Getting your body inside the build

[CapePizza]

I see on a number of build threads the builder has shimmied their upper body inside their completed build. I'm wondering why? I suppose there's some cleaning of brick going on. I'm asking because the opening on my build will be too small for me to get in there once it's completed......and if I should be cleaning brick in some special way, I'll need to do it prior to closing the dome. Sorry if this seems like a corny question. Are you cleaning brick with vinegar or some solution of some sort, picking stray mortar bits out... etc........
Thought I'd keep this question separate from my build thread.

Thanks!

[mongota]

No way could I fit my upper body through the arch. I could barely get an arm a shoulder, and my head.

I cleaned up the interior interior mortar joints as I went along. I didn't really care about it being pretty. I just used a coved jointing tool to compress the mortar joint, then after any residual mortar had cured/dried a bit, I swept off the dingleberries with a brush. But once you get to the plug? You lose access and you have to go through the front door.

The goal for me was to get rid of any excess mortar that could decay under fire so I didn't end up with gritty food. But the interior mortar joints were fairly clean by themselves as the build went along, most of my squeeze out was on the exterior joints.

[mongota]

And you certainly don't need to buy a jointing tool to do the job. I have a few I've acquired over the years, a couple of flats, a few tuck pointing trowels, and some convex/concave brick jointers.

Use whatever you have. A piece of pipe, a dowel, or sometimes I'll just use the corner of my margin trowel.

[deejayoh]

I dunno who could get their body inside the oven! That's for people with young kids. I put my head in there exactly once, said never again

[Neil.B]

I cleaned as I went along. Closing was a bit of a pain due to my back and not being flexible in any way
Put your mobile on selfi mode to see above your arch if you need to.
Make sure you do a cleanup before the outer arch goes on.

[mongota]

I dunno who could get their body inside the oven! That's for people with young kids. I put my head in there exactly once, said never again

That's about as far as I got. I couldn't fit any more of me in there. lol

[Chris inPA]

I went in as soon as I pulled out the arch support form. I'm a spelunker (at least i was when I was young) so I've been in much tighter spaces than that.

I'm going in again as soon as I pull my outer arch form just to make sure everything looks good and to clean up the keystone area. .

[Baza]

This is actually a great thread, John.
I am close to closing myself and thinking about getting inside the thing while I can to tuck some more mortar in spots that are a bit thin - yes?
Also, not sure if your question re: what cleaning solution to use (vinegar & water, for ex) was answered .... so, re-asking it here ... what did others use - if at all?

Thanks John and all for their insights!
Barry

[Hazidoc]

My oven is a 42" build and it was pretty easy to get in there after the dome was closed. My 5'1" adult daughter was able to crawl inside all the way. This is as far as I got. I am 6'. I found my mortar got really hard after just 24 hours so I am glad I got in there when I did. I found it best to keep it clean as I went along. I just used water and a blue dish scrub pad which worked very well.

[Baza]

Hazidoc THANK YOU for that - good to see and know what it looks like and the process you did in there.
I tried to keep it clean and wiped down as I went too - did you fill in gaps?
How did you take off the hardened mortar from the brick? I'm afraid to use a grinder on the brick and can't find something for it that would just scour away the mortar.
wire brush?
also - the purpose of the clean (water and dish soap) that's just maintaining a clean environment - right?
Sounds like stupid questions - sorry - just like to know the why to things
Thanks so much
Barry

[Hazidoc]

Hi Baza,
I didn't use dish soap, only the sponges with the blue mesh with tap water. It just cleans off the small bits on the bricks. I had used some old warn down margin trowels that I bought from a retired stone mason. They are perfect to scrape down excess mortar without using a grinder. I would be nervous using an angle grinder because I wouldn't want to damage the bricks once they are in place. It's best to clean excess mortar inside the dome with 24 hours otherwise the refractory mortar gets too hard. At least mine did. I did not use Home brew.

[Baza]

Hazidoc - terrific - I usually wipe down the mortar after each course is set in place - so very little cleaning - but have some build up on the underside of the arch - across the opening - maybe I will look at the margin trowel idea you suggest - thanks again!
Barry