Dave's Pics of Progress

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, please..please..please take your time and allow each row of bricks to be offset from the row below. As mentioned in other threads, it is safer to have the morter attached to brick than to itself, threatening the integrity of the dome.

I appreciate the input Acoma. Am I missing something? Am I doing something wrong?

[Acoma]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Oven is fine. Only giving 2cents.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Oven is fine. Only giving 2cents.

Ok.

I just thought maybe you could spot something that I was missing or doing wrong.

I really appreciate everyone's input.

Can't wait to watch your build as well Acoma!

Much funner than retaining walls.. me thinks.

[Kemo]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

dave,

looking good. how long do you need to leave the arch form in place after mortaring it all together?

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

dave,

looking good. how long do you need to leave the arch form in place after mortaring it all together?

The first arch I messed with after a day and a half.... bad mistake.


I just pulled the form on my second arch tonight. It seems to have held up ok. Kudos to my wife for telling me to leave it alone! over and over again

I waited like 4 or 5 days on the second attempt.

It's probably best to leave the forms inside until you need access through the door. (if you can wait that long)

Friday night.... row 5 (6 if you count the soldier course) begins..........

Wish me luck!

Did you buy bricks yet?

[Kemo]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

ill be calling Elgin-Butler today concerning Firebrick Their facility is only about 30miles from my house.

[Ken524]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Aww man! I took my family to Florida for a long weekend to worship The Mouse and you caught up with me! Looks good. Glad your second arch held up!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Aww man! I took my family to Florida for a long weekend to worship The Mouse and you caught up with me! Looks good. Glad your second arch held up!

Thanks Ken,

It sure isn't as pretty as yours, but I think it will function fine.

Thank goodness this arch held up. I actually removed the forms a few days ago.
The hardest part is making the dome-to-arch transition cuts. Not only are the angles hard to visualize, but with my saw, it turns into a bit of cutting and chiseling.

Your dome pictures sure have helped, I just wish I would of laid out my door jamb the same way you did with half bricks. I think it would of made everything work out a little better. But no big deal I can always make more mortar!


By the way, how was mouse world. I was born in Florida and went to Disney every year to about age 12. When I first went, Orlando was just backwoods country with a theme park. And you still had to buy tickets for each area.
E tickets for one part, A tickets for another....

YIKES! I think I am getting old. Good thing I'm really immature!

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

A few pictures of upper dome progress.

I will take some tonite of the inside.


Tough work I tell ya!


and this is how to cut bricks into thirds in my world

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

While building on Saturday I was thinking of pizza, which in turn, made me hungry.

So I threw some bricks in my gas grill, and threw a few on the top shelf.

I took about an hour of heating, but we had a pizza Margarite.
And a pizza with homemade Italian sausage, sauted peppers, and fresh mushrooms.

And finally we had one with homemade meatballs and fresh mushrooms.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Completed another course on Sunday morning.

Here are the pictures.

The last pics.... I climbed in for inspection and mortar cleaning...........

Yikes that was rough!

[Acoma]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, do me a favor and take a photo of inside the dome towards the entry arch.
Thanks.

[Les]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave - how are you supporting the upper courses? Gravity is wanting to take over on 5th to 6th course.

Les...

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave, do me a favor and take a photo of inside the dome towards the entry arch.
Thanks.

I'll take a few tonight.

My wife has been taking pictures of the outside... and I forget to tell her to take pics of the inside.

[asudavew]

Re: Dave's Pics of Progress

Dave - how are you supporting the upper courses? Gravity is wanting to take over on 5th to 6th course.

Les...

Les,

The first few I laid on the last course I had to prop with a stick. I had made the mortar a bit wet. I was much more careful with water for the next batch of mortar, there seems to be a fine line between to stiff and to wet. I try to get it just wet enough to "stick" to bricks that I have soaked. I've found that dry bricks don't work well for me, they just suck the moisture right out of the mortar.
But when I do get the mixture just right, they seem to hold just fine.
Tonight should be interesting on the next layer, I bet I will need a bunch of sticks!