Pizza History in the Hammer Continues

[Baza]

So read on another thread re: mortar.
I know many like to work with their home-brew.
My friend owns a refractory company and sourced me the mortar in the photo. He says it is a refractory mortar and that is what it says on the package too!
It is a 50lb tub of mortar and water that needs mixing and has the silicates and whatnot that I read in refractory mortars.

Knowing there are a million mortars for a million applications and there are engineers on this forum ... I'm asking ... is the refractory mortar I have ok for the oven build?
I don't see why not - but is there a potential concern with it (that is, if you are familiar with the product)?

Thanks in advance for any insight.
Barry

[Baza]

You guys are AWESOME!!
Thanks Ricky! yeah - feels pretty bomb-shelter-ish at this point!

Valerio and I just got a flashlight and went out on the slab with a board and drilled 4 half-inch holes!
Did pilot holes and got gradually girthier - I guess I'll have to find a thin plastic pipe to go through and mesh the end.
The oven will be covered so not anticipating a lot of moisture - but resting better with it done - I'll figure out the next details re: this - SO GRATEFUL you flagged it Utah!!

I'll fix it up in the morning!

[UtahBeehiver]

You can wait a week of so, Also silicon some wire mesh over the bottom of the holes so bugs won't build a nest. 3 or 4 - 3/8" or 1/2" is plenty. Be careful of drill bit blowout, if you drill from the bottom, the insulation and oven will cover and bit blowout.

[Chach]

Looks great! For sure it's a strong structure.

Ricky

[Baza]

Don't forget to drill in some weep holes before the concrete gets to full strength.

Oh my goodness - I totally forgot to do that after vowing to do that!!!
To what degree of hardness can I wait to drill? I am losing light now and don't think I can do this

Can I get the drilling after the overnight set up?
What size hole?

I can't believe I forgot this key point!
UtahBeehiver Thank you

[UtahBeehiver]

Don't forget to drill in some weep holes before the concrete gets to full strength.

[Baza]

The hearth is poured and now curing ... happy with the result
Poured a 4" slab - it is plenty. 24 30kg bags - eesh - heavy stuff - but went well!

Used 2x10's as forms - levelled them then tapcon'd the boards to the stand and strapped it together - STRONG ... held well!
Excited to be done this part - had enough of lugging concrete, mixer rentals and such. Time to turn the mind to the craft of building the oven now - measuring, cutting, placing: building!
Nervous about these next steps ... but have been through the first stages and we now have a solid hearth in the back!!

This is going to be great ...

[Baza]

Hello wonderful Forum friends!
Been busy!!

The Hearth was laid today after spending the previous day building the forms and putting a time capsule away!

The forms are solid - used 2x3's cut from 2x6's (saving wood!) and holding up 2x6 frames. The one at the back (The Crypt) now hosts our time capsule: news paper, picture of Michelle, Valerio and I making lasagne (can't wait to do that in the oven!) and a letter to those that find it starting with, "If you are reading this, our oven is clearly no more! ..." it talks about the oven being built in a pandemic in a time of great social change and was made as a family for our family - continuing the tradition Valerio began in 1953 with the first Pizza restaurant in the area. It finishes wishing the reader well. I hope it is never opened.

[Baza]

Thank you both for your insights. My kids are up and gone so no worries there! Though, I am keen to get the best outcome for the build and if I can save some time on such details - I just might.

[Chach]

I only did a very few bricks in a taper and bevel. I quickly decided it was not worth the effort that it was going to take. If this is just a passion project and you have no wife or kids then go for it. If you have both then the extra time spent is simply not worth it. My guess is it will take you 3 times as long to build and 50% extra in bricks. You gain nothing in stability or looks. Nobody but you will notice the difference. That is my take on it.

Good Advice and totally agree. Strengtj in my opinion is not compromised and there is no cosmetic benefit what so ever.

Ricky

[RandyJ]

I only did a very few bricks in a taper and bevel. I quickly decided it was not worth the effort that it was going to take. If this is just a passion project and you have no wife or kids then go for it. If you have both then the extra time spent is simply not worth it. My guess is it will take you 3 times as long to build and 50% extra in bricks. You gain nothing in stability or looks. Nobody but you will notice the difference. That is my take on it.

[Baza]

Chach Thank you so much for the ready answers to my questions! Honestly, even at my stage - I don't think there is any easy way out of anything in this!! HA!
I've seen both Utah and Randy's comments on that and am torn given their great results doing so, Chipster's jig and dejayoh's spreadsheet to give angles ... vs. simple 1/2 cuts mortared up large on the outside.

I have a few hurdles to go before determining that ... thanks again!
Barry

[Chach]

Chach - wow! just looked through your build - remarkable! The entirety of the structure is amazing - and love the roof! You were very creative with it all! Back to my IT fears - your IT makes sense seeing it and looking at what pivot-at-floor-level looks like - excellent! A wooden version is in my future! Glad to read you're happy with your oven's performance (the food looks brilliant - so clearly - hemispherical is just fine.

Couple of questions (again):
1. When you cut your brick - it looks like you didn't taper or bevel until higher courses - is that correct?
2. Your arch looks like untapered (but clearly cut for internal/external dome shapes) full bricks on their side, letting the mortar do the angling, not the cuts - yes?

Great results Ricky!
Barry

I did not have to bevel until the 3rd course and i just beveled the front edge not the whole side. I also did not taper UtahBeehiver and RandyJ gave me the advice of its not necessary. Randy said he won't taper and full bevel on his next oven. Yes my arch is only cut for the dome shape a taperes inner cut. Yes full brick on their side mortar does the angling. If I were to do it again I probably would cut the brick and taper the sides instead of the mortar doing it. Not necessary but I should have at least tried it. I admit I took the easy eay out on that one.

Thanks for the kind words.

Ricky

[Baza]

Chach - wow! just looked through your build - remarkable! The entirety of the structure is amazing - and love the roof! You were very creative with it all! Back to my IT fears - your IT makes sense seeing it and looking at what pivot-at-floor-level looks like - excellent! A wooden version is in my future! Glad to read you're happy with your oven's performance (the food looks brilliant - so clearly - hemispherical is just fine.

Couple of questions (again):
1. When you cut your brick - it looks like you didn't taper or bevel until higher courses - is that correct?
2. Your arch looks like untapered (but clearly cut for internal/external dome shapes) full bricks on their side, letting the mortar do the angling, not the cuts - yes?

Great results Ricky!
Barry

[UtahBeehiver]

Many builders have mounted the IT on a wooden block the size of the brick, you can lower the pivot point to floor elevation by adjusting the thickness of the wood block.. You don't have to be at floor level you just have to account for the offset distance off the floor and adjust down accordingly. This is one of the reason an adjustable IT is preferred. IT are needed to do what is called a tapered inner arch, which I recommend since it makes tying the dome to the arch must easier. Adjustable IT helps with minimizing the "dreaded droop" over the arch.