37” Pompeii in SW ontario

[jamel]

Finished one of the last tasks on this project! Finally! It has been quite the journey and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without all the great advice and experience I was able to gleen from this group. Thank you all so much!
I am still hoping to make an insulated door over the winter so we can expand the types of food we can cook but for now I am just happy it is done - and so is my wife
cheers to all and may your cheese never run out

[jamel]

Actually the saw held up really good ( it’s just covered in sawdust). I purchased it used for $40 and it was already in rough condition but perfect for a job like this. I tried making my own compound angle jig but it was not rigid enough to give repeatable results. This saw saved me so much headache because I could trust the angles and making minor adjustments was a snap.

[Baza]

Thanks for the reply Jamel!
looks like that saw took a beating!
I will follow up with the Foamglas source - there appears to be a distributor here in Hamilton!
Thanks for the info!
Take care
Barry

[jamel]

Thanks Baza,
I got the foam glass from C&I Crossroads. They have locations throughout Canada. Closest to me was in Kitchener. As for my bricks I ended up calculating each level of the dome and used a compound slide mitre saw to cut all the compound angles. It was a lot of work and probably a little overkill but Now that it’s done I’m forgetting how frustratingly challenging it was.

[Baza]

Fantastic work Jamel!! In SW Ontario too (Hamilton)! Just starting the build (base and all) - noticed you used foam glass under the ceramic board? Yes? I am trying to source that here and cannot find it - where did you get it?? Is it foam glass?

Also, how much tapering and angling of your bricks did you do course by course? Did you use the spreadsheet or cut brick by brick to fit? Look like they are largely half bricks, no?

Finally - can you show me a pic of your saw? I have a 10" Dewalt non-sliding compound saw and a 14" chop saw - not sure which to use/which would be best with diamond blade. Any advice here MOST welcome from your experience.

All the best - great build!
Barry

[Chach]

Hi Jamel,
I enjoyed your build too. Looks very neat. I at the enclosure stage. I see you used timber top plates and rafters - is that because you just prefer working with wood, and was it also because there were sufficient clearances to combustibles for code purposes?

Also, what screws did you use to connect the timber to the steed track?

Thanks for sharing your build.

I also made wood trusses because of the shape i wanted to go with. There are screws that are made to attach wood to metal and are beefy. They have a self drill point on them and hold very well. I'm a firm believer in using the right tool for the job and the right material as well. That's half the battle.

Ricky

[jamel]

Yes I went to wood for the top because at that point I had sufficient clearances ( as well as lots of insulation) and it was easier and cheaper for me to finish it off.
i believe I used regular deck screws to attach the wood top plates to the metal studs.

[Padraig]

Hi Jamel,
I enjoyed your build too. Looks very neat. I at the enclosure stage. I see you used timber top plates and rafters - is that because you just prefer working with wood, and was it also because there were sufficient clearances to combustibles for code purposes?

Also, what screws did you use to connect the timber to the steed track?

Thanks for sharing your build.

[jamel]

Nope - nothing. The whole dome is wrapped in multiple layers of insulation blanket so I didn’t think it was necessary. I think It lets the oven expand and contract while letting the rest of the oven maintain its rigid form.

[Kvanbael]

It sucks that the crack is in such a prominent place but functionally everything works great.

I have pretty much the same arch crack. So I know how you feel. Glad to hear it doesn’t affect the oven’s function. Did you do anything to seal it?

[jamel]

Hey roger705,
i actually did use a 6” ID stainless pipe. The crack is just due to extreme heat expansion. It sucks that the crack is in such a prominent place but functionally everything works great.

[Roger705]

Hi Jamel, I enjoyed following your build. It looks great and I'm looking to build one very similar. I noticed that you only used a 3in flue. I thought for the 36in oven that a 6in flue is recommended. Do you think that could have contributed to the crack? Thanks Roger

[jamel]

Weather has finally improved up here so I’m back on to finishing the exterior. Picked up a coping stone to use as a ledge. It needed a little trimming but fits like a dream now.

[fornax hominus]

With me it was the roof, took 2 years to convince my wife to apply her metal skills and for her to find the time..I had many types of suspended tarps and coverings , which blew off or were destroyed by snow load.. didn’t stop me cooking tho. 10 years on , still used every week , roasted 500 lb of coffee and at least 2500 loaves of bread!

[jamel]

The stone veneer is taking way longer to install than I had originally anticipated. I had to wrap it up for winter because I didn’t get a chance to use pointing mortar and I was concerned any water getting behind the veneer would freeze and pop them off. So unfortunately this project is going into its 3rd year!?!