Pdx 42" update

[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.

[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]

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]

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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[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]

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!

[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]

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