Send me the parameters and my CD will compute

[Marcel]

#36

(M) About two weeks ago Fred di Napoli posted the following:

[QUOTE=fdn1]

(FDN)

"Jim
Great job as usual in gathering and presenting information needed in constructing wood burning ovens.

I was able to find a neat tool called the "Angle-iZe! Axed Master ' at Home Depot for about $10. It comes with a CD that has programs for determing the dimensions of bricks for various types of arches. You enter some of the critical dimensions e.g. max arch height, max length of arch at base, width and height of bricks to be used and it tells you how many bricks are required and the top and bottom dimensions of each brick.

A tool also is included consisting of 4 plastic rulers with both inch amd metric units that can be adjusted in various shapes including a trapizoid. The latter can be used as a template for marking the bricks according the dimensions gleemed from the CD for say "axed" shaped bricks."

(M) I don't know if Fred got that tool but I finally did. The CD is quite simple to read and does all the Math. If anyone wants to cut their own wedge shaped bricks s/he can send me the following measurements and I'll return the sought data from the CD:

1- Opening Width

2- Rise of Arch

3- Brick Size Length ( typically 9" in the U.S. )

4- Brick Size Width (typically either 4.25" or 4.5" depending on your choice of orientation. I'll supply both sets of figures if you wish)

5- Joint Size ( You must submit some measurement here. 1/16" is the smallest it will accept but you may prefer 3/8" or even 1/2")

6- One of the following configurations (descriptors) to fit your application:

"Bullseye", "Semi Circular Arch", or "Axed Arch".

(M) The program will return the number of bricks you'll need, the width of the top cut, and the width of the bottom cut.

(M) If you are interested, I will define the term Axed Arch.

(M) You can email me directly to marceldE@efn.org

Ciao,

Marcel

[aikitarik]

(M) I don't know if Fred got that tool but I finally did. The CD is quite simple to read and does all the Math. If anyone wants to cut their own wedge shaped bricks s/he can send me the following measurements and I'll return the sought data from the CD:

Sweet.. Marcel, I'd like to experiment with 2 different arches...

1- Opening Width : 42 inches wide 21 inches high AND
the second is 20 inches wide and 12 inches high.

2- Brick Size Length : 9 inches
3- Brick Size Width : 2.5" or 4.5" (which do I give you?)
4- Joint Size : 1/16"

5- One of the following configurations : "Bullseye", "Semi Circular Arch", or "Axed Arch". ???

I suspect I want semi-circular arch, but I don't know what these are. I may have to run down to Home Depot and find this tool.

Regards,

Tarik

[jengineer]

I axed him and he said...

Bullseye - will get you a circle of bricks at a defined inside diameter. Nice for making sundials or 1970's viantage of a circular mirror framed in brick. I cringe at the visual I am getting. Each brick will have the exact same dimensial cuts. As the software states it will be formed with an even number of bricks divisible by 4

Semi-circular arch is the bullseye cut in half. Odd number of bricks and will form a half circle. This will give you a high vaulted ceiling.

Axed arch - similar to semi circle but flattend out. Note that the first course of bricks will not lay in the horizontal plane. The rise of the arch (Read Height of the arch) will be less than half the width of the opening.

hope that helps if not I bet there is a way to get a screen capture...

je

[Marcel]

Angleizer program screen capture

#38

(M) Let's see if I got David and Paul's Photo posting instructions correct?



(M) I kinda hate to put this only here since it is a Photo, but because the larger views are visible at:

http://photobucket.com/albums/a318/marceld/?sc=1

(M) I'll let this be the one (if it turns out!)

(M) I sent Aikitarik a regular email answer with the same data as I hope you see.

(M) This image is to address the comment by je

(JE) "hope that helps if not I bet there is a way to get a screen capture...

je"

Ciao,

Marcel

[jengineer]

ring visualization

my apolgies - I deleted my post as there was a technical error in the calculation. If you had used the data then your ring would be built up with the bricks on their side rather than flat.

[aikitarik]

(M) I sent Aikitarik a regular email answer with the same data as I hope you see.

See images and getting some jargon translated, now I understand. It makes much more sense when some of the terms are defined. Can I give you updated data?

For the main dome -

Axed arch:

(A) arch width: 42 inches
(B) arch height: 16.5 inches (top of first row which is 4.5 inches to a 21 inch high interior)
(C) brick length : 4.5 inches (1/2 of a 9 inch brick)
(D) brick width : 2.5 inches

For the doorway -

Axed arch and semi-circular (like to ponder both)

(A) arch width : 20 inches
(B) arch height : 3 inches (axed) 7.5 inches (semi-circ)
(C) brick length : 4.5 inches
(D) brick width : 2.5 inches

I'm getting a professional wet saw on loan from my brother-in-law. Supply my own blade and I can do cuts as complex as I desire. Minimal joint width and I should be able to damn near dry stack these!

Regards,

Tarik

[Marcel]

More data from Angleizer for Tarik from Marcel

#38

(M) Tarik, the data you requested will follow my unsolicited opinion about the grout width of 1/16th of an inch.

(M) IMHO, unless you hope to dry fit these, a decorative arch with such a minimal grout line may not look appealing. If you prefer me to re-enter the exact figures but with a wider grout line feel free to ask.

(M) You offer the Arch height of 7.5 inches for your doorway as a semi-circular arch. The Arch Height, which I assume is the same as "Rise" as the program uses the term, is not a necessary parameter on any curve other than the "Axed Arch". I presume it just uses 1/2 of the # of bricks of a "Bulls Eye" for the Semi-circle, and 1/4 of a full circle for the "Radius". I think that since these parts of a circle use Pi in the equation that multiples of a Circle ( Bullseye ) are simply derived from that Bullseye, but I'm far from a mathematition (sp?).

(M) I also would like Forum members to know that if you or anyone else prefers the calculations in Metric, it will return results in that format too.

(M) Finally, I want to ask you to please consider making a wood mock up of at least one of the bricks based on these returns and simply trace that on paper or plywood for the number of bricks specified. I would hate to feel responsible in case I transcribed your figures incorrectly. Thanks.

================================================== ===

(T) " For the main dome -

Axed arch:

(A) arch width: 42 inches
(B) arch height: 16.5 inches (top of first row which is 4.5 inches to a 21 inch high interior)
(C) brick length : 4.5 inches (1/2 of a 9 inch brick)
(D) brick width : 2.5 inches

(M) All results used 1/16th inch grout line.The program returned these results for the main dome:

27 bricks
Top Cut = 2 & 8/16th
Bottom cut = 2 & 1/16th

================================================== =

(T) " For the doorway -

Axed arch and semi-circular (like to ponder both)

(A) arch width : 20 inches
(B) arch height : 3 inches (axed) 7.5 inches (semi-circ) *
(C) brick length : 4.5 inches
(D) brick width : 2.5 inches"

(M) First, the results for the "Axed arch"

9 bricks

Top cut = 2 & 14/16th

Bottom cut = 2 & 5/16th

===========================================

(M) Now the same dimensions but for a Semi-Circle:

9 bricks

Top cut = 4 & 15/16th

Bottom cut = 3 & 6/16th

===========================================

btw: At my inserted * above, you specified an arch height of 7.5" for a Semi-Circle.

If your arch width is 20, then wouldn't your radius ( arch height) be 10" ? If I misunderstood and you wanted another axed arch with a Rise of 7.5" let me know and I'll email you those results.

(M) I wish you luck and hope you have an accurate radial or table saw for your wood trial.

Ciao,

Marcel

[Marcel]

My error. Brick can not have a cut larger than 4.5" top

# 39

(M) OW !! When I noticed that the last result showed:

"Top cut = 4 & 15/16th"

(M) I realized that my fears that "I would hate to feel responsible in case I transcribed your figures incorrectly" had been realized. Since the bricks are only 4 1/2" in "width", there could be no cut larger than 4 1/2" in "width" . Obviously I must have inverted some dimensions.

(M) Let me offer revised figures for your last request:

(T) "" For the doorway -

Axed arch and semi-circular (like to ponder both)

(A) arch width : 20 inches
(B) arch height : 3 inches (axed) 7.5 inches (semi-circ) *
(C) brick length : 4.5 inches
(D) brick width : 2.5 inches"

(M) When I used your 7.5" figure, for an Axed Arch, the program showed:

15 bricks
Top Cut = 2 & 8/16th
Bottom Cut = 1 & 12/16th

(M) When I used the same figures but left out the 7.5 rise for a Semi-Circle, the following results were seen:

19 Bricks

Top Cut = 2 & 5/16th

Bottom Cut = 1 & 9/16th

Now you know why I asked you to please make a wood mock up.

Sorry,

Marcel

===========================================

[aikitarik]

Thanks, Marcel. These measurements worked, but I guestimated some other angles instead of asking or doing the math myself and we ended up with larger gaps in that different dimension. Still, this was nice. Thanks again!

[aziz]

deer marcel
where i can find the program

[jengineer]

The CD program and the tool can be bought at Home Depot. It was abou $20 a year or so ago. Look in the "tool" coral or ask one of the very knowledage members there. When i went hunting I thought it would be with the rest of the masonry tools - wrong. In one store it was in another it wasn't, don't know where they stash them these days. If you can't find it ping Marcel again on this thread.

[Marcel]

"Anglizer" was very difficult to find.

(M) jengineer wrote:

"The CD program and the tool can be bought at Home Depot. It was abou $20 a year or so ago. Look in the "tool" coral or ask one of the very knowledage members there. When i went hunting I thought it would be with the rest of the masonry tools - wrong. In one store it was in another it wasn't, don't know where they stash them these days. If you can't find it ping Marcel again on this thread."
===============================

(M) I really went through over a week of correspondence with distributors, Home Depot, the Mfg., etc. and finally located it at Home Depot. If you can't find it, Aziz, you can send me the parameters and I'll plug them in and send you the output. But you won't get the physical jig to lay over the bricks that way. You don't "need" the jig, but it does make things easier.

(M) Sorry I can't point you to a specific tool bin. Consider printing the page with the image of the posting I got in this thread and taking it to Home Depot. The tool is made in the UK by "General" and also has the term "Axed Master" in addition to "ANGLE-IZER" on the CD.

Ciao,

Marcel

[CAM]

Googled angle-izer

My local Harbor Freight also has it for about $15. Just Google it and you'll find plenty of e-stores with it. Didn't find much for Axed Master though. The Depot seems adept at hiding them for some reason. Hope that's helpfull to someone.