Pizza Bob's 42" Build

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Some progress today... I picked-up my "fine" sand and particle board for the oven footprint form. I'll use this footprint form to attach my "indispensible tool" and to protect the hearth bricks from any bricks or mortar that might fall during dome construction (hopefully just mortar falling and not bricks ). I also used particle board to transfer the footprint to the herringbone pattern of firebricks. To all the nay-sayers out there...You can cut arcs with a tile saw! The Harbor Freight saw kicked butt! It was actually much easier and quicker than I thought it would be. If it wasn't for rain in good ole Connecticut I would have finished cutting the hearth bricks.
My oven opening to dome transition looks different than others I have seen. I laid this out in my CAD program and it seems as if this will work just fine. This lay-out will give me a 20" opening and then flare out to 23".
Check-out the chihuahuas - Nomar, Pedro and Manny (my wife is a Red Sox fan and I am a Yankees fan) - they're ready to jump off the deck and end it all if I don't finish this oven and start paying them some attention!
I hope to have the floor in place and soldiers course cut tomorrow...

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Jim/Dmun,

So fireclay/sand/water mix under the soldier and floor bricks to level everything off. Then mortar (heat stop) on sides of soldiers. Do the soldiers get like a wedge shape of heat stop behind them to hold them to the vermicrete layer? I plan on using cardboard to form the expansion gap between floor and soldier course.
Thanks for all your help!

~Bob

[dmun]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Your leveling medium (fireclay/sand) should extend out past your soldier course, you want that level too. It's not much of a mortar: the weight of your dome will keep your oven in place.

[jcg31]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Soldiers are mortared in place and there should be a gap between face of soldier and floor (mine is 1/4 inch).

Jim

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

I have been searching the forum...Should the soldier course get mortared to the vermicrete layer or not? I plan on using fireclay, fine sand and water slurry to level herrringbone floor. Do I use this same slurry under soldiers? The soldiers will be outside of the cooking floor.

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

I picked up enough firebrick to do my herringbone floor and soldier course. I dry stacked the floor on my Trex deck (Trex deck sux by the way!). I'll draw the outline of the dome and landing and then figure out how to make curved cuts with my HF 10" tile saw...

I can smell the pizza already!

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Lars,
The 9" bricks are $1.25 at New Haven Masonry. There is also a place called O&G in Waterbury and Bridgeport who carries the 9" brick. They sell them for $1.15.
I'm glad I didn't unload these from my truck and then notice...

[Lars]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Bob,
Kind of pricey on the fireclay, but I bought my 90 lb. bag for something like $20. Some guy actually drove it up from kansas, so I gave them $25 for the convenience. Ended up paying $20 for a 50lb. bag later because I THOUGHT it was a 90lb. bag. Actually did NOT need the extra 50lbs. Oh well.

How much are the 9" bricks? First batch I bought were $1.75, then I later found them from an outfit called 'Plibrico' for around $1.29 ... I was happy for that price.

Lars.

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Ugh!
Well I just got back from Homer Godfrey and the fire bricks, which they call REGULAR, are only 8 1/4" long!! They don't carry 9" bricks! Now I see why they are $0.99 a brick! I called and they said it's not a problem to return them. I also called New Haven Masonry and they have a FULL firebrick which is 9" long - actual measurement.
Homer Godfrey did have fireclay so I picked-up to 50lb bags. Not sure if I need that much but...It was $18.53 per pag.
Looks like I'll be going to new Haven tomorrow!
Sorry if I mis-informed you Gweet.

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Here is what I have planned for the oven. The dome isn't completely modeled but the height is there. I am also flaring the opening (thanks Dino ).
I'm heading down to pick-up my firebricks now.

[mrgweeto]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Outstanding. Every little bit counts. Not too far from Hamden so I think we will go there tomorrow. Well worth the trip.
Thanks a lot.
G

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

G-
Sorry I wasn't clear with where I was purchasing the firebrick and Heatstop. I'm getting it from Homer Godfrey in Bridgeport. I left a message for you in your, I think it's your inbox on your homepage.
Homer Godfrey has a special on the firebricks: $0.99 for full and $1.10 for splits. I'm heading down at noon. I wanted to buy them from New Haven but they don't have fireclay and the bricks are $1.25 for splits or fulls. That extra $0.25 per brick adds up quickly when purchasing a few hundred bricks...

[mrgweeto]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Bob,
Are you getting the firebrick from New Haven Masonry as well as the fireclay? When I spoke to Tony he didn't know what fireclay was. Accorrding to what I read....low and medium firebrick are best for the WFOs. We plan on starting on the floor this weekend (if not sooner) and the dome. We ( my brother and I who live next to each other ) would like to set up lights and work around the clock. It's gotten to that point where we are getting obsessed with this oven. A LOT OF FUN!! Please let me know about the first sentence.
G

[Lars]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Hi Bob,
You can get fine sand from any of the local Lowes, Home Depot, type stores. Make sure you use the very fine (white) sand. Glad you found a source for clay. I really had good luck with the 3:2:1:0.5 recipe ( fine sand: fire clay : Portland : Lime) It mixes up so fluffy and is really nice and sticky when it needs to be. A great mortar. There is plenty of portland to hold it together for a long long time. Eventually, the portland gets burned out, and you are left with fireclay, which, according to several sources, gets somewhat vitrified, and becomes less susceptible to moisture ( dissolving, absorbing)

I am really curious to do some experiments with this mortar when I can regularly fire my oven up to full temp ( probably this fall ... I think I may have taken on water this morning -- didn't have my chimney cap screwed on and there was wind and rain)

Anyway, it will be interesting to mix up some mortar, fire it good and long, then see how strong it is after it cools. I have been told by clay (pottery ) guys who have built kilns, that this mixture will work great.


Make sure you leave a reveal at your opening, don't make your inner arch too low, and design your vent large across the vent area ( you can always make it smaller!)


Lars.

[pizza_bob]

Re: Pizza Bob's 42" Build

Attached is a data sheet for the firebrick I'm picking-up today. They are from Whitacre Greer and are low duty with 27.6% alumina content. Any comments on how this alumina content will perform?
I also uploaded an image of my floor plan. The vent landing area will be tapered approximately 2" on each side which isn't shown. I counted 54 full bricks for the floor and 41 for the soldier course. The firebrick distributor also sells fireclay and Heatstop. How has Heatstop performed for dome construction? I plan on using fireclay, sand and water mixture under the cooking hearth. Not sure of the ratio but I'll dig that up in archives...

~Bob