Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

[deejayoh]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

Nice progress. Very neat and tidy. I wouldn't worry about the peel catching until it becomes a problem. I think it's a concern most of us have when we first start our ovens that is probably overblown.

Things start to get messy from here

[n8huntsman]

First course

[n8huntsman]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

The homebrew mortar (3:1:1:1) didn't seem to be very sticky. I had read differing opinions on pre-wetting the bricks so I opted to try it without doing that. I think on the next course I will wet the bricks first. The next day after mortaring it appears that at least two of the joints have separated. I'll fix these but should I worry about the rest? My instinct is that if I do the next course better, it will lock in the first course a little better than it is already.

[n8huntsman]

IT tool

I completed my IT tool. It’s pretty much like Jims (http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...heme-2985.html) except with a few modifications. Welds aren’t the prettiest but I was welding to cast iron and galvanized. It’ll stick though. I really wanted to make the pivot axis on the same plane as the floor because this is how my model was created. This required me to have to dish out a brick to insert into the floor. I got it pretty much dead on with zero offset so I wont have to adjust my IT length as I go up.

[DavidApp]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

Hello Nathan

Very nice stand. I have never seen curved blocks before great idea.

Your software rendering of the dome and vent connection makes it much easier to see what you are doing and need to do. I did mine old style pencil and paper full scale.

I think you will find that wetting the bricks will help. I would put some bricks in a pan of water for a few minutes then remove them and let the surface dry off before mortaring them into place. I did use HS50 because I could not find the "S" type lime anywhere locally otherwise I would have gone the home brew route.

You mentioned the brick size as you go up the dome. I cut them in half then in thirds finally in quarters to try to keep the gap that starts to form under the brick to the minimum. In fact I chamfered the corners of the brick so that it fit the course below better.

David

[n8huntsman]

Got a couple courses finished

Starting to get the hang of it.?* I think it’s about time to start the entry arch. So far I have cut everything straight from my model and drawings. I’ve only used the IT to maintain the proper inward tilt of the brick. I have been using an adjustable square to measure the height from the floor to the top inside edge of each brick to maintain my mortar joint per my drawing. This will insure that I finish where I expect and keep my final keystone plug predictable.

[n8huntsman]

Entry Arch is Complete

I’ve got a backlog of pics to post. I finished the entry arch last weekend. This took me quite a while to get all the bricks cut. Not easy cuts. I tapered each brick to maintain a constant mortar joint. Like the previous courses, I cut each and every brick to a drawing, as opposed to putting the brick in place and marking with my IT, then cutting. They all ended up lining up with each other pretty good and it appears that it maintained the dome curvature. I’ll be able to see better as I complete additional courses.

[n8huntsman]

Tying the arch in with the dome

I completed another course and tied the dome into the arch this week. It’s getting exciting… starting to look like something.

[DavidApp]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

Hello Nathan

Looking good. Very nice consistent mortar joints.
I never quiet got the angle exactly right so I got tapers between the bricks.
Is it an optical elusion or is there a slight saw tooth effect on the outside of the bricks in your last photo?
The IT tool will also maintain your circular form as well as maintaining the brick angle.
I found that on the higher courses even though I started to cut the bricks smaller I had to grind the bottom corners off the brick to reduce the gap under the brick. The corners sit in the middle of the bricks below and the span over the join in the bricks below begins to form an increasing triangle.

David

[n8huntsman]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

Hello Nathan

Looking good. Very nice consistent mortar joints.
I never quiet got the angle exactly right so I got tapers between the bricks.
Is it an optical elusion or is there a slight saw tooth effect on the outside of the bricks in your last photo?
The IT tool will also maintain your circular form as well as maintaining the brick angle.
I found that on the higher courses even though I started to cut the bricks smaller I had to grind the bottom corners off the brick to reduce the gap under the brick. The corners sit in the middle of the bricks below and the span over the join in the bricks below begins to form an increasing triangle.

David

There is a little bit of a sawtooth as the bricks were tilting in on me but not as pronounced as it is in the picture. I think I can correct for that on the next course.
I noticed in my model about the corners interfering on the higher courses so I have them trimmed in my model to get tighter joints and plan on doing that on the actual bricks as well.

[DavidApp]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

The magic of 3D modeling.

Wish I had done some of that on my build. It would have helped me avoid some of the problems I had to solve on the fly balanced over my oven.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

Nice craftsmanship, Nathan. I love your arch geometry!

John

[the_dr_masuess]

Re: Nathan's 36" SoCal WFO build

looking good! I also like the geometry.

[n8huntsman]

Cleared the arch

[n8huntsman]

One course left