36" Corner Build in Minnesota

[MnDude45]

Thanks for the feedback, I will take it. I was able to get the 3rd course down today. No pics but it was another good day.

[NCMan]

Here are a couple tips. Use your best bricks on the back half of the dome. Do interior joint space/alignment adjustment in the front half of the dome (this area is never seen after the dome is completed. Last brick of the day, lay one brick on the next course at center back. It becomes an anchor for laying that course and as you go higher it really helps. Finally keep the tapered arch bring install ahead of the dome course, easier to tie into.

Great advice.

[UtahBeehiver]

Here are a couple tips. Use your best bricks on the back half of the dome. Do interior joint space/alignment adjustment in the front half of the dome (this area is never seen after the dome is completed. Last brick of the day, lay one brick on the next course at center back. It becomes an anchor for laying that course and as you go higher it really helps. Finally keep the tapered arch bring install ahead of the dome course, easier to tie into.

[JRPizza]

You should be able to get in a course a day now. I was never able to do more than one in a day, but one seemed like just the right amount of work.
It's looking good by the way ;-)

[MnDude45]

Another milestone as I got the 2nd course down and the first inner arch stones mortared in. Today was a good day.

[MnDude45]

I made some progress this weekend. I got the inner arch laid out and the first course mortared down.

[RandyJ]

Yes just use square bricks with a bevel on the sides. It is so much easier and produces a oven that is just as strong as the other.

As for the jig and exact angles i would think that is going to be very hard to get correct. I just took bricks cutoffs and used them tobprop the bricks i was cutting how i wanted them. Just did it all by sight and worked out great.

[UtahBeehiver]

Plus one on a proper IT, no shims required,

[JRPizza]

RandyJ
With this, my focus would be on the placement of brick and the brick shims to maintain the correct angle to the centerpoint....

You aren't going to need shims for dome brick orientation if you use a properly built IT. The tool will set the bricks at the proper angle - you can butter up the brick and press it in place with the inner and upper surfaces "indexed" against the IT. Shims would be an unnecessary step. The only time I used shims was when I was dry stacking bricks for an arch or something and they never stayed in place when I was mortaring.
Also, the spread sheet is a good tool, but I found I could go faster with the following method. Use a sliding t-bevel (cheap at the box stores) to determine the angle you need to eliminate the Vee, You determine the angle by placing the t-bevel on a brick and setting the angle 90 degrees to the horizon - then it is easy to transfer the angle to whatever you are using on your saw to hold the bricks at an angle. As for brick width, cut your bricks so the width at the bottom is the same as the width of the top of the bricks in the row below. If you do this you will be able to have perfectly (cosmetically) aligned joints as long as you start in the back for each row and don't use any odd size bricks where they can be seen. I don't know that you need to do this as my oven cracked right through a few bricks - the lack of alignment of joints did not mean no cracks.

[UtahBeehiver]

Look at JR Pizza's build, he did not to tapers(angles) only bevels, these bevels do NOT need to run the entire depth of the brick only where the two interior brick faces conflict. This is what causes the "inverted V mortar joint. I did full tapers(angles) and bevels on my build and it took a lot of time and set up. If I were to build another I would go the JR route and let mortar backfill the back side (it is your friend).

[NCMan]

Targeting to get the first course sitting on top of floor. A couple of questions to verify the FB plans:

1) 1st course on the floor can be cut to fit, no mortar below or between
2) for the 2nd course and above, the bottom face should align and be placed directly on the course below (no mortar gap). Sides and back supported by mortar to keep the correct angle
3) if using a Chipster style jig with the dome spreadsheet dimensions for cuts, do I need to angle my first cut of start with the 2nd. I believe the spreadsheet assumes the 1st course is part of my floor.

looking for some confirmations before diving in.

As always, feel like I’m over thinking some things and overlooking important things.

Thanks,

There should be mortar in between the first course bricks, but not under.

[MnDude45]

RandyJ - Thanks for your input. Getting the angle and bevel clear. In your recommendation, I should only focus on the "Side Angle" in the spreadsheet and stick to the "Cut Brick Dimensions". This would make the process so much more simple which is what i can handle. Correct??

With this, my focus would be on the placement of brick and the brick shims to maintain the correct angle to the centerpoint.

Getting the jig the precise inclination is very difficult.

Thanks again for input.

[RandyJ]

Do not bother with angel and beveled cuts both. In my honest opinion just do beveled cuts as you get higher in the courses. The amount of work required to do the other way is incredible and a tiny error will cause huge problems. Also no one but you would know anything different and it will not look any different from the inside. If I built a 2nd oven i would not even consider the more difficult way. I didn't even build a jig when i built mine. I just used shims and the cutting sled on my harbor freight saw. Also mrchipster used a 14" saw and that would be necessary to make all the cuts with the jig i believe. A standard 10" blade is not big enough.

I cut my floor to fit inside the dome so i don't have any insight as to how to make that work. I had used a strip of cardboard as a spacer for expansion and contraction. I hope some of this helps

[MnDude45]

Targeting to get the first course sitting on top of floor. A couple of questions to verify the FB plans:

1) 1st course on the floor can be cut to fit, no mortar below or between
2) for the 2nd course and above, the bottom face should align and be placed directly on the course below (no mortar gap). Sides and back supported by mortar to keep the correct angle
3) if using a Chipster style jig with the dome spreadsheet dimensions for cuts, do I need to angle my first cut of start with the 2nd. I believe the spreadsheet assumes the 1st course is part of my floor.

looking for some confirmations before diving in.

As always, feel like I’m over thinking some things and overlooking important things.

Thanks,

[david s]

If any leveller is required it works better if it's applied dry.