36" Pompeii in Indiana, US

[GreenViews]

Utah, thanks for the tips.

Bottom of first course: I did use a 1:1 sand:fireclay mix as suggested. Thanks for checking

Premix: I am using Akona medium duty refractory mortar which does not require heat to set. I see it has been discussed in the forum here. https://community.fornobravo.com/for...cement-menards I'm also uploading data sheets and msds for it. I am using it for ease of mix, but it looks like a proprietary blend of portland, calcium aluminate cement, silica sand, lime with a little calcium carbonate and polymeric binder. I also bought a bag of more expensive Heat Stop 50 from my brick supplier, which I will use, but don't plan on buying more because it is more expensive and doesn't have greater claims than the Akona product. After what I read, I'd be happy to use the home brew mix, which seems somewhat similar except that it uses fire clay rather than calcium aluminate cement. I find the Akona product very easy to work with. Nice bonding to brick and nice work-ability so far. The next morning, my first course has set up nicely. I may not have as much working time with this product over the homebrew, but it hasn't been a problem yet.

Last brick: Great suggestions at making these not so thin and putting near front so my oven looks neater!

Photo: First course done. I'll take more photos today of how I'm using my template and weird IT and the cuts I'm making. Maybe doing so will either help someone else or keep me from making mistakes in later courses that are more critical. Let's see what today and tomorrow bring.

[GreenViews]

Video: Yesterday evening's build process: 2nd course of half soldier. A bit more work than the first course, but went well. Possible improvements next course: I had splits which will be visible from front door again and realized after 4 brick that I was lining up the vertical joints, so fixed at that point with a split. Without full bevel cuts, I don't see being able to avoid having thin brick visible on the back of the oven, so I'm making peace with having these visible.

[GreenViews]

Yesterday's photos:
- Setting up the IT for 2nd course which entails using template and brick secured in place to set IT face angle and length. This worked like a charm for this course. It was the first course I used the stick for as my half soldier I just layed along a drawn circle and I layed them without radial bevels since gravity will not pull them into the dome. I needed to adjust my IT center just a fuz and readjust my length but will not need to do that again since I was just correcting for improper placement of my IT center on the first course I was using it for. I found out the need for this by testing brick placement radially around the dome.
- 2 pics show how I marked and cut the second row up of my doorway bricks. (one more course straight up, then an arch). I used a Kiss method. Yes my IT helped, as would have my plywood template, but no need for that now that IT is set to this corresponding dome course.
- Found the upside down V in the second half soldier course. Not sure yet if I will switch to compound bevel on 3rd course or if it will be much less pronounced since I am switching to normal placement from half soldier on next course. I'll do some test cuts before deciding. One error I made was not checking level on my bricks at first (more important with half soldier) and because of the upside down V (trapezoidal pattern of perfect face) issue, I started laying subsequent bricks at an increasing level, took me a bit to figure it out, so some of the first bricks are skewed off level. I'm thinking: good course to learn on, no real fears of failure from poor build quality on this course.
- finally, all cleaned up after the nights work. Was a long evening finishing after midnight, but I couldn't just stop partway through the course!

I'm feeling happy and proud. Had visions of doing more last night, but she's coming out just fine!

[GreenViews]

Planning next course plus horizontal bevel for next several if not all future courses from my arch template, center line marks and true vertical line marks. No math solution (and I like math, lol). See pics on how I did this in straightforward fashion. More details given in pic descriptions. I hope this can help others to take less time than I did... not that my method is best, but one option that worked well for me.

[GreenViews]

Adjusting my length and brick face angle of my specialized low dome -length and angle adjust IT -LAAIT (lol).

A) Attach my newly cut brick which was made via the dome template.
B) Add 2 sheet metal screws to set length and angle firmly
C) Double check using plywood dome template

Done! IT is ready for action on 3rd course. Will repeat this process for each course, but takes just a couple minutes.

[GreenViews]

Inner arch work and Inner arch meet dome: Part 1:
I've reviewed many drawings and suggestions from others on other builds... and thank you all for these!!!!! I still am struggling a bit, but think I have it figured out now. I cut the first arch brick back now, but have to cut the rest of them.
Bottom back bevel: I think I know how to cut the bottom edge according to the dome. With my low dome build and my build technique, I will use my plywood dome template to make marks on the rest of these dome bricks (after adding mortar spacing wedges) I can do this by removing one brick at a time and putting my plywood template next to the adjacent dome bricks to mark.
Top Bevel: At first I was thinking I would try to match this to a single row and cut off all of the door arch brick required to match up with a specific dome row, but now I see that could result in cutting off too much or too little of the dome brick.... therefore I think I get what others were doing... they were cutting off an equal amount on each dome brick to somewhat match the angle of the dome at that level, then cutting back the come row bricks to match.... If I understand the drawings correctly. I'm going to lay the next course and the very base of the dome arch, then revisit this. I'll review the drawings and suggestions of others in the meantime. Thanks to all of you who have helped us understand this!!! A bit tricky to visualize properly.

[UtahBeehiver]

Are you wanting to do a tapered inner arch? Here is a little explanation I put together to help people visualize this concept. It is one of the more difficult concept to see until you actually see it fit together. One thing I cannot tell if the arch bricks are already been cut in half. In order to do this type of arch you need to start with full length bricks with the top dead center brick being the actual longest one. Each arch brick is slightly different so you cannot cut them all at once.

[GreenViews]

Thanks Utah, that diagram is supremely helpful! The cutting each brick slightly different is what got me still thinking, but I'm almost there. With a low dome the angle changes from the IT angle with each new course. So far I've used my template to figure out how to cut the notches on the bottom side. Now I'm stuck trying to figure out how to meet the dome to the arch because I think there are at least 2 good options. A) Cut enough off each arch brick to meet the dome well but leaving good amount of brick behind or B) cut enough off the arch bricks so you don't have to cut the bottom of any dome bricks, transitioning to the next dome row when required. Also there would be C) build arch first and do your best to meet the dome to it without any planning ahead of time with lots of tricky dome cuts.... (Already clear that this is not the advised path)

I'm pretty sure the best answer for stability is A and I think that is what I understand you and others saying.

[GreenViews]

Course #3 and base of arch video

[Jamie Dowdall]

Course #3 and base of arch video

Thanks greenviews, you have justified my upcoming M18 6" grinder purchase. Cords are for cavemen.

[P3 Stoaker]

G'day Tom,
Your progress, mathematical application and timelaps video's are certainly impressive. I was wondering, are you setting the adjustable IT to the correct angle by using the lines drawn on the wooden template?
I'm now a fair way behind, just finalising inner arch for floor layout. As you've read I'm getting my head around the tapered arch, with some very much appreciated assistance. I did agree though reading your post that the template you've made for setting your IT, could that be used to mark each brick of the arch, in a similar way as the IT would on a traditional even arch style? Some say cut all arch bricks up front, others say cut as you go. I guess cut as you go has considerations regarding;
1 Will you have odd no of bricks thereby meaning a TDC?
2 Do you want a TDC?
3 Width of TDC once you get there.

Thanks for your comments in my build thread, certainly helped my understanding, and to clear things up.
Regards
Greg

[P3 Stoaker]

Tom, I meant to ask, You worked with half bricks at the back of the oven, Russell mentioned where possible having them to the front where not seen. What do you think about starting each course at the back, would that work?
Regards

[GreenViews]

Jamie, Yes, I expect I'll use the little grinder on a couple other spots after cement cures and the trickiest cuts get assistance from grinder in addition to the tile saw! Always glad to help a fellow justify a good tool purchase
Greg, Yeah, I'll definitely get the angle for each level and the arch brick cuts off of the lines of my wood template (which I have now cut part of one end off of so it will fit into the doorway with the arch support template there and in the way. I have cut the bevels for the arch bricks and am now only needing to cut the back cuts to match the dome angle. I only have to decide at exactly which elevation I will meet these two, therefore how much I will cut off of the top of door arch vs cutting off the bottom of dome bricks. I'm figuring out, but will try and remember to take photos to show more precisely. my exact process. Is TDC the keystone brick at top? I do happen to have an odd number. I made cuts and set bottom brick back so currently they are all the same width, but I think by the time I mortar them in, I will be too tight and end up cutting the center brick back just a tad to make thinner. I learned the too tight lesson on my last row. In my last video, you can see me break a couple still curing mortar joint of the brick I had placed in the doorway. I swore, tapped everything back into place and wet it down. I hope I didn't create a permanent weak point.
Regarding starting each row at the back... might work and seems l like a great idea actually and I might try it. I discovered my IT works best in one direction because of the width and how it's center is on one side. I could grind it down, but too busy building for the moment, lol. I guess I'm not that concerned about a perfect uniform look of brick width. I figure if the lines inside look nice and tight, I'll be happy. People who take the uniformity of brick to the extreme (and hats off to them, really) calculate exact width of each row and cut bricks down as required, to keep all the joints perfectly between joints on the prior row. Hmm, still thinking about this for my next course.

[GreenViews]

Quick pic after 3rd course and cleaning up. I have a few pics of my trying to figure out more precisely meeting of my door arch and dome, but will hold back until I have a full solution. Thanks again for the help Utah!

[UtahBeehiver]

Yes you can start at the back and work forward, Tip, at end of course lay one brick and center back and let it sit over night. Then you have an anchor to work with. Also and move to the arch, plan ahead of any width changes and spread them out over several bricks rather than one to avoid a "chip". Also using the template works fine for the bottom angle. It was done by a builder GianniFocaccia but I can't find his thread any more.