Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Dome cracks

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

  • Yahoo-Archive
    replied
    It's not a problem. Wait until you've used it a half-dozen times. That
    will dry it all out and any cracking will be at max. Then fill it with
    furnace cement (you can get it in caulking tubes). Fire the oven after
    filling the crack(s) and keep filling in any expansion that occurs as
    it heats up. One of the advantages of the Pompeii design is that all
    of the brick front edges mate without mortar joints inside the oven
    which will keep it structually sound despite any cracking. (If you
    want you can make a V groove along the crack to open it up enough to
    get the cement into it.) Cracking is why you insulate with a fireproof
    material like vermiculite -- no chance of it catching fire.

    Jim

    Leave a comment:


  • Yahoo-Archive
    replied
    My vent area leaked smoke in 3-4 places on my first outdoor mailbox
    oven. I just let it fully dry out, then covered it with a second
    layer of refractory mortar. Then, as Jeff says, I made sure the whole
    assembly was smoke-tight before I moved on to insulation and my
    finish walls.

    Has anyone ever pointed their infrared thermometer at the vent
    masonry when the oven it hot (I don't have a gun here). If the oven
    floor is 700F +/-, how hot is the vent right about the oven opening?


    James

    Leave a comment:


  • Yahoo-Archive
    replied
    The cracks are no doubt due to expansion and will expand and contract with
    each firing.
    As long as they are only hairline, no need to repair. Since they almost
    disappear when
    the cladding returns to room temperature. As long as the inside bricks have
    been properly
    mortared you shouldn't have any leaks that will be a cause for concern.
    If you see smoke coming out the cracks, this may actually be water from the
    concrete or
    mortar being vaporized because of the heat. This may have added to the cause
    of the cracks
    in the first place.
    Have several more firing before you insulate and close in the dome. Monitor
    the cracks to see
    if the continue to grow in width.

    Jeff

    Leave a comment:


  • Yahoo-Archive
    started a topic Dome cracks

    Dome cracks

    We lit our first fire and found a tiny hairline crack on the
    claddign around the oven. Should I fix it? How, with Concrete or
    something more flexible?

    Aesthetic question...
    The bricks I got have cores in them which is fine for stacking but I
    am not sure how to finish of the top so that teh holes don't show.
    On the chimney, I will likely stand the last row on end but what
    about the front facade that doesn't go as high? Any suggestions?
Working...
X