Another WFO in the UK - 42" Pompeii

[brad mole]

Thanks Chach!

Got the chimney mounted! I have also been collecting offcuts of hardwoods from work to use for curing fires and also ordered a dumpy bag of hardwood logs for cooking with! Its almost time!

[Chach]

Very Nice peel! Good way to repurpose.

[brad mole]

I have managed to use my new laser thermometer and lighter and they work great. I also made an 8" pizza peel, this was supposed to be just a quick temporary one but it turned out quite nice, i used my old wok handle and some oak dowel i had, the peel itself is aluminium

[brad mole]

So i started my curing fires, what an exciting time! I also finished off the brickwork up to chimney height which is where im going to leave it for a while as i can use the oven now and enjoy the summer then come back tot he rest of it later in the year or early next year. double layer of calsil wrapped in tinfoil under the entry arch with my stainless box section for the heatbreak. I just put some temporary firebricks as my floor as im hoping to put a piece of granite in there when i get around to it. I also temporarily placed my chimney in place

[brad mole]

Im living in Jarrow mate and hoping to start the curing fires this week as I have my first pizza party in less than 2 weeks!

from what I've been reading, an enclosure is your best chance of keeping it as dry as possible so I'd maybe recommend that to others unless your set on seeing the dome shape?

Wow what are the chances of finding the same saw too! They seem pretty hard to come by! The good thing is I have a jig I made for mine which I can send you if your planning to use your saw to do a full brick dome? It should fit straight on if you drill 4 holes to mount it like I have. I made one for each side of the blade but just ended up doing all my angle cuts from one side. the saw is great, get a fresh blade on it, a respirator and some earplugs and you'll be good to go, it's a very loud saw but cuts great if the blade is sharp and water feed is on. My water pump was broken so I just hooked it up to my outside tap with hose and it worked ok. I have mine running from my garage through a transformer and 20-30m extension cable

Its a tough old job and hugely expensive and time consuming, double what I had expected but I'm sure til all be worth it in the end, good luck on selling it to the mrs and be sure to keep us updated and ask if you need any help

Brad has done a top notch job (even with all the CAD and laser tech stuff, LOL). Copying is the highest form of a compliment.

Hey, thanks Russ it means a lot!

[UtahBeehiver]

Brad has done a top notch job (even with all the CAD and laser tech stuff, LOL). Copying is the highest form of a compliment.

[GeordieM]

Hi Brad, I grew up in Wylam, then Ryton, and went to school in central Newcastle, before leaving for university in Leeds. Now I'm living up in rural Aberdeenshire as Aberdeen is where the UK oil industry lives predominantly. Where are you? And when do you think you'll be ready for first fires and first food? To my layman's eyes it looks like you're nearly there.

I love the look of the domed finish. For my build I may still go that way as I'm not yet decided. A simple enclosure filled with dry vermiculite or Rockwool just seems easier and quicker (again, what would I know?!). We get some impressive weather here in NE Scotland, though probably no wetter than where you are.

By coincidence I picked up a Belle BC 350 saw from Gumtree yesterday. (I've been watching the site for months hoping for a nearby sale of a "brick saw" or similar to come up.) Looking back at your photos I see that's the saw you're using. I really am copying you! The Belle has got some wear and tear - it may even be ex-plant hire - but the bloke selling it assured me it was a runner three months ago. I took the risk and paid £180. I may regret it. Now I've got to understand site 110V and see if I can run 30A out of my shed. And buy a 110V site transformer. And probably best to start with a fresh saw blade. It's interesting just how much new stuff there is to learn for the complete noob. Even getting the tools set up is a learning process for me. The Belle looks like it could slice space-time itself - it must laugh at firebrick?

Regarding space I've 0.5 acre garden so can fit in an enclosure. But I'm unlikely to be able to get a 240V/30A extension cable to the oven - I don't want to melt the 240V extension reel.

Thanks, and I may message you for advice . But I'm not yet going to waste your time until I get a final permission slip for the build from my wife. I'm fully aware that it will be difficult to fit it in with a 4-year-old to raise, stressful job and commute. Such is life!

I'm looking forward to seeing your next progress photos.

[brad mole]

Hi Brad,
Some very skilled and tidy work there. I will be shamelessly copying your build when I start my own here in Aberdeenshire. Though I’ll probably go for a full enclosure or some sort given the weather in the Highlands. I grew up just outside Newcastle so nice to see a WFO being built back home!
Cheers, Gareth

Hi Gareth! Thanks for the appreciation, I kind of wish I'd put mine in an enclosure too, I had planned to build a canopy over mine but after seeing the size of the thing now it's built, a canopy would shade too much of the garden and I had already bought all my insulating materials so I'm thinking I'm just going to try and sew together a waterproof cover for it and hope that keeps the majority of the moisture out.

Hey another Geordie member I believe that makes 3 or 4 of us now on here! Small world, where abouts did you grow up?

When do you plan to start the build? By all means copy what I have done that is pretty much all I have done anyway which is the great bonus of the forum, like minded people helping each other out! On that note, if your in need of anything you think I may be able to help with then feel free to give me a shout, or if you happen to be in the area anytime it would be rude not to pop by!

Nice build Brad. Wish I was at the level you are now. I'm almost afraid to start buying the material if fear I will get to a point it beyond my capability. Guess there's only 1 way to find out.

Hey, I was in the same boat as you this time last year but like most people on here, do a little research then just jump in and take it bit by bit and you'll get through just fine, I dreaded doing my arch and chimney vent but once I had the bits in front of me to visualise I found it much easier. Any bits your stuck on then just give one of us a message or ask the question to the forum and you'll get the info you need, good luck!

[Chach]

Nice build Brad. Wish I was at the level you are now. I'm almost afraid to start buying the material if fear I will get to a point it beyond my capability. Guess there's only 1 way to find out.

If your not happy the way things are turning out you will know right away and before things are set you can always take it apart. I've taken a block or 2 out 3 days after I set them because I was not happy with the way it looked as long as you don't build on top of what you want to change/redo just scrape the mortar out and don't tap the brick because you can loosen another gwt a small backfiller bricklayer trowel and scratch it out. Don't let fear stop you from building this great project.

[Saltycave]

Nice build Brad. Wish I was at the level you are now. I'm almost afraid to start buying the material if fear I will get to a point it beyond my capability. Guess there's only 1 way to find out.

[GeordieM]

Hi Brad,
Some very skilled and tidy work there. I will be shamelessly copying your build when I start my own here in Aberdeenshire. Though I’ll probably go for a full enclosure or some sort given the weather in the Highlands. I grew up just outside Newcastle so nice to see a WFO being built back home!
Cheers, Gareth

[brad mole]

Arch complete and started on the rest of the brickwork, ive left another heat gap which i will fill with heat rope and high temp sealant

[brad mole]

First layer of vermicrete complete, bottom part already looking a little dry which is good. I also i cut my last set of arch bricks, for the decorative entrance arch. I also laser engraved 2019 into the keystone, i was going to put my name but kept it simple instead

[brad mole]

Thanks Russell, i knocked up something similar to shape the rest of the dome, it worked really well actually and i found this part pretty easy, although its not perfectly neat i dont mind as i know im going to add another layer in future when this layer dries out properly. I started the decorative brickwork too

[UtahBeehiver]

I made a home made curve trowel to help place and shape the vcrete, roughly the height of each layer.