Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

[RandyJ]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Yes the bricks that meet the arch are pretty tricky. But once you are past that it is clear sailing.

Randy

[DavidApp]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Hello Kallipigous

When I got the inverted "V" I would do a bit of trimming with my hand grinder. You need a bit more angle on the cutting table to get rid of the inverted "V"
I would cut a few bricks then do a test fit and adjust as necessary. Then cut the remaining bricks in that chain.
As you get higher in the dome you will find that you need to trim the bottom corners of the brick to reduce the wedge of mortar caused by the bridging effect n the two bricks below.

Randy.
Looks real good.

David

[kallipigous]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Here's where I am on the third layer. Not bad but a few gaps appearing.
I've been trying to cut all the bricks in a run then mortar them but I think I'll take your advice and cut and test a bit more carefully.

[gastagg]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

That looks good Kallipigous. Can't see too much detail, but your joints look consistent and clean.

[RandyJ]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

I would agree looks pretty darn good to me. I will say though you are always your own biggest critic. I was not super happy with a few things but you can't see it in the pictures. But I would say you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work.

Randy

[DavidApp]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Hello Kallipigous

It is looking real good. Very tight mortar joints and the angle between the bricks looks almost perfect.

The brick that is against the form could be cut so that the Dome brick fits better.
I would lay a brick on top of the arch brick then scribe a line to get the angle. My inner arch is a little different to yours. I was trying to get some buttressing for the arch.

David

[RandyJ]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

I agree David but we all seem to have different arches and tie in. It is almost like a finger print. I guess that is because there no right or wrong way to do it as long as it holds togather. But like David mine is also different.

Randy

[kallipigous]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Thank you all. I guess we compare ourselves to the best we've seen but unless someone sticks their head in the oven they won't really see what we've done. It is very gratifying to see it slowly rising and looking similar to all the other ovens in the forum (David and Randy's you're look great) but of course we can see the detail brick by brick which you really can't see in everyone else's.

I think that's probably the key for this arch dome meet too. I'm trying to figure out the exact cuts to have them knit in together but but given the arch and the dome are meeting in all sorts of eccentric angles this is pretty tricky. I should probably just hack close fits and fill in with wedges of bricks and mortar. It's impossible to see from the inside and will be cover by layers of insulation on the outside.

I'm getting good mason's hands though. My iphone touch id sensor refuses to recognise any of my fingers any more. : )

[kallipigous]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Had some time to add a forth layer yesterday and today we finished the arch. After a few layers I felt more confident about how the arch should be. I'd seen lots of pictures but it wasn't clear what the cuts related to the IT but I can see the pattern better now I've done a few. Not the cleanest arch but it's level and I'm pretty sure it's close enough to prevent the teardrop shape. I still have create the weird dome pieces to marry with it as we go up but that's not too hard now. The forth row took longer for some reason. No slippage yet but tiny shifts in the previous layers really start to show themselves as they are amplified up the chain. But we're fairly happy. My wife takes care of the mortaring and I do the cutting and holding the bricks in place with the tool. It's a lot easier with two pairs of eyes. After a couple of hours in July sunshine you start to go cross eyed.

The jigs (based on Chipster's jig) that I made for cutting the bricks have become so sodden and bowed that I don't trust them any more and the bricks rock precariously - particularly as we are getting more angle on the incline. I've decided to try and create a model jig that I can 3d print for each layer from now on. I'd been using it before to print out templates of the size of the bricks we need for each layer based on the spreadsheet. It means I can pop it on top of the brick and line the edges up with the saw. If It breaks I can just print another. Could be made of plywood of course.

[DavidApp]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Hello Kallipigous

Moving along nicely. The joints between the bricks look almost mortar less.

As I placed the bricks across the arch I added a temporary leg to my IT tool to maintain the correct height of the chain. Over the arch you do not have the chain below to guide you.

You will need to support the brick in a few chains to prevent movement as they dry. I used sticks to hold them in place.

David

[kallipigous]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

That's an excellent thought I hadn't considered that there wouldd be nothing underneath to guide you when you lay over the arch.

[DavidApp]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

It came to me after I had placed the brick that you can see in the photo. To the left of the arch.
Realized that I needed something to guide me across the arch.

David

[kallipigous]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Slowly rising. It's taking a lot longer for each row now. I'm finding I don't have the confidence any more to cut a load of bricks before I set them. I need to do two at a time in case they need to be adjusted. I find for example that my bricks seem to line up with the previous row more than I would like so I have to cut bricks in half to get them offset again. Maybe it's the previous rows errors being amplified but it's not as smooth sailing as it was in the earlier rows. I'm also finding that I'm leaving the spreadsheet behind more and more so I'm doing more tests at the start of the row to get the angle right.

Given these are higher rows though I'm trying to ensure the last brick needs to be hammered home to lock that layer. I didn't do that enough on the first few rows but I'm hoping gravity will take care of that.

Still In a couple more rows I'll be over the arch which should help. We're trying to do a row a day giving it time to set before we do the next the next day.

[gastagg]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Looking good. I've had to leave the spreadsheet behind too. I made my own calculations base on actual radii/angles, etc., and I'm a degree off in both tilt and angle in this next course compared to the spreadsheet, but those single degrees add up to big problems if you're cutting 20 bricks at a time.

[DavidApp]

Re: Build started on 36" Pompeii in Socal

Hello kallipigous

I started cutting some of the brick into 1/3s and would use 1/2 s and 1/3s to keep the joints from aligning.
On the last few chains I did a few 1/4s as well. Whatever it took to keep the pattern going.

Also I would set one brick on the next chain last thing before I cleaned up when I finished. This gives you a firm brick to work off next day.

David