40” Pompeii in Rhode Island

[mongota]

I'm glad my arch brick description helped, and congrats on customizing your IT to make it work for you.

I can't comment on squirrel tail, others are better suited. I recall DavidS having some concise input when others have asked in the past. If incorrect, my apologies for drawing you in David!

[NewEnglandNewb]

I managed to clear the inner arch. I did end up with a small case of “the dreaded droop.” In my case it was about 1/4”. I did also get out of round in way of the arch by about 3/8”. I compensated for the droop with the next course and got back to mostly round in two courses. I only have two courses left and then the plug. Hoping to have the dome done by the end of this coming weekend.

I start needing to fight gravity by using sticks to prop up the bricks while the mortar set at course 9. I have also been following Russel’s advice of morning the first brick of the next course as soon as I finish the previous one.

As for the squirrel tail vs. not, I’m leaning towards not. I think having a vertical chimney will be a good amount easier to build and more likely to perform properly.

[NewEnglandNewb]

The dome is complete! Putting that last brick in is a good feeling. Time to get going on the outer arch and flue now.

[UtahBeehiver]

Congrats, nice and tidy brick work

[mongota]

Nice! Congrats!

[RandyJ]

Looking good congrats

Randy

[NewEnglandNewb]

Thanks guys!

I started working on the outer arch today. I added a heat break to the floor by cutting a 1/4” deep notch out of the entry way floor bricks and filling it with a 3/8” thick strip of calcium silicate board. I’m planning on letting the remaining 1/8” gap fill with ash. Does this seem like a decent plan? I did pick up some high temp sealant. Should I use that in this gap rather than letting it fill with ash?

[SableSprings]

Great work on this build! If it was me, I'd just use sealant to close the ends. That way ash will fill the remaining gap and you won't have to deal with ash dribbling out the sides

[NewEnglandNewb]

Thanks Mike! I like that idea.

[NewEnglandNewb]

I built the outer arch walls using the same method to isolate them from the inner arch. Since the walls are completely independent from the inner arch and the floor, I wanted to add some temporary buttressing before building the outer arches since they are a little wobbly. My plan is to pour the enclosure walls using concrete to keep the round shape. The CMU’s are glued to the hearth and will be removed prior to the enclosure wall concrete pour. The calcium silicate board will remain. I will use something to isolate the concrete wall from the calcium silicate board to keep it from absorbing water (probably just aluminum foil).