36" Pompeii low-dome in Livermore, CA

[UtahBeehiver]

You are really moving along fast. Good idea to tackle the inside mortar before it sets up too hard.

[Larry P]

Very interesting build to watch, Not many low domes have been documented on the FB forum so this is nice to see.

Thanks! Nice to hear it's appreciated.

Very cool build. It is amazing how many different ways there are to cut the bricks. Your jig is very cool. It looks way more user friendly than the brick shims that I used. Mine was useable but yours is repeatable. Great job. I look forward to seeing your next update.

Randy

Thanks Randy. For future reference, I figured out later the easy way to make 2-axis cuts and have all the slopes go the right direction would have been to build a 2nd jig, mirror image of the first, and make the complementary cuts on the opposite side of the blade. It doesn't apply to me because as of yesterday evening, my dome is closed up!

I'm thinking it's safe to pull out the sand today? If there's any bad mortar on the inside faces of the bricks, I want to get it cleaned up before it gets too stiff.

[RandyJ]

Very cool build. It is amazing how many different ways there are to cut the bricks. Your jig is very cool. It looks way more user friendly than the brick shims that I used. Mine was useable but yours is repeatable. Great job. I look forward to seeing your next update.

Randy

[UtahBeehiver]

Very interesting build to watch, Not many low domes have been documented on the FB forum so this is nice to see.

[Larry P]

...after that it was up and away. I got the first 3 courses cut, and 2? mortared in, when I ran out of daylight and mortar.

[Larry P]

After losing some sleep over brick cutting on Saturday night, I woke up and invented this 2-axis brick cutting jig. The only problem was that cutting 2 axis was too much for my hungover brain. After messing up a few cuts where one axis was tapered correctly and the other was opposite what it was supposed to be, I decided to give up on 2-axis tapering and tapered only one direction, to minimize the upside-down "v" on the side facing the inside of the oven.

[Larry P]

Saturday's work: Finished the brickwork around the entry arch. Filled the oven with random garbage and damp sand, then used my form to shape the dome and covered it with paper:

[Larry P]

Thanks Randy!

[RandyJ]

Wow that is looking great. I was wondering how you were going to support that first course. That is very impressive looking. Keep up the great work.

Randy

[Larry P]

Larry, nice steel work! Is that a kit or are you designing/welding it up custom? The steel hoop design is new to me - is it something that has been used before? I am curious how the oven will expand and contract with the different properties of the steel and brick.

Thanks! The steel work is custom and ideas based off this build here: http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/ind...?topic=22618.0

I'm curious about heat expansion as well but it's a common method from what I can see with low-dome builds. I read a lot of conflicting info about expansion of steel and masonry, but I'm under the impression that they have similar properties which is why things like e.g. steel rebar can be used to reinforce masonry and concrete.

[JRPizza]

Larry, nice steel work! Is that a kit or are you designing/welding it up custom? The steel hoop design is new to me - is it something that has been used before? I am curious how the oven will expand and contract with the different properties of the steel and brick.

[Larry P]

More rain this weekend kept everything covered, but I did finish my metal fabrication and had just enough daylight last night to get it installed.

[Larry P]

Moving right along, only got a few hours on the oven this weekend due to torrential rains, but it was enough time to get the soldiers in. I'm planning a Neopolitan-style steel entry arch which should be ready by next weekend, then on to the dome.

[Larry P]

A bit late for you now, but if you need more height you can get half height blocks.

Thanks David. I'm good with the height now. Somehow the 2 layers of cf board brought the deck height exactly to the tip of my elbow.

[Larry P]

Nice start, be sure to cover the expansion gap between the first chain and the floor so mortar from the build does not fall into it, use some duct tape or stuff the cardboard spacers back in. Some have reported cracking to the dome because the expansion gap accidently filled up with mortar and the floor had no where to expand.

Good tip on the expansion joint. I'll be sure to seal that up.