Pdx 42" update

[UtahBeehiver]

IMHO, I would shoot for smaller internal joint size, the external joint size is not as critical. I found at this point in the build you have to customize the bricks to minimize internal joint size. This is the hottest part of the dome and mortar is more subject to break down. Notice how I had to curve the inner face of the bricks.

[Macrinehart]

Hi folks - I think I may be at the final course before the plug on my dome, on course 11. At this point the gaps for the mortar joints are getting a little triangular. I laid a si gle brick yesterday to start, but after dry fitting the next brick I feel like I need to do mor side tilt and side angle on the remaining bricks to get a good fit.

To assess, I went back to the dome calculator spreadsheet and adjusted the pivot point height and mortar width settings until I got about the right brick count for courses 7-10. This seems to confirm my assumption. The original side tilt was 16.6 degrees, but the revised is 19.8. And original side angle was 4.6 degrees, but revised is 5.3 degrees.

I'm wondering - If I trim this excess material off, should I get a better fit? Or just fill the wider gap with mortar and not worry about it? I'm taking a pause to wait for advice. Attached photos illustrate the point.

(Note that the mortared brick is cut with the original angles. The dry brick has a 20 degree tilt but the original 4.6 degree angle.)

[Macrinehart]

Thank you UtahBeehiver! I'm wrapping up today with a trip to the DYI heating and cooling center shop for stainless steel chimney materials. I've got to refresh my memory on the opening size for the chimney and hight recommendation. Ultumately I'm going to build a shelter over the oven but first thing is finish the oven.

I layed my first brick for course 10 but I'm headed back to work tomorrow so hope to wrap up closing the dome this weekend, as well as building the outside arch.

Cheers,

Mac

[UtahBeehiver]

Should not be an issue at this stage of the build. Droop typically start at the first course above the arch and you make tilt adjustments gradually and you go up. But you at almost to last course then a plug so onward you go.

[Macrinehart]

Let's see, my wife has been saving a 2022 Barbera de Monferrato for a special occasion. If it lasts that long then that could be it.

The 9th course is now complete! I believe I've started to get a little "droop" toward the front, as indicated in the photo below. It doesn't seem too significant, and I'm tempted to not worry too much about it. This has been developing over the past 3 courses but the bubble is still half in the level indicator, and with only 3 courses remaining I don't think it will impact me much.

If the pros disagree with my assessment, please let me know. Thanks!

[Frenchie]

Great progress, you can almost hear the first curing fire cracking away. Have you decided what wine you’ll drink to warm by the curing fire to celebrate?

Very nice inner arch, I have oven envy.

Not far to go now, keep it up

[Macrinehart]

I'm moving along now! The 8th course is finished and I've set a couple of bricks for the 9th course. The slope is now steep enough that wet mortar will not hold the bricks in place.

I found that each of my courses is using less bricks than projected in the excel template. I got through the 8th course with 20 bricks, about four less than planned. Four less than planned seems to be the case since the 7th course. Fortunately I haven't been cutting all the bricks called for the the plan in advance, so no material lost. However, I still think I could be short on my brick supply. I may need to do a 3rd run to the landscape supply yard to finish the dome.

[Macrinehart]

Things were a luttle slow at work so I decided to take a couple days off to work on the oven. So far I've completed half a course and having used up the mortal I mixed for the morning I decided to let things dry for a bit while I prep for the 9th course.

It's nice to have the appearance of accelerated progress! While I'm pribably not working much faster on an absolute basis, each layer now is noticably less work.

[Frenchie]

Your work is looking fantastic! Your dome and arch proportions are very aesthetically pleasing and the bricks are very neat. Look forward to seeing your completed project, good luck with progress and finding the time in the coming months!

My project also continually goes on the backburner and is going into its 4th year this year, still haven’t closed the dome. Juggling life’s priorities is a challenge, now we have our first child on the way there is some motivation to get it done asap!

[Macrinehart]

Hi all - It's been a while, but I'm back working on the pizza oven again. Last time I was half way through the 7th course. Things got busy and the pizza oven got put on the back burner. Then winter threatened snow so I packed up my project and I'm just getting back to it now.

Yesterday I finished the 7th course and now I'm about to set the first bricks for the 8th. Here are the latest pictures.

[Macrinehart]

Once I finish marking all the guide lines on a course of bricks, it's time to start cutting. Using the HF wet saw with tilt blade makes this task a lot easier. I start by setting the blade tilt using a magnetic angle finder. The angle should match the side tile angle. Perfection is not required. I'm content to get within a 1/10th of a degree.

Once I have the angle set, three cuts yields 2 bricks. I line up the line with blade and cut. Do the two outside cuts first, then the middle cut. The only additional consideration is that I clean the cutting bed after each cut because the debris can destablize the bricks.



And for those wierd angles, I just prop the brick I'm cutting with wedges from remains of other cuts found in my boneyard discards, as shown below.

[Macrinehart]

There is room to get 2 dome bricks for each firebrick. To finish marking the second domebrick flip the firebrick and rotate 180 degrees so that that the inside top edge is facing you. Then use the calapers to mark the outside bottom corner on the swcond fire brick.
I label the top and bottom for reference. Notice that the top of the first dome brick is on the same face as the bottom of the second brick.

Next we mark lines 9 - 12. Keep in mind the rule of no parallel lines, lines 9 - 12 will converge and then diverg from the center line. When your finished the origin of line 9 connects to the end of line 12.

[Macrinehart]

The rest of the lines for the first brick are drawn relative to the end point of lines 1 & 2. On the top of the brick, use the side angle T-Bevel to mark lines 3 and 4 as shown. These converge to the top inside edge, the narrowest width.



Rotate to the inside face and use the side tilt T-Bevel to mark lines 5 and 6, which diverge.



Finally rotate again and mark lines 7 and 8. These also diverge and should connect to the starting points on lines 1 and 2.

[MarkJerling]

See, that's why your oven is so much tidier than mine! I just 'eyed' it all and marked my cut lines with school board chalk. But, mortar hides a multitude of sins, so all good! LOL

[Macrinehart]

The marking of the lines will come in a couple posts since the upload limit is 6 files.

First I pick a starting point, which will be the bottom outside edge, and mark my side tilt link for the back of the brick (line 1). Then I measure the width of the bottom back with the calapers, after which I I mark the other side tilt (Line 2). There are no parallel lines in the process. The first two lines should be approaching each other up the back face of the brick. If you have parallel lines at any point, then the T-bevel angle needs to be flipped.


Measuring the width of the bottom outside edge.


First to lines illustrated with the T-Bevel set for side tilt.