East London pizza oven and grill

[Neil.B]

Class, thank you. My head is spinnin with arch geometry, among other things so the advice is much appreciated.

I think you are over thinking the arch.
On some cardboard (or simular) decide how wide you want it and mark the middle, then use the same from the top down. Then use some string or wood the same width as from the centre to edge and draw an arc.
This is your final template.
Then decide how high do you want the arch from the floor. Cut some timber and fix to the template.
place it were the final arch will be, and stand back and next to it to visualise how it will look. I made the arch lower than the bottom of the hearth to allow some rows of bricks above.
My left arch is slightly flatter as the width is wider and the arc was to high, the bricks above would not of lined up.
The left arch starts at five bricks high, i then decided I wanted the hearth higher, so the middle and left arch is 6 bricks high.
Once you are happy transfer to a solid template.
Build your sides flat up to the bottom of your template. The final row will need a brick cut at an angle(I used 45 degrees). Remember to cut you timber slightly shorter to allow wedges underneath for easy removal of template.

If you want to be really accurate then use the following site. I will be using it when building the 8' arch above the grill.
https://www.blocklayer.com/masonry-arch.aspx

[skelly27]

Class, thank you. My head is spinnin with arch geometry, among other things so the advice is much appreciated.

[Neil.B]

[Neil.B]

HI Neil. Your build looks great, I am planning a much less well done version of something similar. Silly question - what material did you use for the brick arch form? Is it just styrofoam?

Yes, I had 2" thick polystyrene left over from the base of my swimming pool, but general sheets of 1", 2" or 4" solid Insulation will work.
I used leftover laminate flooring underlay to decide on the size of the arches then used that as a template. The polystyrene is easy to cut/shape with a serrated kitchen knife.
2"*2" (or might of been 3") timber with polystyrene either side.
I also used circular polystyrene before concreting the hearth to allow access for the smoke from the chimnea (planning on using as a smoker above).

Good luck with your build, add a link to your signature to make it easier for others to follow.

Neil

[skelly27]

HI Neil. Your build looks great, I am planning a much less well done version of something similar. Silly question - what material did you use for the brick arch form? Is it just styrofoam?

[Neil.B]

Thanks for the idea, Dave. I was thinking of adding all the broken Thermolite/breeze blocks to the corners to leave about 2" gap for the perlite.
Plastic bottles towards the top of the dome(around the edge of the blocks) would save loads of room.

[david s]

First lot of questions:
I've roughly laid out the thermolite blocks. The template is for a 36" oven. There is 4"-5" from the template to the side blocks but only about 1"-2" to the back.
I was planning on having two layers of 1" ceramic fire blanket and filling all the rest with loose permulite.
So the whole enclosure will have loads of thermal insulation apart from the rear first row of the pizza oven, which will only be fire blanket and 4" thermal block.
Does this sound ok?

Is a 5" flexible chimney liner ok to use as I want to feed it in to the grill chimney?

Hi Neil,

As you are so close to your fence on both the back and the side that is a much better solution than building an igloo style and having to possibly remove the fence palings. When filling over the blanket with loose perlite you can save a lot by filling the corners with empty capped plastic bottles where the perlite layer would be otherwise really thick.The build is looking really good.

Dave

[Neil.B]

One step closer...
Spent the morning straightening the edges as my original cutting wasn't very precise.
Cooking bricks laid on a slurry mix of 50 /50 kiln dried sand and fire clay powder.
Started to dry out towards the end so not perfectly level, but considering the bricks are chamfered 72mm - 75mm I'm happy
Glad I didn't build the grill first as it makes an ideal workstation.

[Neil.B]

Had a good day today.
Some of the back/side blocks laid. To save on blocks i cut the blocks in the middle lengthways, this gives me 4.5" for insulation under the cooking floor.
Gap left around the edges for more yellow bricks.
Hoping to start on the soldier course tomorrow.

[Neil.B]

Thanks Barry,
I ordered some fire clay with the bricks, then bought lime and kiln dried sand, so will be doing the homebrew mix.

[Baza]

Neil.B well done! Looks great! keep it up!
You're miles ahead of me - who is now perseverating over the proper kind of mortar to use now!

Keep the posts and pics coming - excited for your build!
Barry

[Neil.B]

Finally cut the cooking bricks. Not perfect, but should be OK.

[Neil.B]

In the UK flexible stainless chimney liners are used with log burners, they improve the efficiency of the old brick chimneys in the old Victorian houses. They come in single and twin wall. Usually the void outside the liner is filled with loose vermiculite. They are fire rated but as far as I can remember you need a couple of foot of conventional flue between the fire and the flexible flue to pass building regulations that are now required when installing a log burner.

Thanks for the reply.
I wonder if it makes a difference that the fire in a pizza oven isn't directly under the chimney, like it is on a log burner.

The reason for the flexi liner is the chimney from the PO will go directly in the brick chimney of the grill, so flexi will be easier.
The PO will be enclosed using insulated blocks and filled with perlite or vermiculite, so the liner will be enclosed.

[hughjamton]

I can't say of flexible vent, did not use and not aware of any builds that have used it either, I am also not aware of any flex vent rated for wood fuel applications. Check with you supplier.

In the UK flexible stainless chimney liners are used with log burners, they improve the efficiency of the old brick chimneys in the old Victorian houses. They come in single and twin wall. Usually the void outside the liner is filled with loose vermiculite. They are fire rated but as far as I can remember you need a couple of foot of conventional flue between the fire and the flexible flue to pass building regulations that are now required when installing a log burner.

[UtahBeehiver]

I can't say of flexible vent, did not use and not aware of any builds that have used it either, I am also not aware of any flex vent rated for wood fuel applications. Check with you supplier.