OctoForno

[SCChris]

Re: OctoForno

John,
Re. the cracking, I think long steady burns and insulating when you start to go over 250 can make a difference with cracking. I remember in the research I did during my build that clay flues that were insulated had less cracking than those that didn't. Likewise, I think that with insulation the overall structure heats more evenly and therefore is less stressed while driving the water out. I also believe that the more consensus the build the less cracking. Better mortar, cleaner bricks, better mortaring, stronger dome, less cracking. Less cracking not no cracking..

Enjoy!

Chris

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: OctoForno

I bet that felt fantastic to finish that dome

Thanks Gene, John, Doug, Mike, Chris, Leigh and Gmchm. It was definitely a feeling of accomplishment to mortar the plug in and wipe it clean. I gotta tell you though, watching each of your builds progress helped push me along not to mention drooling as Doug's delictable dishes dance out of his oven for display. Can't wait to get the entryway and flue completed so I can insulate and cure the oven. I'm really curious how much cracking the dome will incur.

As for Trials, yeah, we're really excited about going. We had to get the tickets and hotel a year in advance since it always sells out. Nikki, my daughter, is ranked like 45th in one event and 58th in another, so won't be making any Olympic Team (only the top 2 make the team) but the life experience will be cool. Plus, Nikki (in the picture with Michael) will get to see her boyfriend (just kidding) MP again!

Thanks again, guys. Entryway pics forthcoming.

John

[gmchm]

Re: OctoForno

Beautiful!

[rodeair]

Re: OctoForno

Congrats John on a beautiful work of art. It's been fun to watch how it's really supposed to be done. I know it had to be alot of work to build a dome such as yours, but the payoff is worth it I bet. It'll be a shame to put a layer of soot on those bricks, but that will mean you are closer to pizza and other fine foods.

Leigh

[SCChris]

Re: OctoForno

First of all, congrats to your whole family for your daughter qualifying for the Olympic trials, it’s huge!
Second, congrats on being another brick closer to your new old style oven, it’s looking great.

Sincerely

Chris

[Aegis]

Re: OctoForno

Well, I finally got the dome closed up today! It felt good to mortar in the required Octoplug. I feel like the end is finally in sight, although building the enclosure will take some time too.

I know this oven is taking a really long time to complete, but this summer has had the wife and I at (fri-sat-sun) swim meets half the weekends May through August. I'm pleased to report though, that my 16yo daughter has now qualified to swim at the 2012 Olympic Trials in Omaha next June, so whenever the oven gets completed will be soon enough.
John

Beautiful Job John! It is a great feeling to have closed the dome. But it must be even a GREATER Feeling seeing your daughter swim the 2012 Olympic Trials ! WOW! Now that is fantastic!
It is good to go slow and steady and enjoy life while we can!
Congrats on both jobs well done! Wishing your daughter great success and a great swim meet in Omaha!
oh btw Send some tixs for the Olympics!

[ggoose]

Re: OctoForno

Nicely done!

[Mike D]

Re: OctoForno

Very nice John, very nice. I bet that felt fantastic to finish that dome.

Mike

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: OctoForno

Well, I finally got the dome closed up today! It felt good to mortar in the required Octoplug. I feel like the end is finally in sight, although building the enclosure will take some time too.

I know this oven is taking a really long time to complete, but this summer has had the wife and I at (fri-sat-sun) swim meets half the weekends May through August. I'm pleased to report though, that my 16yo daughter has now qualified to swim at the 2012 Olympic Trials in Omaha next June, so whenever the oven gets completed will be soon enough.
John

[Aegis]

Re: OctoForno

John,

I'm no engineer, but I will tell you that my 'integrated' transition was fun to build and feels extremely strong and stable. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

John

Hi John,
Great story with wonderful pics and I would stick by it too!!!!

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: OctoForno

It seems this maybe creating a thrust force perpendicular to this joint

John,

Thanks for the compliments. I think you're shortchanging yourself tho. Your build is very clean, competently constructed and I would have no problem with your oven if it was sitting in my backyard.

I too considered the side-thrust forces involved with modifying the dome-to-arch connection angles. After looking at it fourteen ways, I cocluded it was safe to proceed because:

1) Regardless of the connecting angles involved, the dome and arch brick mass remains the same. To me, this means any side-thrust is essentially identical in either transition approach. In reality I feel the transition is stronger because there are no 'hanging' dome bricks, the adjoining dome bricks are uniform with the rest of the dome, and this approach leaves no gaps in the interior oven surface.
2) A hemispherical arch is inherently stronger than a vertical-sided arch and this advantage carries forward to the adjoining entryway.

I'm no engineer, but I will tell you that my 'integrated' transition was fun to build and feels extremely strong and stable. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

John

[Aegis]

Re: OctoForno

I am VERY Jealous of your skill and technique, which my oven lacks immensely. I do wonder if the gorgeous transition will have the same structural values as a standard arch with dome bricks being placed on top of instead of dome bricks being set next to the arch bricks. It seems this maybe creating a thrust force perpendicular to this joint, which is perpendicular to the arch. I have some mechanical design background but as far as arches go, I have learned all I know from this oven build. So I maybe way off in left field, or it simply isn't a factor since the loads will be handled by the arch and dome anyways.
Again I AM Jealous!

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: OctoForno

The key for me in understanding this type of inner arch design was to understand that the slope of the cutoff for the top of the inner arch (the cut that will receive the dome bricks) is defined by the inner radius of the dome

That was ridiculously well said...

[mrchipster]

Re: OctoForno

The key for me in understanding this type of inner arch design was to understand that the slope of the cutoff for the top of the inner arch (the cut that will receive the dome bricks) is defined by the inner radius of the dome -- lower edge of brick, the outer radius of the dome - upper edge of brick, and the slope of the cut, as a vector from the center of the oven.

Chip

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: OctoForno

Brett,

I think you nailed it! Both the inward-facing and upward-facing planes look accurate and aligned correctly. I'm interested to see how you handle the arch bricks on the ends where they tie into the dome, but they shouyldn't be too difficult. The real benefit comes when you start to add the courses immediately above the arch.

Keep us 'posted'!

John