42” dome underway in Canada. 1st build, already overwhelmed but can’t stop now.

[Mr.Pizza3]

Also for your arch

there is a forum member who made a google chart you put in your oven diameter and your IT tool base dimensions and it will tell you the height and width of your arch opening I believe his name is Daiyoh or something

but how I did my arch form shape was I cut my arch opening width out of plywood then I marked the base of the plywood’s center and then I marked the height of my arch (minus 1/4 inch for shimming and ease of removal) off that center line from there I tied a string around my mark and then held it with my thumb to the mark and simply moved the marker right and left and it made a perfect curve

i cut it out with a jig saw light sand that traced that onto another piece and cut it out and put them together sanded them so they were close and then made a bunch of ribs to spread the two forms and nailed it together and rain some duct tape across the top so the mortar wouldn’t stick to it too bad

in my opinion the cutting of the arch brick on an angle will help with ease of making those cuts for over the arch and also with the droop ,
i also make sure my end bricks were slightly tilted up as I went up I just closed off my 5th row today and almost completed my 6th which is my first full brick circle and I do not believe I experienced the droop

[Squirt Reynolds]

Also for your arch

there is a forum member who made a google chart you put in your oven diameter and your IT tool base dimensions and it will tell you the height and width of your arch opening I believe his name is Daiyoh or something

but how I did my arch form shape was I cut my arch opening width out of plywood then I marked the base of the plywood’s center and then I marked the height of my arch (minus 1/4 inch for shimming and ease of removal) off that center line from there I tied a string around my mark and then held it with my thumb to the mark and simply moved the marker right and left and it made a perfect curve

i cut it out with a jig saw light sand that traced that onto another piece and cut it out and put them together sanded them so they were close and then made a bunch of ribs to spread the two forms and nailed it together and rain some duct tape across the top so the mortar wouldn’t stick to it too bad

in my opinion the cutting of the arch brick on an angle will help with ease of making those cuts for over the arch and also with the droop ,
i also make sure my end bricks were slightly tilted up as I went up I just closed off my 5th row today and almost completed my 6th which is my first full brick circle and I do not believe I experienced the droop

great job, that’s exactly what mine looks like…
so what’s the recipe to lay floor brick if I don’t have brick sand or fireclay? i do have dust from my FBs and refractory mortar?

thanks

[Mr.Pizza3]

If your in Canada you might be able to use the site zoro.com and get fire clay cheap I believe I paid 35 USD for a 50 on bag that seems at this point to be doing the whole unit

I’m not sure what substitute you could do for a “thinset” type material I’ll have a look around and get back to you

[Mr.Pizza3]

More discussion on vermiculite ratios here

https://community.fornobravo.com/for...e-cement-ratio

[UtahBeehiver]

It is better not to use mortar in floor bricks. The clay/sand mix is best, allows for movement of floor brick and if ever needed will allow to you to pull the brick in needed.

[Squirt Reynolds]

If your in Canada you might be able to use the site zoro.com and get fire clay cheap I believe I paid 35 USD for a 50 on bag that seems at this point to be doing the whole unit

I’m not sure what substitute you could do for a “thinset” type material I’ll have a look around and get back to you

Good call. Thanks. I found a place 20 mins away 50lb bag 32$ CAN. Will get tomorrow.
as per Utahbee, I’ll just mix sand and fire lay to a moistness and set in that. No mortar…

[Squirt Reynolds]

Verm/Portland is done. Moving on to the floor brick once I get materials,

[Mr.Pizza3]

Yeah 50/50 fire clay sand mixture I mixed to a peanut butter consistency like doing tile and set the bricks

before thinsetting and after allowing a week minimum or so on your vermicrete I would also do a skim coat over it of the fire clay /sand mixture before troweling out the mixture for the tile

[Squirt Reynolds]

Yeah 50/50 fire clay sand mixture I mixed to a peanut butter consistency like doing tile and set the bricks

before thinsetting and after allowing a week minimum or so on your vermicrete I would also do a skim coat over it of the fire clay /sand mixture before troweling out the mixture for the tile

Great tip, thanks. I was wondering how long to wait, it still seemed a little “moist” after 3 days.
Do I let the skim coat set a bit before the brick troweling begins?

thanks again

[Mr.Pizza3]

Yes I let my vermicrete sit for a while I know David S had mentioned to me to add weep holes in my concrete supporting slab under the vermicrete to aid in drying time and future moisture build up

a week gives the Portland cement a chance to cure to 75% strength

After that I brushed off the loose granulars with a soft bristle brush and then skim coated the top and sides with the mixture and let that sit for maybe an hour or so it was also in direct sunlight so it set up pretty quick you want it hard enough that it won’t peel when you go to trowel the mixture in for the bricks

[UtahBeehiver]

Once you cover or block in floor (ie cover with brick) it is really hard to remove the water from v/pcrete. There is a ton of water in this mix and even though the outside appears dry the bottom and middle are not. IMHO one week is not enough dry time even though strength may be there. Wet insulation is one of the most common problem of poor over performance. David S use a cheap soil moisture meter to check water content.

[Squirt Reynolds]

Once you cover or block in floor (ie cover with brick) it is really hard to remove the water from v/pcrete. There is a ton of water in this mix and even though the outside appears dry the bottom and middle are not. IMHO one week is not enough dry time even though strength may be there. Wet insulation is one of the most common problem of poor over performance. David S use a cheap soil moisture meter to check water content.

Thanks bud. Letting sit for 2 weeks. It’s been pure sun here too. Laying floor brick tomorrow…