Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Adhoc 36" Oven in Lake District, UK

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Inside looks horrible. Probably going to easily walk the title of ugliest, worst ever build! I wish I'd not half mocked the Cretan oven I showcased earlier. Working simply with a hammer and a bolster chisel for EVERYTHING does not give the best results. It can take you so far, but when you REALLY need those cuts to be spot on, those tool can't 'cut it' literally. Urghhh.

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    A week past this monday, I worked all day and got the last two courses finished. Had to fashion a hook out of a clothes hanger for a couple of bricks, but the rest just sat in place obediently. I got to almost a round looking curve again then got down to the keystone
    I made a pallette type platform to (unstabley) crawl in...

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Originally posted by cbailey View Post
    Hello. I'll through my thoughts if it helps. I'm, basically, at the same progress in my build. I live north of Houston, TX. The winter is cool, gets close to freezing, but is fairly mild. I believe our climates are similar, cool and humid. That is actually great conditions for curing very strong mortar and concrete. It may be slow, but with strong results.

    I don't think you need to worry about the "weeping". It looks like natural efflorescence. I didn't fully ready your thread. Are you using Homebrew?

    Cory
    Thanks Cory . It HAS been slow work for sure. Yes, its homebrew. Think it may have all been in vane. As, again in my impatience in getting the final keystone in, I whacked it a little TOO hard and have cracked my oven!!! Can't believe it. Ive sort of managed to grout out and repair as best I can. Gonna crawl in at weekend and attempt one final grouting and tidy up before fires next weekend commence

    Leave a comment:


  • cbailey
    replied
    Hello. I'll through my thoughts if it helps. I'm, basically, at the same progress in my build. I live north of Houston, TX. The winter is cool, gets close to freezing, but is fairly mild. I believe our climates are similar, cool and humid. That is actually great conditions for curing very strong mortar and concrete. It may be slow, but with strong results.

    I don't think you need to worry about the "weeping". It looks like natural efflorescence. I didn't fully ready your thread. Are you using Homebrew?

    Cory

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Has anyone noticed their mortar joints 'crying' ? Ive had weeping bricks all the way through the build. Im guessing its just the moisture of the mortar joins seeping out because its taking so long to dry being winter.

    Anyone else had this? Im thinking I should maybe stick some form of heat in the oven to dry it out of a fashion before I even contemplate curing fires etc?

    Additionally - its looking like the top curve of my dome is going to be 18" too - rather than come in lower as I thought it was meant to. Does this cause much in the way of a problem? Front arch is height of 11"
    Last edited by MickyPizza; 01-20-2019, 02:40 PM.

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Today I got the keystone bashed into course 8 and finished off course 9. Using bricks cut at thirds where possible. Its ended up a bit of a wonky donkey unfortunately and VERY messy on the inside joins. Also looking a bit egg shaped too! Im beginning to regret ripping the crap out of that Cretan oven in my previous post!! This is no easy feat using non-cut to size bricks!!!

    I need to leave it a few days to give mortar a chance to dry out before the small course 10. I will grout and clean up inside if I can fit!!!!

    The level is a bit out but I'm not going to concern myself at this late stage. If it was much further down I'd correct it.

    Feel free to pass comment, good bad or ugly on any stage of my progress here guys
    Last edited by MickyPizza; 01-20-2019, 02:38 PM.

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    This is where things are going a little skew-with. Trying to cut a full brick with a slope for the 7th course to rest on AND a lower slope/curve for the continuation of the inner dome shape. Not easy!! I went on at least two rampant rages where bricks broke and got thrown or punched!! But all in all the dome curve, whilst a little rough isn't TOO bad I suppose

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Originally posted by Lucag View Post
    Hello, I follow with interest! I am no expert and currently making my own pizza oven as well so. In my opinion all the gaps needs filling with cut to size bricks and the dome bricks should rest on the arc a little bit to help with stability. Avoid large area of mortar filling here.
    Thanks for the advice. I went out with the intention of filling those rear of arch gaps. ... thats when the back keystone brick of the arch, fell out!! I had a full day of work on tues to focus on it and it resulted in my rebuilding the arch. Not once but TWICE more (4th attempt is now in situ!!)

    I rebuilt almost the entire arch with two wedge shaped bricks as keystones. Much happier. Then I thought 'Hang on...where exactly is course 7 gonna GO? Is it just gonna suspend in mid air?'

    I'd built my inner arch too far forward in relation to the dome. Thus, my half bricks forming the arch curve needed to be full bricks to allow some support for the upper arches! Great

    cue Arch #4!

    Leave a comment:


  • Lucag
    replied
    Hello, I follow with interest! I am no expert and currently making my own pizza oven as well so. In my opinion all the gaps needs filling with cut to size bricks and the dome bricks should rest on the arc a little bit to help with stability. Avoid large area of mortar filling here.

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    This is my latest update, as of today. All looking a bit wing and prayer, isn't it! Its gonna be mega tricky to fit bricks over the arch from here. Awkward cuts.

    Those recesses either side of the arch brick supports need filling in.

    I dont know if the recess formed by the two arch keystone bricks would need filled in too?

    This is my current situation so any feedback would be of a great help. Thanks

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    At last it came to the point of tackling the entrance arch. Ive not planned this out in anyway, hence the post title. I'm literally just winging it! When I measured and cut (very roughly) the semi-circile. I forgot to subtract a brick height for resting the form on. Plus the curve angles were completley skewed!!
    In a big rush and not giving this thing the patience it deserved, I thought 'Balls to it, I'll just bodge it all up with cardboard'
    The result was hideous and I HAD to start all over again. Made the next form a lot more carefully!!

    Now looking like an oven not a playschool sandcastle. Arch height is 11" and because (another error!) I'd not put a reveal in, Ive stepped the arch bricks in a little so that there is a stop for a door.

    Width is 18 and a bit, but slightly less over the arch

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Onto the 6th and 7th courses now. Decided it was about time I cleaned up the inside of the oven at this stage and did some pointing of any mortar gaps etc. The overall look isn't all THAT shabby I dont think, save for the odd brick or two.

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Early courses. No fancy cutting methods at my disposal so just using a lump hammer and brick bolster

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    In keeping with my slate theme, I wanted the opening part of the floor to be of honsiter slate. Took ages to get level and the transition to firebrick floor bang on, but once cleaned up, its gonna look lush.

    Keen eyed folk might recognise the IT .... it belonged to Brad Mole. I met him (and his fine oven) and he helped me out with some offcuts of calsil (I'd underordered!) and gifted me his IT tool. I had to cut it down to 36" and hacksaw through his welds then drill and bolt together to get the smalller size.

    Its at this stage, I can see an error, a big one... I should have started on the arch EARLY!!

    The very front arch will be made of slate in keeping with the appearance of the outside look of the oven

    Leave a comment:


  • MickyPizza
    replied
    Finally after months of doing the base etc, I got round to actually ordering all the supplies. £700 delivery plonked on the roadside.
    Calsil board laid on a bed of mortar to get it as level as possible. Put a plastic sheet underneath the calsil to help prevent the moisture ingress. Then read on the plans that a fireclay bed for the floor bricks was optimal. What a horrible sticky old mess fireclay is!!! urgghh.
    But, at last - an oven Floor!

    Leave a comment:

Working...
X