And so it begins...

[NCMan]

Re: And so it begins...

The "exercise" is really good for some of us. Because, when the dome is done, it is customary to make at least one trip inside............... And that can be a tight fit .

Yet another reason to plan your door height and width carefully.

[hodgey1]

Re: And so it begins...

Great start Paul, keep up the good work. Soon you'll be enjoying some awesome pizza.

[paulthenurse]

Re: And so it begins...

So I had Monday off, Patriots Day is a Massachusetts holiday, it's also known as Marathon Monday. It was a tremendous success and a gorgeous day and hopefully it helped the city and the injured people heal.

I put the day to good use, drinking beer and pouring the insulating pad. In that order.





Now I need to find firebrick.

[paulthenurse]

Re: And so it begins...

So I've found a local source for firebricks. Sort of. The guy has what he is calling '#2 straights', 2" x 4 1/2" x 9" meduim duty firebricks for $1.50 each. He also has full thickness bricks that are 12" x 12" x 3" for $6.50 each.

So here is what I'm wondering...

Would I be making a grave error using the 12 x 12 bricks as the floor? I realise that laying the floor perfectly flat would be a bit more of a challenge. Or would I be better off buying the #2 straights and laying them on edge?

And... I can't see any real reason why using the thinner bricks to build the dome would present a problem other than requiring more of them. What do you guys think?

[hodgey1]

Re: And so it begins...

I cant see why the 12x12x3 wouldnt work as long as they are medium duty fire brick.

My calculations say you will end up with 3 or 4 more chains if you use the 2" vs the 2 1/2", because of that I would suggest going 2 1/2". If you choose to take the time to do it, I would recommend the method a lot of builders here have used where you make three cuts into one full sizes brick and end up with two bricks, each with a taper and a bevel reducing the amount of mortar needed and also a much cleaner fit and finished dome.

I used that method in the last few chains on my build and wish I would have done it for the whole thing.

[NCMan]

Re: And so it begins...

I cant see why the 12x12x3 wouldnt work as long as they are medium duty fire brick.

My calculations say you will end up with 3 or 4 more chains if you use the 2" vs the 2 1/2", because of that I would suggest going 2 1/2". If you choose to take the time to do it, I would recommend the method a lot of builders here have used where you make three cuts into one full sizes brick and end up with two bricks, each with a taper and a bevel reducing the amount of mortar needed and also a much cleaner fit and finished dome.

I used that method in the last few chains on my build and wish I would have done it for the whole thing.

I am about ready to start cutting bricks soon, too. Can you somehow show how those three cuts are made? I know I'd probably eventually figure it out, but the prospect of a neater build and less mortar is sure appealing to me.
Is it something that requires a jig?

[hodgey1]

Re: And so it begins...

Hello NC

Follow this link to the method. It works great.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...ble-16780.html

[NCMan]

Re: And so it begins...

Ok. Thanks. I'll take a look.

[paulthenurse]

Re: And so it begins...

Thanks for that link. That's good info. I'm still hoping for more input from experienced builders regarding the nonstandard brick sizes. Any more thoughts guys?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: And so it begins...

Paul,

My whole build was non standard brick sizes. They were 3" thick and 9" deep and widths from 2.25 to 5.875 and all tapered front to back. They were surplus bricks from a steel mill. There is no rule that says what size brick to use. It is like a big jig saw puzzle anyway.

[paulthenurse]

Re: And so it begins...

I guess that makes sense. Thanks.