Versachi's 42" oven!

[BamaGirl]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

How long did it take for the vermiculite mixture to cure? I poured my hearth today and was wondering when I can start laying the cooking floor.
Thanks

Pictures look great!!

[wlively]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

If yours is anything like mine, about 5-7 days.

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

I was busy doing other things so I didn't lay anything on mine for a few weeks. I was a little concerned that my vermiculite wasn't setting properly but after 4-5 days it dried out nicely and firmed up. Good luck with your build Bamagirl.

Cheers, John

[JoeT62]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

That vermiculite mix is curious stuff. For awhile it seems like it will never firm up, then it gets hard enough to start working on. As it fully cures, it actually gets quite hard -- I've stood on it any number of times now.

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Well the end of the dome is near. Setting the brick now is becoming a challenge. Very easy to give up on a piece and say "good enough" after you have bent over to look inside the dome to see if it fits nice 3 or 4 times! I have been able to get away with no supports to hold up my brick but I will on the next row as gravity is beoming a factor.

I switched over to bricks cut in thirds to allow for tighter joints. Only problem is that I find that it becomes harder to avoid joints lining up in prior rows. This can be avoided by cutting a little off the offending brick but once again there is that "good enough" factor which I promised myself I wouldn't do.

The hole I have left in my dome does not look very round because I let the first few rows of the dome run straight into the arch rather that give them the true curve needed to keep the circle intact.

Hoperfully I can post some new pics this weekend of the completed dome!

I may even get inside and clean it for all of you to see

Cheers, John

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Well the dome is complete. I had a tougher time fitting those last couple of rows than I thought it was going to be. I need to clean it up a little and take some mortar off of the floor but I am very happy with the way it has turned out. Now I will focus on the arch/vent. I have the inner part of the arch done but I need to make the vent and outer arch. Hopefully I will have some pics of that this week.

Cheers, John

[JoeT62]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Terrific work! I am jealous of your clean bricks. Mine have some mortar on them that got too solid to clean up - I think if I were to do it again, I would go "form-less". The bricks really floated slightly above my styrofoam form anyway, but it sure did get in the way for cleanup.

In any case, excellent work!!!!

[Mr_Steel]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

So it looks like you did it complete with no forms very very well done. Any secert to doing it? or are you an experenced brick layor before doing this porject?

Either way I'm so impressed with how the dome looks and that seemed to me from what i have read so far to be the hardest part of the project. Keep the pic coming love seening this project come to together.

Mark

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Thanks for the kind words guys. I don't have any prior experience laying bricks. I am a carpenter by trade so I have seen a few masons in action but that's it. I had to use a few sticks to hold up the last 15 or so pieces. My secret would be to keep your joints as tight as possible on the face of the brick. If I could get the edge of the brick I was working with to touch against the edge of the brick below I would have no movement. I guess one advantage building the dome "formless" it that you have the ability to clean as you go. I sat inside the dome so I could check each brick's fit. I cut each piece on the top of my entrance arch with my grinder. I also had my mortar and a pail of water with a sponge handy so I could clean each brick after I layed it. Eventually I couldn't fit inside and was forced to lean over to see inside the dome and then finally I had to make quite a few trips in and out of the dome to finish it off. My other tip would be to keep whatever tools you are using to cut your brick as close as possible to where you are working. The farther you have to go to redo a cut that was a little off, the more likely you will just mortar it in and move on to the next one.

So far I have been able to avoid many problems during construction because of the efforts of many on this forum. As far as I am concerned you all helped build my oven.

I am away for the next couple of weeks starting Thursday working out of town so things will be quiet for awhile.

Cheers, John

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Boy lt's been awhile since I've updated my progress. I did post a few pics in the gallery but I will get everyone up to speed. I have been trying to finish a few things around the oven before the ground freezes here (actually it has a couple of times already. Suppose to be -8C tonight. I had my curing fires which went well with a few small cracks which have been repaired. We have had a couple of pizza's but at the time of our first pizza we didn't have a peel so we cooked it in a pan. Even though the pizza wasn't perfect, it was very tasty.

John

[Versachi]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

I built the oven entrance landing using river rock and redimix concrete. Made a frame with a little arch to it and put some rebar in with it. I tried to stack as many bricks along the face of the landing so the rock would show in the finish product. The next day I took the forms off and did a little chipping to clean off some of the rock on the face of the landing. Now if I can get some warm weather I will seal it. It took longer than I thought but I was happy with the result.

Cheers, John

[asudavew]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Dave approves!

How were those pizzas?


and i'm glad you updated!

[gjbingham]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

I like the look of the river rock too. Very nice job.
Did you get that peel yet?
George

[Ken524]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

Oh WOW.. I nominate Versachi's landing for December. That is a FINE piece of work.

[fullback66]

Re: Versachi's 42" oven!

versachi,
I would like to see more updated pictures.
It looks great.
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