32 Inch Cape Build

[CapePizza]

Ope-Dog, I worked out my design in CAD from which I could define all the angles.
UtahBH, thanks for the clarification on the brick orientation. Any thoughts regarding my question of whether a tight fit using little mortar is preferable over leaving more spacing between bricks and using (more) mortar?
Thanks!

[Neil.B]

Looking forward to you build John. I'm building a 32" oven too, so it will be interesting to see how they both compare.

[UtahBeehiver]

It you can do it, tight inner joints is best to minimize mortar exposure to flame inpingement.inside the dome, back side does not matter.

[CapePizza]

Some update photos attached. Got the floor established, cut out and test fitted. Getting friendly with my new HF 10 inch DiamondBack saw. I've never used a wet saw before and I'll say it's not the "terrifying" experience I anticipated. Actually kind of fun to use. Also got the foamglas cut out. Waiting on the insulating board to arrive from FB. Will then be able to really get going. I wanted to thank Kvanbael and Mongota for their suggestion of making the Foamglas and Insulation Board stick out the thickness of whatever the insulation thickness winds up being (in my case 3 inches)so the insulation blanket rests on top of the board. I had to order an additional foamglas panel so I had enough, but glad I went with that configuration.

[UtahBeehiver]

On the HF saws, save yourself some grief and make the pump last longer by buying a length of plastic tubing and place the pump in a homer bucket that you keep filled with fresh water. This way all the brick sediment does not get in your pump, only fresh water.

[CapePizza]

Thank you for that suggestion, Russel. I suppose the only drawback is the basin under the saw would need to be emptied as it fills, but that seems like a small chore if it provides longer life for the pump.
I'll do that. Thanks!

[CapePizza]

A thought I'd like to run by the members regarding laying of dome bricks. I don't know if this has ever been proposed or given any thought but would like to get some feedback on this idea. From what I gather is the traditional way of laying the brick rows, the corner vertex of one brick is mated with the corner vertex of the brick below it, providing as close a fit as possible (actually touching is best) preventing BTU loss. What about if there were a small flat cut on the bottom of each brick so there is more surface to surface contact, row stacked upon row. I've been visualizing how this might work and have attached some images. Nothing other would really change other than providing this small flat. Over the course of building the dome an extra row of bricks may be needed to account for the loss of material due to the flat. Any thoughts?
I believe if you double click on the image it will enlarge.

EDIT: Also... I'm realizing as you work your way up the dome and the bricks start angling in more, maybe that flat will need to be angled from both sides to the center line of the brick in order to mate the flats of upper brick to the brick(s) it sits on top of.... so at some point it becomes 2 flats that meet at the center line of the brick with flats. Maybe not worth the extra effort compared to the benefit it might provide. But would still like to hear other's thoughts. Thanks!

[mongota]

I don't know if this has ever been proposed or given any thought but would like to get some feedback on this idea. What about if there were a small flat cut on the bottom of each brick so there is more surface to surface contact, row stacked upon row. Any thoughts?

You can certainly do that. Some builders don't taper any bricks at all and use maximum mortar. Others taper all sides for full contact and use minimal mortar. Then there's any and everything in between. lol

I did what you propose, not in my dome, but on the bricks that form the tunnel over my landing. Partly to minimize the mortar joint and partly for arch layout and brick geometry.

Edit to add: When I first laid out the bricks for my tunnel, I had a roughly 3/8" 'mortar gap' top-dead-center. I preferred to have a brick TDC, so by shaving the edge of each brick just a bit, each course of tunnel brick was dropped lower than its original position. You can see the original pencil mark for the tunnel layout on the form in my photo, and how the shaved brick is now below that mark. By the time I got to TDC, I changed that thin 3/8" mortar gap into a space wide enough to instead have a brick at TDC.

I didn't need amazing precision for the tunnel, so I simply held the brick in one hand and grazed the edge of the brick with a diamond blade on an angle grinder held in the other hand. Fast and easily repeatable, brick after brick. And precise, even when hand shaving.

And...you and anyone else can completely disregard the following:
Depending on your confidence, you might want to use a brick positioning jig on your wet saw versus shaving by hand to get repeatable shaving cuts. But on that same note, when trying to take a light shave off the edge of a brick, a wet saw blade can deflect sideways as the blade enters and/or moves through the brick. Depends on blade diameter and kerf thickness. You can always apply pressure to the side of the spinning blade with a piece of wood to prevent it from deflecting. That may sound crazy, but it's quite safe, as long as you are capable. When you get experience with a diamond blade, you'll see how easy it is. But in the end, you'll figure out what works best for you as you make your first cuts. Don't let anything I post get you out of your wheelhouse when it comes to safety or comfort.

[CapePizza]

2 brick cutting layout questions:

1) I'm preparing to cut the bricks for the arch. Is it necessary to do this cut in 2 passes somehow. I can't see how this cut is done in one pass as the brick does not pass under the saw housing in a single cut (I'm trying to cut a 3 degree bevel on both sides of the brick (as shown by the pencil lines. I have the saw head elevated a bit as it is. (1st picture).

2). I've got the 1st 2 bricks positioned on both sides of the arch form with a line scribed by the IT on each brick face. Naturally that line is a curve as scribed by the IT (curved line). Would the line just be cut as a straight line, basically connecting the 2 end points of the curved line? I think yes, but just want to make sure I'm thinking this correctly.

Thanks very much for the help.

John

[UtahBeehiver]

You cannot cut the full 4" depth with a 10" HF saw, mine is an older model than yours but the max depth I believe is 3.5" . You can rotate the cutting head up using the depth adjustment so the brick will pass underneath but you still be limited to 3.5" cutting depth. I made the thicker cut towards where it feathers out then touched up the area with a diamond cup wheel on a angle grinder, paying close attention toward the front end of where the mortar joint is, back from the front is filled with mortar and not seen when done (my bricks were 6" wide). I also used some scrap brick wedges to hold brick angle.

[CapePizza]

Got it. Thanks. That's a good suggestion... taking the cut as low as can be gotten with the brick being able to pass under the saw head (I haven't measured it, but if it's 3.5 inches, so be it) and grinding off the balance with the angle grinder.
Thank you!!

[CapePizza]

Worked on the opening arch today. Need to fiddle a bit with the spacing/fitting. Probably would have been a bit easier to just make the opening round but with a 32 inch oven and having an opening height of 10 inches, the width (side to side opening) would have been the same (not really wide enough), so this is the shape I designed having a 16 inch opening. Suppose I could have also made the sides straight up for 4 or 5 bricks and then integrate the radius for the top of the opening......... Looking to start roughing out the first row of bricks tomorrow. Still trying to visualize the transition of the rows to the arch bricks, but as others have said, once you get into it, it becomes evident. Hope so.

[UtahBeehiver]

Just confirming the arch bricks are full length, ie 9" or so long and not half bricks. Full length are required to do a tapered inner arch. I highly recommend a tapered inner arch since it make the dome/arch transition much easier. If you are not familiar with this concept let me know, although difficult to mentally visualize it is not too difficult to do execute with a correctly configured IT.

[CapePizza]

Yes, I did use the full length of the brick for the arch... 3/4 view attached. I was going to attach this photo in last post, but didn't want to get too photo happy. I am planning on doing the tapered inner arch, just at this point still not visualizing it. I am sure once I get that first row established I'll "see" it. I've looked at many photos of others who have posted their progress of that transition (including yours) so when it comes to doing it I'm hoping to "get it". Just not particularly there yet. Many thanks again! BTW, thanks for that tip about grinding away the balance of the remaining material when doing those tapered long cuts. That worked out well. I'm not sure how I made it this far in life and have never used / owned an angle grinder.

[UtahBeehiver]

You start with the top dead center arch brick due to it being the longest since the dome is the farthest away from the arch. Then work your way down each way of the arch. The dimensions and cuts are different so you cannot cut all at once.