30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Started to curve up today and the beginning of cutting non-standard cuts. It went well. That's my daughter Alicia. Gabe helped on course 3.

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Nice work. You might find that placing one brick on the next row up helps in placing the bricks for the next day's work. It gives you a nice solid place to start.

Sometimes it is difficult to get the second brick in place against a still soft first brick.

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

That's a great idea, although I'm glad I didn't do it tonight. After doing some more reading, I came to the conclusion that I think my planned opening is too big and I'm now concerned about heat retention. It's 21" wide, and the plan is to be 13.5" tall, which is 63% of projected height. I don't want to change the width now, but I can make it shorter. I'm going to start the arch now, after three bricks tall on side instead of 4 and make the arch 12" tall.

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

I would stay with the 63% height. The oven will breathe/burn better - at that height an insulated door will not lose any significantly more heat with a door 1.5 inches taller.

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Should I worry about having too large an opening at this point? Unwise to mortar some bricks in to close the width up a bit?

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

A wide opening is nice to have I would leave it where it is. A well insulated door will be quite effective.

[david s]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Should I worry about having too large an opening at this point? Unwise to mortar some bricks in to close the width up a bit?

This oven designing is just like boat design, everything is a compromise. On the downside a door opening that is large is subject to greater heat loss, but on the upside the larger door gives you much better access making the oven easier to work and allows you to use it like a fireplace for comfort. These two advantages easily outweigh the negative one IMO.

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Well okay. I'll just keep going with the design I've got. Thanks for the input guys!

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Went fishing in the boundary waters this week. Fishing was terrible...

Got back to work today...man it takes a long time to get those cuts where the arch meets the dome wall. My radius slightly decreased in the first 2 courses curving up...need to slightly reduce the size of my wedges.

[Greenman]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Have you given thought to buttressing the bricks on the outer arch?

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

Went fishing in the boundary waters this week. Fishing was terrible...

Got back to work today...man it takes a long time to get those cuts where the arch meets the dome wall. My radius slightly decreased in the first 2 courses curving up...need to slightly reduce the size of my wedges.

Remember to cut the bricks that meet the arch first. That way if there is any positioning issues you can adjust over the next few bricks. And because the location is just inside the inner arch no one will ever see themselves if they are not perfect.

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

@ Greenman...haven't given it thought, but I have the room. You think is necessary?

@ Chip...OK, that is very helpful. That is what I did, but I was actually going to ask, "which am I supposed to cut first?"

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

@ Greenman...haven't given it thought, but I have the room. You think is necessary?

Not a bad idea to add a buttress. There is a lot of outward force on that stack of almost 5 high bricks on your inner arch.

For your flue arch you may want to consider a double wall with interwoven bricks if you keep the same shape for your flue arch.

@ Chip...OK, that is very helpful. That is what I did, but I was actually going to ask, "which am I supposed to cut first?"

Not sure what you are asking?

But here is my answer. If you are doing an inward reaching inner arch Cut the arch brick first. The first brick on either side of the arch second and then the next brick or two to get you into a nice clean row.

Is that the answer you were looking for?

[gastagg]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

I would like to build what is most functional and easy to do. I meant that you already answered the question I was thinking of asking...which brick to I cut first. So, I cut the bricks that meet the arch first. That was what I was looking for. Is there any reason to have an "inward reaching inner arch"?

Re the buttress, the inner arch is tied into the dome wall. Will that be enough? I will add a buttress to the flu arch.

Thanks for the help guys.

[mrchipster]

Re: 30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

The inner arch bricks appear to be mortared to the dome bricks but from your photos do not appear as if they are inside the dome bricks. If they would be inside of the dome then they would receive a buttress effect but if they are just mortared to the outside they are not getting any significant support from the dome.

An inward reaching inner arch benefits from an easier connection to the dome and a reduction in the teardrop effect. It is not critical but just makes bricking over the entry easier.