Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

[DaveW]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Looks great tom,
Those last bricks are really tight. I didn't even attempt to get such a good fit that far up the dome.

Looks like poochie lost an eye. Poor guy, how old is he?

Dave

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Nice sunny day today and got a lot done. Lost count, but I think I just finished the 11th ring. Too tired to go count. I will put the plug in tomorrow even if it rains.
It ain't pretty, but she is all mine and I know she will cook some wonderful meals for us and everyone that we entertain.
Cocktail time.

Cheers,
Tom

Third picture is my buddy.

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Thanks for the kind words Dino. Just when I think I've figured out how to cut the next ring it doesn't work. I got into a rush yesterday wanting to get the 8th ring done and messed up a few bricks. I've found that when I go back to it the next day it all comes together without a problem. But it started raining here about 4 AM so it is covered and I am resting. Oh, I'm baking bread in the kitchen oven. Man, I can't wait to bake in the WFO.

Tom

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Looks great Tom, the 3rd pic looking down is a good shot of the smaller bricks you are using to wedge in so you have a real tight ring. You'd never know you're not a professional craftsman oven builder! Well, you will be by the time you're thru.
Ya, it looks like at least a week of rain so I hope you make good progress today . -dino

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Thanks Les, that is the most important thing. I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this as I've never done a project quite like it before. But I am having fun (most of the time).
Tomorrow I need to buy some more bricks to finish her off. Can't wait to cook in it.

Tom

[Les]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Playoffs tomorrow, since I missed them today.

Tom

Tom - Not really. It was interesting from the start but then the "Saints came marching in". I'm watching the late game right now and it appears to be another blow out. (7:49 PM on the 15th, for the record).

You are doing a fine job on the oven - have no worries. At the end of the day, if you can cook in it , you nailed it.

Les...

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Got to work on the oven the past couple days and made some progress. I'm now past the transition and starting my 8th ring. It's not nearly as pretty as most I've looked at on the forum, but I think it will still cook pizza, bread, etc.
It is to rain starting tomorrow till ??? This is the start of El Nino I think. Lots of rain this next week, but I'm happy with my progress and will rest up till it stops.
Playoffs tomorrow, since I missed them today.

Tom

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Hi Bob,
I read your oven thread and reread how you did your transition cuts. First, I want to say your build is beautiful. I used the cardboard to make a pattern and still had trouble. I just wasn't able to wrap my simple mind around 3 dimension cuts. Thanks for your posts, they did help. I marked a brick thinking it might work, but didn't want to waste any more bricks. Bought the oasis and simply pressed it into the arch and wallah I have a perfect picture now.
I will say, the brick I marked was close, but the cuts would have been too big, so another brick would have been waisted.
After today I'm off the rest of the week and it is to be nice Thur. and Friday. I should be able to get a lot done this weekend.

Thanks,
Tom

[pizza_bob]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Tom,

I created my entire project in my CAD system (SolidWorks) which really helped me visualize the tricky cuts. I didn't think it was cheating for a second. Now if I took steroids and finished my build in three days due to all the extra energy then I might consider that cheating like our MLB players...

I posted a section in my oven build link that details how I did my transition cuts:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/pizza-bobs-42-build-7155-11.html

Check it out and let me know if it helps.

Good luck with the build!

Best Regards,
Bob

[Millstone Man]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

If your not cheating, your not trying! Looking good.

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Hey Dave, I bought some oasis today from a florist. Bought more than I need, but didn't want to go back. $1 each, best $8 I ever spent. Pressed it down into the arch and have a 3D picture of what I need to cut on the brick.
Thanks Dino for coming up with this idea.
Dave, I think you are right, it is fun now.
Is this cheating? LOL

Tom

[DaveW]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Looking good Tom,

I tried eyeballing the cuts for the arch transition and after throwing away several bricks and pulling my hair out trying to think in three dimensions, I remembered Dino had used foam pieces to model the bricks. I had some leftover foam wall insulation board I used for the arch form and it worked great. The arch transition went from frustrating to fun.

Dave

[Les]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

I'm just trying to get it done enough to cook by my mom's birthday party in Feb.

Tom - That may be a bit aggressive, call Domino's. I think building into the arch is the biggest challenge. Keep your eye on the level. Almost every build has had a drop at this point. It's not a game stopper, but you will be fighting to get back to round and level in the succeeding rings. A simple tarp set up can keep you dry - at least you are not fighting the freezing ass temps that most people on this side of the orb are experiencing.

Good luck with the build!

Les...

[trockyh]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Thanks dusty for your input. Here's to it not caving in (Cocktail in hand).
I worked on the oven over the weekend. Made some progress, but the dreaded transition to the arch is killing me. I've cut and mortared a couple rings, but am stuck on 5 at the moment. Didn't have time to work on it today and it is to rain the next few days.
I moved the saw under cover so I can cut the next coarse to have ready when the rain stops. I'm not complaining about the rain, I love it and we need it. I'm just trying to get it done enough to cook by my mom's birthday party in Feb.
Nothing like a deadline to get ya moving.

Tom

[dusty]

Re: Tom's 42' Pompeii, Penn Valley, Ca.

Tom,
Looks fantastic! You're really rollin' now.
If I could offer any advice on your arch, it would be on your keystone. The rules are ancient and simple. It must always be in the middle, and it must be tapered. Keep this in mind on the outside arch.

dusty