Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

[jrparks]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

That looks great Bill! Couple more rows and you are there.
Cheers,

[exceloven]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Bill,
Now that you've fixed it I'm sure you slept better last night. Everything looks great, keep up the good work.

Mark

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Thanks Mark. I'm not sure if it was that or the wine...
Bill

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Brick by brick.....

Had time today to add stone, bulk, mass and mortar. Found the first compound cut required where arch meets dome. Found tricks I wasn't aware of with the saw. Each transition brick worked out great. I wish now I had a photo. Initial arch was a lot of fun and apprehension will build till the form is removed...

It certainly is addicting.

[jrparks]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Looks great Bill,
After 2,200 miles I back at it...at least for a couple days. Your progess is looking fine. I managed to get my first row done today.
Cheers,
John

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Way to go John and welcome back!

I have a question for the crew.

I realize that if I'm going to do any work on the interior walls of the oven without crawling inside (or bribing my son to crawl inside...) now would be the time. How important is it to put some mortar in the open "V" that develops between the sides of each brick? I have this vision of a turkey baster full of mortar laying a bead in each open space...

Any thoughts?

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

A couple of points I've discovered along the way...:

I've almost used two bags of mortar to get to my current spot. We'll see if the third bag does it.

I would definately cover the floor to keep it from all the "stuff that falls onto it from this process.

I've been using a spray bottle (seen on another build)to wet the bricks I'm going to lay the next brick on and it works pretty well.

I saw a big sponge in someone else's build and now use one to wipe the bricks down after laying a few down. keeps the joints, faces of the brick cleaner and will probably be easier when doing the final clean.

The plywood template has worked well in keeping the dome an actual dome an actual dome. We'll see how it works through the higher chains.

I realize now that my first few batches of mortar were on the thin side and it's better, for me, when I mix it thicker - more like dry mashed potatoes. Sets and holds better for me.

If you've set up some kind of template or jig to shape and cut those fun transition bricks that go from dome to vent area, you might want to cut a couple of extra. I needed 2 more for holding the arch bricks (like the originals then cut again at a 45 deg. angle to take each of the first arch bricks, but had to recreate the template to match the ones below (sorry for the confusing explanation). I should have thought of just making them when cutting the others.

I've luckily had a lot of use from the discard pieces from cutting to shape the hearth floor bricks. We'll see how much scrap is actually left.

I hope this helps. If better explanations are needed for any of this please let me know and I'll add a picture.

I appreciate everyone's help!

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Really nice work there Bill. I'm was wondering how well the plywood template method would work. I'm going to cut mine this week and try it. I like how you interlocked your vent walls. Your hints and helpful observations are welcomed.
Thanks, Dino

[jrparks]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

I used 2/3 thirds of a mortar bag to do the soldiers course. I think it may take 4 bags to complete. When mixing the mortar I let it set for 10-15 minutes before giving it another stir, adding more water if necessary. I also submerged the bricks in water before setting them, and used a large tile sponge to wet the existing brick. The sponge has brillo pad on the back and that was useful to clean the seams as I moved along.

I?m not decided on which form method to use yet and have until Saturday to decide. I like the method you are using but curious about how it will work with the higher courses in the dome.

I will definitely cover the floor. I made a one out of OSB that I removed 1hr after setting the soldiers course to clean up the floor seam. I will reset the OSB before continuing.

I haven?t figured out a cutting jig for the wet saw yet but have some ideas popping in my head. It sure is fun to see my oven looking like the ones I?ve been studying on the FB for the last year.

Cheers,

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

I remembered one more moment of "aha!"

I traced out a dome pattern on a piece of ply, stacked the bricks around the penciled dome, including the soldier course and traced along the bricks for the template. I then used a jig saw to cut out the template.

I then took 1 1/2" off the bottom of the template because I was going to have the template rest on a couple of 2X2' lengths as support. When I held the finished template up against the soldier course and tried to dry stack some bricks verticall, nothing seemed to fit right. I got the "aha" moment (while reaching for the chainsaw to make "adjustments") that I had eglected to take into account that the template was resting on 1/2" plywood... Once I took the 1/2 into account and reduced the support pieces, all lined up perfectly.

Just thought I'd pass it along.

[gjbingham]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

Bill,
I'd fill those gaps on the outiside of the dome as you go. Eventually, you'll have to get inside or straddle it. You want everything as solid as possible because you will lean on it eventually.

I've watched "Rock Solid" on HGTV for years. They always recommend mixing only the amount of mortar that you can use in an hour. Good idea!

Despite what my neighbor tells me, adding water to slow the set or change the properties of the mortar leads to a weaker mix. If you can't use what you mixed, you should throw it out. This is similar to the plaster that (we - back when I was) dentists use. Small crystals start forming from the outset of the mix, that spread throughout the matrix as the mortar sets.. The mix is a chemical reaction that is supposed to use a specific amount of water and dry mix. Once mixed together, there is a limited work time - about an hour. If you can't use it all, adding water changes the properties, negatively.

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

I did have fun with my home made compass. It worked well for the various needs to draw a radius.

The white is 1/2" PVC cut longer than the 25" needed to draw a radius for center to outside of the soldier course. I predrilled the PVC and drove a sheet rock screw through for the anchor point. They can be backed out when a different radius is used. This was used to draw a circle for the ceramic board. The next screw was the 20" radius of the floor and the third screw was to draw a radius for the arch. And of course two holes for the pencil with the top hole fitting the shaft of the pencil and the bottom hole smaller so the sharpened end of the pencil doesn't come all the way through.

This is how we in the Northwest keep busy when it rains....

[berryst]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

very nice build

[bbell]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

A question for the group...

At which chain does one consider switching to 1/3 bricks rather than 1/2 bricks?

[egalecki]

Re: Bill's Northwest Pizza Oven

When the upside down V starts to bother you more than cutting bricks into 1/3's does...