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**david s** · 10-17-2013, 01:53 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Originally posted by vincentvega_uk View Post

Just a couple of bits of advice I need:

If my calcium sil board does not sit flat on the vermiculite, what is the best way to even this out? My concrete is level and flat, just may have a small ridge or 2. I will try scraping them of first.

When the time comes, does the vent arch have to be built in fire brick?

Allan

you can use a 50/50 mix of sand and fireclay to even out the wobbly vermicrete. just wriggle the calsil board into it.
You do not have to make the entry from brick. It can be done in stainless or you can cast it using castable refractory. There may also be other materials that could be suitable.

**bobmurphy** · 10-17-2013, 03:03 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Very nice looking brick work on that stand. Have you done brick work before?

**boerwarrior** · 10-17-2013, 03:19 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

nice stand! I also have a brick base

some people level the surface under the CalSil, and others level on top of the CalSil before they lay the floor. I went with leveling underneath. I used liquid self-leveling compound on top of my concrete base (honestly I am not sure why you used vermicrete if you are going to use 4" of CalSil but you will certainly have extra-super-insulation!). The self-leveling compound made my floor perfectly level and after I laid the CalSil I could lay the floor bricks right on top with no further leveling required. Or as David S suggested you could use sand/fireclay under the CalSil.

**boerwarrior** · 10-17-2013, 03:34 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Oh I also meant to comment on the vent arch!

The path from the oven to the chimney gets really hot. I measured 800 degrees at the top of the vent arch once. That's not a good temperature for regular bricks from what I have read (I am no brick expert). Lower down in the vent arch it is MUCH cooler. But honestly the vent arch doesn't use a lot of bricks and it doesn't seem worthwhile to me to use regular bricks there simply to save few dollars (or pounds in your case).

The outer arches you can make with regular bricks no problem. Check out the front of my oven.

**Bookemdanno** · 10-18-2013, 10:50 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Hello Allan!

Nice base!

You'll be best off laying your floor/hearth bricks on a mix of homebrew or sand and fireclay, so that'll sort out any minor imperfections in the calsil. Get a 10mm notched trowel and lay the hearth bricks like floor tiles.

Good luck!
Danno

**vincentvega_uk** · 10-20-2013, 07:58 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Thanks again everyone for the recent advice.

Yes, laying bricks is my day job, so building a nice brick stand wasn't a problem for me.
Building the oven dome is still scaring the crap out of me though!
Obviously my job will help, but these ovens are so unusual in terms of shape and materials to building home extensions etc.

Anyway made progress yesterday. I got my cal sil board down on a dry sand/fireclay mix as suggested by David and others. It didn't take much but did even out a slight rock in the board.
I then tiled the firebricks in on the floor in a herringbone bond. Should I be concerned about the slight difference in thickness with some of the brick? There is maybe 2-3mm difference in height here and there which is just how the brick have been manufactured. Will the peel catch?
I then set out the dome and entry arch and made my entry arch form.
I have also made some templates for the dome itself as you can see in the photo. I am planning on using these as a guide until the bricks reach such an angle that they need supporting. Then I am planning to fill in between the templates with sand and compact. I can then finish of the dome.
Does this plan seem fine or am I better making a IT?

I then got the brick on edge round for my first course, then got 3 1/2 chains done. I have found that on the 4th chain I have had to put a couple of 3/4 cuts in to keep some sort of bond. I think I will have to start cutting all the bricks down in the next chains as the radius tightens.
I have left the arch and transition for now, I think it will be better to do this as I go rather than attempting to cut all the arch bricks first.

I have been using the homebrew mix which I found really strange. I found it to be very sticky and clay like.

Here are some photos of my progression:

Attached Files

**vincentvega_uk** · 10-20-2013, 08:02 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Thanks Boerwarrior for the advice on the vault. Firebricks it is!

Could I build a brick chimney on top of the vault arch? If I did the chimney itself wouldn't have to be firebrick would it?

And I think I would have to buttress the arch to stop any spread due to the extra weight of a brick chimney.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks

Allan

**Gulf** · 10-20-2013, 09:30 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Originally posted by vincentvega_uk View Post

......

Could I build a brick chimney on top of the vault arch? If I did the chimney itself wouldn't have to be firebrick would it?

And I think I would have to buttress the arch to stop any spread due to the extra weight of a brick chimney.

Anyone have thoughts on this?.......

Allan,
It looks like you are going to have a very long reach to access your oven. I do as well. That will most probably bring on plenty of discussion

. I built a full heat break around the oven arch and was concerned about the weight. Knowing that I was going to build a brick chimney, I decided to spread the weight around the outer arch(s).

I still built a facebrick chamber around the firebox (entry) and filled with vcrete for buttressing. Firebrick is not necessary for the entry and chimney. But, I did because I wanted to be able to use the extra deep entry for a fireplace as well.

I lot of over kill, probably

.

Joe

**Bookemdanno** · 10-20-2013, 09:35 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

The bricky skills are showing through!

As for the slight imperfections in the floor, try a peel or something across it, if it does catch you can dress the whole lot off with one of those masonry grinding discs.
I used an Itool, and then a wooden former for the top 3 or 4 courses, but your idea should work. Not used homebrew but it does seem very claggy and rich.
I'm sure you'll get a great result Allan!

**vincentvega_uk** · 10-20-2013, 10:10 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Hi Joe,

Yeah thought a lot about the reach, I knew it was going to be quite deep as I still have a brick and a half arch to build out of firebrick for the vault, then a face brick arch to finish it off. Like you say, similar to yours.
Im sure there may be another way to construct a vault to reduce the depth though!

Cheers

Allan

**david s** · 10-20-2013, 10:58 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Originally posted by vincentvega_uk View Post

Im sure there may be another way to construct a vault to reduce the depth though!

Cheers

Allan

you can cast the entry and make it really shallow.

**vincentvega_uk** · 10-22-2013, 09:10 AM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

If I would like to install a fire break in the firebrick floor at the entry to the inner arch, what would I use to make the firebreak itself?

Cheers

Allan

**jms** · 10-23-2013, 01:57 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

Originally posted by vincentvega_uk View Post

If I would like to install a fire break in the firebrick floor at the entry to the inner arch, what would I use to make the firebreak itself?

Cheers

Allan

Myself and many others have used a piece of stainless steel box tubing which we packed with leftover Calcium Silicate or Ceramic wool insulation.

**bobmurphy** · 10-23-2013, 02:56 PM

Re: My UK build is out of the ground!

I also wanted to do something for a thermal break. Of course I am not sure if this has any effect at all, but here is what I did. I did basically the same thing between the inner arch and the entry. Just a few cuts with the saw to lessen the surface area of contact. I'm sure it will fill with ashes, but still should help.

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