30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

[gastagg]

Thanks for the support and encouragement guys! My final dimensions turned out to be right at 33" internal floor diameter, which I'm happy about. Questions about the door...a friend of mine is a metal fabricator and is going to be helping me out. Because of my large opening relative to the size of my oven, I am planning to build an insulated door and put operable sliding vents on the door...one up top and one one the bottom. I'm planning a 2" layer of calcium silicate (encased in sheet metal) attached to the door front with a piece of cement board in between. I've attached a drawing. It's not to scale. I don't have the handles or the vents in the back two pieces shown either. Any suggestions on the vents? Anyone else done that? Do I need the cement board or some insulative material?

[Gulf]

I think that it would be easier to build two doors. A simple blast door can be made from one layer of steel with no insulation. The vents would probably just complicate the insulated door and may even make it less efficient.

[gastagg]

Good idea Gulf. Imontee's door looks perfect. I think I'm going to copy him a bit. Thanks Imontee! Ready for the vent arch this weekend...

[RandyJ]

Good luck on building the vent arch this weekend. I am sure it will go well.

Randy

[gastagg]

Didn't get started as early as I wanted to today...got the supports for the arch done. Note the thermal break and rope. Thanks forum members for diagrams on the thermal break and rope. I'm anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" on the break space.

[gastagg]

Any recommendation on how to mount some sort of a device to the top of the dome to serve as a center point for one of those cool plywood arcs used for getting a consistent thickness of stucco?

[Gulf]

Any recommendation on how to mount some sort of a device to the top of the dome to serve as a center point for one of those cool plywood arcs used for getting a consistent thickness of stucco?

It wouldn't be hardly worth it for the relatively thin thickness of stucco (3/4 to 1" thick). Unless you took a lot of time with truing your blanket layer. But, building a three point tripod works good for truing a vecrete layer over lumpy insulation. Look at my build or Russell's (UtahBeehiver) Picasa web album .

[gastagg]

OK, that's helpful. Thanks.

[Gulf]

Sorry,
I forgot about recently including those links for Johanr's build. He fashioned one also. I'm not sure how it pivots but, the dome looks to be a perfect sphere .

[gastagg]

Thanks Gulf!

Question, is James' recommended curing schedule still considered a good approach? I plan to use charcoal and want to start soon. Also, how long do I need to let the vent arch bricks set before starting the curing fires?

[gastagg]

Another question...I've watched the video of installing insulation and wire mesh (thanks Gulf!). My question is where should I fasten the wire mesh. This insulation is very dense and I could easily put a screw in it and it would hold to strap down the wire mesh. When mrchipster was helping me, he noted that my insulation board was much more dense than the FB board. I think it's CalSil...that's what the machinist said who sold it to me and was using it as a barrier for his welding tanks. Anyway, I've attached a photo of where I'm planning to attached the mesh and a diagram showing how I'm planning to install the blanket, spacers, and wire mesh. Would love some feedback on this.

[Gulf]

How about gluing some cheap framing brackets down to the cement with liquid nails. You can run a piece of tie wire through the existing hole for a tie down, or use that hole to mount your spacer .

[william]

Hi
I tried to screw into the bottom insulation also and found it better for me to put concrete screws with a washer to tie a wire to into the cement pad around the perimeter, the stucco coats will cover them.
It worked well for me
Bill

[gastagg]

Think the liquid nails would be strong enough? I think that regardless of method, I'm going to attach to the concrete slab. Thanks guys. Bill, your dome came out looking very nice.

[UtahBeehiver]

G,

Why not just tapcon the wire strap to your concrete hearth, it will be covered up anyway by the stucco and wire. You won't have to worry about pull out on the concrete. I used CaSi too and I am not sure it will hold a screw very well.