Angleizer / Tapering Question

[michaewa]

I've read countless threads countless times regarding tapering / angling bricks and due to a severe deficiency in spatial engineering I am still a bit confused.

To start, I have no problem with a lot of cuts, and would prefer to taper bricks to having wide joints at the outside, just as a matter of personal preference.

I picked up the Angleizer thinking this would help me somewhat, but it would seem that I need to be considering two different sets of measurements at the same time - the bullseye and the axed arch (see screenshots).

Is that correct, or are most builders just creating the trapezoid shape with the narrower face (3 9/16 per the Bullseye Angleizer readout) left to right on the inside of the dome and the wider face on the outside?

From what I've read it would seem that perhaps you don't need to worry about the 2nd dimension (e.g. the Axed Arch or tapering the bricks top to bottom) until you get higher up the dome.

I'm sure this will become more clear as I start to actually cut and assemble, but I'm wanting to angle the top of the soldier course and not sure what is the correct angle to use.

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.

[dmun]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

I wanted a fully fitted oven, but the task of cutting full three dimensional trapezoids, which vary on every level, and tilt in on the sides as you go up was daunting to me. I ended up with the geodesic method, which has it's own problems.

I haven't used the angleizer, and can't comment on that tool.

[Neil2]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

"I'm sure this will become more clear as I start to actually cut and assemble,

It will.

Some things are hard to describe in text but once you start in it it becomes clearer. Take your time, it is easier than you think and if you make a mistake then , heck, you have wasted a $1.75 brick.

[DaveW]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

I am learning fast but by no means an expert.
I didn't miter my first chain but I realized that the mortar joints were going to get much bigger as I went up. So I bought the angelizer only to discover that it wasn't that helpful. It tries to calculate a number of equal sized bricks which is not important. If you use the angleizer calculations you will waste some of each brick and the cuts are harder to make. What I did is cut the bricks in half against an angled fence. Then cut the opposite ends with the same fence close against the blade. Fast and easy with no waste (I ended up with bricks about 5 inches wide on the outside and 4 inches on the inside). I just winged the angle and it worked out well(two door shims taped together). As I get higher I will increase the angle. What I can see happening is wanting to cut the bricks in a compound angle so the edges can fully touch in the higher chains. I am not bothering with the axed arch because the mortar joint remains the same throughout. However as I get higher I may decide to go 3D.

You could use your indispensable tool to give you the angle for the soldiers.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Dave

[michaewa]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

Thanks very much for the feedback. I laid out a paper template with bricks on it yesterday and it helped a lot.

Dave - that is a great point about the Angleizer. I noticed that in the program, but didn't do the math to realize it was likely making the bricks smaller than they needed to be. I'll probably start with a 4" side and a 5" side on the first ring and see how that does.

Laying it out on paper also made it pretty easy to determine the angle of the soldier cut too - just laying the bricks up against the theoretical 'perfect' shape of the dome and seeing where small adjustments would have to be made after the soldier course to catch up to the curve.

Day off today for a Thanksgiving road trip but hopefully I can set my floor and cut some bricks tomorrow.

Cheers!

[SCChris]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

Michaewa,
I don't know that my thread on cutting my dome bricks will help. I decided that making a tool, a jig really, was what I needed to do. I was very happy with the results I got but had some improvements that I'd make to the tool if I rebuilt the tool. You may not want to go so far as I with this but the info may help you to get through the dome cuts and visualize the cuts.

"http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/new-brick-cutting-tool-old-tool-7649.html"

SCChris

[michaewa]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

SCChris -

Very interesting - I like your thought process - it looks like your dome turned out nice and clean. For the most part I'm just trying to lock in on the math that will get me smallish joints. I'm probably falling somewhere in between you and the artisans that can eyeball it with a chisel.

As someone mentioned, you could probably find a market for multiple oven builders with a device like that.

Hope you are enjoying your oven!

[SCChris]

Re: Angleizer / Tapering Question

Envisioning how the brick lays relative to the central axis of the dome is easy getting the cut independant of the width of the brick you need is trickier, especially when you need to stagger joints. I found that in the lower rings the great majority of bricks were a split brick with the sides trimed. As I got higer the proportion of wider and narrower bricks that I needed increased. I was able to cut a ring of these various sizes and use the excess on the next ring without re-cutting. Mortar is you friend.

Chris