Acoma 42" Tuscan

[asudavew]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Very Nice Rob!
I'm glad to see you are moving along so well.

Keep up the good work! I am enjoying seeing your progress, although I haven't been able to keep up as well as I would like to these days.
Hopefully I will have some free time soon.

Dave

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Thanks guys. I will continue with ideas and contributions upon completion of the oven, just like the other great builders that continue.

I must ask those that are using thermocouples for a quick answer or two.

Q1: If I want to put a thermocouple in at a course that has been completed, does it compromise the brick/mortar strength from drilling?

Q2: I am ready to do course 5 tomorrow, which runs to the arch. Would that be an appropriate location for the ambiant (internal air reading) T/C? It would be my 3rd T/C, and would just barely penetrate the brick. (My first 2 are in the floor bricks).

Q3: I plan to use my 4th T/C in the dome toward the top? Does this make sense or not?

Q5: I would use the 5th T/C between brick and cladding. I believe this is right, but mid dome height, mid back from arch?

Q6: My 6th to be between cladding and blanket. Same area as 5th?

Thanks for replying.

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

As of this evening I will be half done with course 5. I have enough Refmix to get me there. I ordered more Refmix from FB which should arrive tomorrow. I hope it is enough to get me complete with the dome, as well as for the cladding. If not, then I will get more.

I have cut the bricks for both courses 5 and 6, with 5 to be finished tomorrow night, then 6 by Sunday evening. I should be expected to finish 7 and 8 the following week.

I had beveled one side of each half brick, which worked great on the first 4 courses. Once I hit 5 I thought I would be ok too. Well, I was way wrong. I mortared two bricks this way and found a big upside down V. Big as in barely over a 1/4 in. at bottom, but big to me. I decided more work was now to be added to cuts. I went back to the wet saw for all the half bricks of course 5 and 6, then I added a bevel of the straigt side of the brick. Now I know my method is different than a few, since some bevel both sides of the brick with angle out and down. I had decided to bevel one side out, one side down. I tested this method on course 5 for 7 bricks now mortared, and it looks great!
Therefore, I will continue this method.

[dusty]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

I am not sure I fully understand, but if it works then, by all means, stick to it! Looks very nice so far. Keep it up and have fun. I think it was Steve who said "they grow up so fast these days!"

dusty

[RCLake]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

I'm interested in seeing photos of your bevel approach. I know I'll need to revisit my approach of one brick at a time - I went shopping today to replace my wet saw. Now being able to make a cut in one pass I've been wondering on how to do the bevels.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Acoma,

Your TC positions seem about right to me. Don't worry, you won't compromise the strength of the brick by drilling it. Just plug the hole with Refmix, or better yet furnace caulking out of a tube.

Jim

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

I'm interested in seeing photos of your bevel approach. I know I'll need to revisit my approach of one brick at a time.

RC, I will take a photo tomorrow of a brick for you. I have done enough bricks to last two courses, but due to the dome angling further in, I frequently do angle cuts on the bricks from front to back, say 4 times on course 5.

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Thanks Jim. That allows me to keep the momentum of each course.

I am excited to share a couple photos of course 5, likely first thing Saturday, since I will not be done with 5 until late Friday evening.

[asudavew]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Thanks Jim. That allows me to keep the momentum of each course.

I am excited to share a couple photos of course 5, likely first thing Saturday, since I will not be done with 5 until late Friday evening.

Just give it up Robert!

I'm itching to see

!!!!

so far so good my friend


keep it up
!!

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

RC, here is the photo of the brick. You can see the tapering of the brick to the front, which is for the inside of the dome face.

The left side is beveled from inside a little to outside edge.

The right side is beveled from inside top to edge of bottom.

This gives me the continuous snug fit all around the dome with little gap on inside faces as shown in my next post/ photos.

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

I have not quite completed course 5. I only have 7-10 bricks remaining. The reason for the photo of this course now is because I might as well do it if I am doing a photo of a brick.

I ask for forgiveness

[gjbingham]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Looking really good Robert. Keep up the great work!
George

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 44" Tuscan

I must admit that my oven had been planned for 42, but I then expanded to 44". With the decision to go up to two courses then in, this had my top edge of course 2 at 23+ inches from center. Course 3 brought it to 23. Course 4 to 22.5, and course 5 to 22.

I figure that I should be to 20" by completion of course 7 or 8. From there I will be ok.

This makes it hard to enjoy the use of Jim's tool that I received a little while back. I hope you are ok with that Jim? Does it still look good?

[RCLake]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

Thanks for the picture, I may give it a shot on a brick. To date I've been tapering each side and beveling only one side with a grinder. Now that I had to get a new saw, I'm hoping to follow Jim's guide. Need to set it up to play with it next.
Haven't lost any time this week due to the saw though. We're still in the 30s with drizzles. That is suppose to change come tomorrow so on to course 6.

[Acoma]

Re: Acoma 42" Tuscan

RC, how was tying in the bricks to the arch on 5 for you? I have one brick left per side to tie in and I am nervous. Then on to 6. BTY, it is truly coming together This hard, cold, exhausting work is starting to show in great ways