advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

[Les]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Brad - I don't think it can be done in a weekend, seems very aggressive. I supposed if you just slapped on mortar and didn?t give too much detail about cleaning it up, it may be possible. If you work two 12 hour days, you are placing around 16 ? 18 bricks an hour. Makes me tired thinking about it.

Les...

[asudavew]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

If you work two 12 hour days, you are placing around 16 – 18 bricks an hour. Makes me tired thinking about it.

Les...

That because you only place 1 brick every 16 - 18 hours! On average of course...........

[nissanneill]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Hi Brad,
thought I'd chip in as I build the whole of my oven, once the foundations were dome in TWO week ends. The first to lay the soldier course with 3 rows (until I used up all ny martar) and the next day to cut/lay the hearth and the top 3 rows. I have it posted at:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/n...-1-a-2005.html

so follow the threads which ae linked. Whats more, it rained continuously and I don't have a crack in the oven after almost a years use.
I had a professional brick cutting saw at my disposal but bought my own 14" diamond blade off ebay for less that the hire companies want to charge for wear, 90% left for my next oven build.
I only cut my bricks in halves and a few in the lower rows to fit. The upper rows are a little tricky, but the more cuts you make, then the more bricks you will need to finish and at least an extra row needed to complete your dome.

Neill

[Les]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

That because you only place 1 brick every 16 - 18 hours! On average of course...........

Thanks Dave! Made me smile. But I think you way over estimated my production rate

Les...

[builder brad]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

I am looking at building a 42", although it si going to be a bit of a squeeze on my base - I know I am good for 40" internal, as this give me 48" diameter external which is a perfect fit for my hearth bricks ect. If I push up to 42" internal I will probably have to use 3" deep bricks for the first few courses to leave enough room for my ceramic blanket ect.

I like the way that Neill put up his oven, although I fear that I will be more like Les when I have the job laid out in front of me.

In reality I supose that 90% of the work is out of sight anyway and so long as it is well built and strucuraly sound, it does not matter. If I spend less time building it there will be more time to enjoy, and I get to enjoy it sooner!

[builder brad]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

maybe I should spend less time thinking about it and get on with it!

[christo]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Don't rush it - it's all fun!!!

Christo

[builder brad]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Ok Guys,

I have placed the first 2 1/2 courses, with the first course of half bricks standing on their smallest face, before starting the dome proper.

I decided to use the Refractory mortar (Superplastic)that was supplied by Yorkshire Refractories to create the wedge shaped fillets and not bother to taper the bricks until I get onto the higher courses where the angle is more obvious. The mortar was so easy to work with I was planning to build the whole dome like this.

I have only done 2 1/2 courses as I have now used the 25kg of Superplastic Mortar, and in the process of trying to order some more hapened to talk to one of the techs at the manufacturer - Robert Lickley is the co. based in the Midlands. The advice I was given is that this product, like most of the other refractory mortars, is not designed to fill gaps and is less than ideal when used to create those fillets between the bricks. I did ask about this when I ordered it from the supplier and was told that this is the only product availible. The techs recomendation is to taper all of the bricks!

I am not concerned about the courses I have laid so far as the mortar is really only contributing to the dome at this low level. I will not go any higher without tapering at least the horizontal joints and possibly the verticals a la Les, although I do have another question.

I just tried to cut one of the bricks with my angle grinder which has a stone cutting disc and spent ages trying to finish the cut. No problems with the angles ect, and I can use the off-cut fillet in the next course. Is the diamond cutting blade with the water feed and bath considerably quicker? if its not I am going to spend the next month of Sundays finishing this project!

Brad

[dmun]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Whoa! Make a cut-every-brick oven with an angle grinder? No way!

To answer your question, yes, a ten inch diamond wet saw is much more powerful, and faster, but it's still a lot of work to cut every angle.

Your refractory mortar will be fine in the thicker sections. If you are worried about it, just use it for the inside of the joints, holding the outside gaps in place with temporary wedges, and when you are done, cover the whole oven with the cheap homebrew stuff (fireclay+sand+portland).

[builder brad]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

"To answer your question, yes, a ten inch diamond wet saw is much more powerful, and faster, but it's still a lot of work to cut every angle."

thank- heavens for that! a lot of work does not bother me, its a lot of effort and slow progress that does my head in. on a really positive note I really like the fact that those bricks are consistent all the way through, and that the cut faces look the same as the finished surface. I think I am going to flare the entrance to my oven because of this.

I cannot get fireclay easily here in the UK, although Ball Clay seems a good alternative.

Brad

[builder brad]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

dont know why I mentioned the ball clay thing, I typed what I was thinking I suppose.

Brad

[aureole]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Brad:

I've also ordered from Midlands refractories: they had (some) fireclay, but I think they've run out now - I think Travis Perkins can also supply it.

What I hope to be working with is a mix of the superplastic (on the fine angles of the joints) and then packing the larger parts of the joints with a refractory concrete from Midlands refractories. It's actually a very fine aggregate, so from my limited knowledge, I think it'll be very similar to mortar (or the sort of wide mortar you'd use to span gaps). With the semi-spherical dome, I think this (should) be fine.

[krosskraft]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Why don't you buy the type of saw you need, build your oven, post all your lovely pictures all over the UK, invite people to sample your goods to get them interested, and them rent them the saw as they build their's. Ba da bing ba da bang!

[aureole]

Re: advice needed on time needed to build oven dome

Brad: I'm currently setting my dome, on the first course, but it looks like I've got too many bags of fireclay anyway. If you still need some, I'm pretty sure I can be parted from one!

The superplastic was junk, useful for setting the base bricks but little else. Otherwise: I had some pencrete (from Penn refractory) that didn't adhere too good to the bricks- the guy recommended adding ball clay to the mix to improve adhesion (they actually sell a mix exactly like that for that reason). If you're on the south coast, it's ball clay city down there!