Pdx 42" update

[Giovanni Rossi]

Welcome back Mac. I was hoping you were just taking a break from building. Looking forward to your progress updates.

[Macrinehart]

Well guy and gals, it has been a long and momentious summer filled with too many trials and tribulations to recount...but I'm back and getting ready to resume work on the oven. So, when I left off, I had laid my oven floor and cut bricks for the first course of my dome. I also have my indispensible tool built - used the magnetic door stop as the fulcrum. But I haven't decided how to secure it to the floor yet.

I made a jig for the compound angle cuts, but it's not well engineered so I'm looking into a 3D printing option to make it a little more precise and robust. And JRPizza I will take you up on your offer of help with the tapper jig you used for your opening arch. I will follow-up with the taper angle I need.

It's good to be back! I am looking forward to finishing the build this winter!

[Macrinehart]

I do have my tapers figured. Thanks!

[JRPizza]

Still looking for my fixture file. In the meantime, do you have all your tapers figured out for the arches? The link below has a spread sheet that can help - check it out and let me know what you think.

https://community.fornobravo.com/forum/pizza-oven-design-and-installation/pompeii-oven-construction/397291-arch-taper-advice-with-hf-saw?p=397293#post397293

[JRPizza]

PS, if you have access to a printer I can send you the file I used. Could also modify it if you needed a different angle.

[JRPizza]

With a 10" saw you are going to have to make taper cuts in two passes coming from opposite sides. I discussed how I did this on the linked post below. It will help to pre-sort your bricks to get some that are square or at least have the top and bottom sides parallel. Because you are making cuts from both sides with hopefully a constant set angle, if the sides aren't parallel your cuts will be at different angles (does that make sense?). I also like you found I had to remove the splash guards to make a deeper cut.
https://community.fornobravo.com/for...post382412

[Hamilton]

Good morning.

I have not used a wet saw, my bricks were cut with a 12" double bevel compound miter saw so I am not able to provide a solution but I'm sure somebody will respond soon.
It is good to see you back it!

[Macrinehart]

Hi Hamilton - been a busy few weeks with travel, work and family, taxes, etc. I managed to get out and clean up the mess, no serious damage except for the total loss of the canopy.

I have hit a bit of a roadblock on the build. My issue is that I'm trying to cut tapered bricks for the opening arch, but the 10" saw does not have enough clearance to cut through 4.5" of material. Furthermore, the splash guards on the side and back of the blade housing are obstructing on the deeper cuts so I cannot push the brick all the way through.

I've considered removing the splash guards and flipping bricks to finish the cuts. It just seems like it's going to be tedious so I wonder if there is a more elegant solution?

The other challenge I've uncovered is that the jig I built needs some work. The minimum slope on is not shallow enough due to the heads on the carriage bolts I'm using. I think I may need to create a recess on the lower board so that the bolt heads can recess completely.

I'm also at the stage where I need to start thinking about mortar but I haven't started as I wanted to solve these other issues and so I can more forward efficiently when I start the dome.

Anyway - that's the latest from Portland.

[Hamilton]

Hello, anybody out there?
Have you thawed out yet?

[Hamilton]

Dad gummit! Mac.

Hate to see that!
Hope the saw survives! I'm sure the oven components will dry out and be okay.

[mongota]

"It's just a flesh wound..."

Welcome to the wacky world of WFO building! Mother Nature seems to throw a few punches at every build.

[Macrinehart]

They said there was a "slight chance of snow", which is rare for Portland at any time of year. But this defies expectations!

[mongota]

According to pompeii_dome_calculator file my ideal opening arch height should be 14 1/2". My current dome height is 12 5/8". If I do an extra layer of brick without cutting the opening arch will be 15 1/4". Welcome any opinions on this topic.

I'd go with 12-5/8" versus either of the other two numbers.

[JRPizza]

Are you still building a 42"? I had thought the "ideal" ratio was 63%, which for a 21" high internal radius would be 13.23" - not sure where 14.5 is coming from. The FB plans call for a 12.5" opening with a 42" oven, so you are in that ballpark and probably lots of ovens built that way. Your 12 5/8 will probably be just fine.
Also, do a sanity check on any numbers you get from the calculator. I get some odd numbers from it, which is why I didn't use it.

[UtahBeehiver]

63 to 65% if the dome height is the rule of thumb for the internal arch height. It is not set in stone, I have seen arches below and above this ratio and they appear to work fine. This rule of thumb is derived from an old pioneer study from Canada on bread ovens called " Bread Ovens of Quebec" published in 1979.