Dome interior surface -How smooth?

[Jed]

I have just finished the dome construction on a 36 inch Pompeii oven. Thanks to all who traveled the path before me for sharing your experience, it really helps.

Now that it is put together, do any of you have any experience, advice, suggestions, regarding the interior surface on the dome. I didn't do a very good job of installing the bricks consistently, so the interior surface of the dome is not smooth... there is as much as a 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch (6 to 9 mm) change in elevation of the bricks surface from one brick to the next in a few places in the dome.

How does this affect the oven? Does it have any affect at all?

Should I get in there with the grinder and smooth off the corners a bit? (this sounds like a completely lousy job...)

How smooth is smooth enough?

I will spend more time cleaning up the mortar, but the attached picture shows the completed interior.

Now to be patient... wait,,, wait,,, finish the vent, and exterior, let the moisture evaporate slowly, slowly, slowly.....

Then a really big fire and good food!

Thanks,

JED

[asudavew]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

My advice....

Fire that baby up!!

(of course let it cure... and use curing fires)
other than that.. DONT SWEAT IT

[asudavew]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

By the way.

I don't think it looks lousy.

Looks really good in my book.

But I think you owe the group more pics!!

[RTflorida]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Jed, don't give it another thought...looks great. Please, go the multiple curing fire route.....not too big too soon.

RT

[mfiore]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

I agree. Looks very cool. I have yet to get to the dome, but I hope mine looks nearly that nice.

[mfiore]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Oh, and I also agree with Dave. We need way more photos. Seems we went right from the stand to the Keystone!

[Ken524]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Looks great!! Fire it up!

[dmun]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

I had a fit when i finished my dome, some of the interior sections didn't line up exactly and I added heat-stop mortar to smooth out the steps between some bricks. This turned out to be not a good idea: It turned out that some of those ramp-up sections of mortar flaked out with repeated firings.

I agree with everyone: It looks great, time to start curing that dome.

[gjbingham]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

One last time - It looks great - give it a week (or four) then fire it up!

There is nothing to gain by grinding on the bricks. It is not a parabolic mirror for a space telescope. The bricks are radiators not reflectors. Irregularities, while a bit unsightly to the builder, are hamless in fuction and will never be seen by anyone else.

[Jed]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Thanks Team!

It is great to get some opinions on an obscure topic...

I will leave the dome to set for a week or two before starting a curing fire sequence...

And I will post more pictures here in a couple minutes. I have been posting photo's directly to the photo gallery. Look up JED in the photo gallery section for the 'full story'. And I will go back and post foundation and hearth images in the gallery also.

Thanks again to James for hosting this site. The information, and encouragement sure make the process easier and more fun!

JED

[Wlodek]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Jed,

Question one: are you going to spend much time inside the oven or run guided tours in there? No? I thought this might be the case.

Question two: Are you going to use the dome for precise scientific research or for cooking delicious pizza and all sorts of other delicacies? I guess it is the latter.

Quite seriously, to me too it looks really good and if you are worried about the smooth flow of gases close to the dome - don't. There is always a turbulent zone near any boundary, your oven is not a wind tunnel, and these minor bumps won't make the slightest difference to what you want to do with it, which is make delicious pizza etc., whether this zone will be a little deeper or not. Your coals, flames and food will introduce much more irregularities in the convection processes anyway.

I must have a look at your phots now ...

All the best,
W.

[Frances]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

Oh yes, I remember these pics. Lovely dome, and I really like the way you tied in the red and yellow bricks on the entry! I wanted to do that, but the bricks were different sizes ... so its nice to see how cool it looks on your oven.

[mfiore]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

I, too, now remember your pics. I like how you built the arch first. It all looks great! Congratulations

[SpringJim]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

That one's put to bed....only the builder is really concerned with the dome. After you've looked a a lot of ovens you realize that the dome surface is relatively unimportant.....a smooth surface may be preferred but they can be rough and they will still work, hold heat, get black, get white...etc.

enjoy!

[asudavew]

Re: Dome interior surface -How smooth?

That one's put to bed....only the builder is really concerned with the dome. After you've looked a a lot of ovens you realize that the dome surface is relatively unimportant.....a smooth surface may be preferred but they can be rough and they will still work, hold heat, get black, get white...etc.

enjoy!

Amen! SpringJim!