The cover board is pretty close to the edge, and I've been trying to keep the mortar off the board, but I'm sure that some would get through. Hopefully by tomorrow it'll start drying out enough to permit the tape to stick. I feel like I need to switch gears and start working on an ark.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Mirassou,

Just read your thread, great start. Here's a tip, mortar will fall into the gap between the floor and your soldier course which may limit the expansion gap and cause a possible cracks. Just run a strip of duct tape on the plywood and up the side of the 1st course all the way around the dome then the mortar won't fall in the gap. Good luck.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Finished half the second course and cut the bricks for the third course. Didn't realize that the drizzle would slowly thin out the mortar in the tray...had to add more dry mortar and gave up after finishing that batch of mortar....the weather won.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Despite the rain, finished the first course and cut the bricks for the second course. I'll have pix up when I can take the tarp off.

[mirassou]

Re: 42" Pompeii Oven in Virginia

Finished the soldier course today. This oven beat me up this weekend with the heat and back and forth between the garage, barn and oven. I also have four dogs and they seem to all want to poop around the oven area!