Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Imperfect Dome

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Imperfect Dome

    After a winter break, I have just laid the soldier course on my 45 1/2" oven. I laid the bricks outside the floor to give me a bit more cooking room. Luckily, the height of the soldier course above the floor is equal to a 1/2 brick. However, I am finding that my soldier course is not a perfect circle. The question is, should I lay the remaining courses based on the existing inside edge of the soldier course (and continue the non-perfect dome) or, using the IT, lay the remaining courses in a more perfect radius from the center?
    Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

  • #2
    Re: Imperfect Dome

    G'day
    With 50/50 hindsight you should have used the IT to set that first course, but your here now. Personally I would set up the IT and creep the dome back into line. I'm sure it will still be quite strong these domes are not huge structures. As for it being noticeable at the end in reality it is really hard to see the inside of the dome in a fully constructed oven anyway. So as the owner of a less than perfect dome I recon you'll get away with it as pizza cures all ills
    Regards dave
    Measure twice
    Cut once
    Fit in position with largest hammer

    My Build
    http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f51/...ild-14444.html
    My Door
    http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...ock-17190.html

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Imperfect Dome

      I agree with Dave (Dave is one of the pro's on this site and he is pretty much always right!) - 'creep' it back into round. I got my oven out of round at about the 5th course and I brought it back into round over the next few rows. You cannot tell by looking inside that it is an oval half way up!

      What you DON'T want to do is make any 'sudden' transitions where you have a large internal 'lip' sticking out.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Imperfect Dome

        I had thought about the "lip" option, but I'll do it gradually. Thanks for the help.

        Mark
        Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Imperfect Dome

          Hey Guys,
          I am new to this stuff and studying every detail... Should the soldier be on the Fiber Board...perhaps in your photo there is insulation underneath the soldier course. Just wondering. I keep reading that nothing should be touching cement as it will bleed heat.

          I agree to use the IT to get in into line.

          Looking good.
          Darin I often cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food... WC Fields Link to my build http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/4...-ca-20497.html My Picasa Pics https://picasaweb.google.com/1121076...eat=directlink

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Imperfect Dome

            I am about ready to start cutting my bricks using the Chipster jig. I am not a 3D person and it's taken me forever to get things lined up correctly. I am confused about the cutting the bevel. I am assuming that I cut the tapered sides first and then go back and cut the bevel on the inward facing side at the given angle?
            Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Imperfect Dome

              I am about ready to start cutting my bricks using the Chipster jig. I am not a 3D person and it's taken me forever to get things lined up correctly. I am confused about the cutting the bevel. I am assuming that I cut the tapered sides first and then go back and cut the bevel on the inward facing side at the given angle?
              Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Imperfect Dome

                Sandy,

                I am not sure I follow you. There should be no cutting of the inside face of the brick. The angle is set by the IT and inside face of the brick should be perpendicular to the pivot point on the floor. Mr. Cs jig should cut both the taper and bevel on the sides of the brick in one cut. Maybe I am missing something here.
                Russell
                Google Photo Album [https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...JneXVXc3hVNHd3/]

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Imperfect Dome

                  You did answer my question. I read the chipster directions as to cut the taper AND the bevel on the sides. However, when I started to cut, I couldn't figure out why the bevel would be needed on the side. I thought I mis-interpreted and that the bevel should be on the inside face. You've cleared it up.

                  I am assuming the bevel on the side makes for a tighter joint?

                  Mark
                  Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Imperfect Dome

                    That is correct, tighter joints and min. the inverse "V" on the vertical joints. Using DJ dome calculator helps you with the baseline taper and bevel angles for each course. Don't cut a whole course at once, cut 3-4 see how they fit and make adj. as needed.
                    Russell
                    Google Photo Album [https://photos.google.com/share/AF1Q...JneXVXc3hVNHd3/]

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Imperfect Dome

                      Haven't been able to eliminate all of the V's. Some bricks seem better than others. The various jig settings remain constant for each chain. I can't figure out why I don't have a tighter fit.
                      Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Imperfect Dome

                        Up to the 5th course and need to start considering the opening. Do people feel it's easier to create a separate arch and opening to the oven or somehow incorporate the opening into the dome?
                        Mark in Sandy Springs, GA

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Imperfect Dome

                          Originally posted by SandySpringsPizza View Post
                          Haven't been able to eliminate all of the V's. Some bricks seem better than others. The various jig settings remain constant for each chain. I can't figure out why I don't have a tighter fit.
                          One thing that helped me is to purposely cut the bricks at a lower angle in the radial direction, so that there is a gap opening up towards the outside of the dome. This V is invisible because you set another brick on top of it. When I tried to get this angle close to the theoretically correct number, I found that after a few bricks, the accumulated error would lead to a gap on the inside. So, I tried to shoot for 1/8" opening at the outside of the dome, but found that a larger gap makes things even easier.

                          I kept reducing the brick size for the first eight or nine (I don't exactly remember) courses so the joints would be staggered. If you do this, the spreadsheet will not work. You have to reduce both angles significantly from the spreadsheet numbers because you are using smaller bricks.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Imperfect Dome

                            Originally posted by SandySpringsPizza View Post
                            Up to the 5th course and need to start considering the opening. Do people feel it's easier to create a separate arch and opening to the oven or somehow incorporate the opening into the dome?
                            What did you do on the first five courses? Just leave an opening where the arch is going to go? Can you post a picture?

                            I built the arch into the oven and found it very easy to do. I simply used a piece of string line attached approximately to the center point of the IT and marked it at the outer radius at the dome. I would then intersect that point with the brick, draw a line along the string and cut. There was only one pair of bricks that I had to make the cut at a significant angle, on all others the difference between the cut lines on the two faces was less than 1/4", so I split the difference and was within 1/8" without having to tilt the saw head. On the inner radius, I purposely cut a little long and smoothed it off with the angle grinder the next day.

                            Before I started this, I had read a few threads describing how to tie in the arch and it sounded a bit abstract, probably much like my description above. Once I started doing this myself, I found it very fast and easy to do.

                            Long story short: I would incorporate the opening into the dome and not build a separate arch.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Imperfect Dome

                              Long story short: I would incorporate the opening into the dome and not build a separate arch
                              I second that. If you can copy the gorgeous arch Hubert built into his oven, you're golden. If you plan to skip building an arch completely and just rely on the dome bricks to maintain the opening, you're playing with fire.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X