32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

[AJR]

I got started two days ago and prepared everything but i have a problem using the indispensable tool. I created the tool (got it from someone on FB) using a 2"x 4" @ 32" long, a door hinge mounted on the 16" center of the 32"L 2"x 4" for swivel and two 2"x 4", one for fastening to the hinge and touching the face of the brick@ 14.5" L (to compensate for the 16" dome height) and the other
2" x 4" that sits on top of the 14.5"L for resting on top of the brick to form an upside down "L" shape.
I am centered all around and the shape is 32" round but the tool isn't working for me. The IT never touches the face of the brick. Is there an adjustment to be made? The 2"x4" thats sits on top of the brick will give me a pitch to shim but is that correct pitch for where i need to be? It seems to me to get the true dome on a fixed IT it will have to be @ 90 degrees which is the dome height.
I know there has been threads on this but no answer is clear to me. Some users I see make IT adjustments and some don't. Please Help, I don't won't to proceed and come out with a 2 foot dome height..LOL

[NCMan]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

It's a bit tough to follow what you are saying w/out seeing a photo or two. They help alot.

[Tonyp]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

So if I understand correctly. Length of your IT is 14.5"and is mounted on top of a 1.5" thick piece of wood. Which when perfectly upright will give you a dome height of 16". The problem as you now see is when it is horizontal or somewhere in between the two positions it is not a full 16" in length because you are not getting the full 1.5" addition of the base.

There are two ways around this problem.
1. You make the length of the IT fixed and equal to the radius of the oven in the horizontal position. As the IT gets more vertical with each course the thickness of the base slowly gets added to the length and your dome will end up slightly higher than wide by whatever thickness the base is.

2. Make an IT with an end that is adjustable so you can shorten the IT a little with each course to compensate for the base thickness. Or you can offset the hinge slightly out of center and use a slightly shorter fixed IT.

I think most builders just keep a fixed IT and don't worry that the dome is slightly higher than it is wide. This is the simplest way to go and you can minimize it with a thin base. Of if you wanted to get fancy remove the center floor brick and set the IT down so the hinge is at the floor height. Personally I went with an adjustable IT with a 3/8" course threaded rod at the end. Two turns in with each course was equivalent to subtracting 1/8" of length from the IT. This however required a slightly change of the brick angle on the IT so it was slightly over 90 degrees to prevent the bricks from forming a step and making sure the top of one course transitioned smoothly to the bottom of the next course.

Have you read through the IT thread yet? I think most of the issues and pluses/minuses are covered there. http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...heme-2985.html

[AJR]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

Tony, Yes, you understood correctly. Thank you very much and now i got it. I did read through the IT threads but I still did not fully grasp the answers because they are mixed and emphasizing on the finished ceiling height and subtract from the IT base. Now its clear and i'm using your option 1. Thanks again.

[Tonyp]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

Hi AJR

I was mulling over the oven dimensions if you just keep the IT fixed at 16" and stick with the 1.5" 2 x 4 base. You will end up with a 32" diameter 17.5" high dome so take into account the 17.5" dome height when calculating and designing your oven arch.

Also not quite sure how you will have the 2 x 4 IT oriented on the hinge and how the other piece of wood is going to attach to the outer end to form your L. I wanted to reiterate that you should be able to draw a straight line through the center point of the brick outside, inside, and hinge pivot point. This boils down to the bottom edge of the 2x4 lining up with the center point of the dome brick. Bricks are supposedly 2 1/2" thick, although most of mine seem to be around 2 1/4?? In order for the extension of the L to rest on the upper surface of the dome brick and have the bottom edge of the 2 x 4 at the center point, your wood IT needs to be 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" thick.

Hopefully you can follow what I am trying to describe. Spiderrinaldi had I think a similar style IT and we discussed the setup of it with him. http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/ou...d-21199-2.html

[Greenman]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

The subject of the IT has been discussed at length over time. My thoughts are that the IT needs to pivot from as close to the centre point as possible, that it holds the brick at 90 degrees from the pivot point and that the centre line of the tool addresses the centre of the brick.

The simplest way I could come up with was a castor and threaded rod with a light metal angle bracket attached. I also added a clamp but removed the top section very early in the build.

I centred it on a ply floor covering on my build and that made for a full height dome without adjustment. On 2 subsequent builds I have been involved with I removed 2 floor bricks once the floor was completed and centred the IT by attaching it to a block of timber cut to fit the removed bricks. Because this was set approx. one inch below the floor level it resulted in a slightly lower, flatter dome without intermediate adjustment. I was happy with both outcomes but would use the latter method if I did it again.

I will attach a few pics of my IT. It was quite cheap to make (about $10) and will still be serviceable after I have put my trowel away.

Hope it is of some use to you. Good luck with your build and you will be ready to start when you have a clear notion of exactly what you want it to look like when it is done.

[AJR]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

Thanks for your inputs,the help is appreciated and woke me up. I kept the same original design using 2x4's and a door hinge for pivoting and I have centerline reference points throughout oven and it should work fine. As originally posted I got the idea of a door hinge and 2x4's from someone on FB. Initially, i thought I was compensating for the height and hinge length but I wasn't compensating. I felt like i rewired my house and the problem was the light bulb. I will attach progress pictures shortly. Thanks.

[AJR]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

Hi all,
The dome oven is finally done! I've been chopping away at it one day a week because of the cold NY weather and long days at work. The insulation, stucco, coatings, etc are all complete with the exception of the chimney. The series of fires was done and i'm now making pizza's. I cooked a few pies yesterday and it was 33F outside but all worth it. All the help i received is appreciated and i am now posting photos.

[oasiscdm]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

And some photos please....?

[AJR]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

I'm trying to upload photos in the Post Photos area but its not allowing me.
It says "Bad file or image may be too large".

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

It says "Bad file or image may be too large"

My guess is your image file size exceeds the stated limit. Open your file in preview or image app and reduce it to 1Mb max. Once saved to size, you can then upload it via Manage Attachments.

[AJR]

Re: 32" Pompei style - Indispensable tool issue, Help!

Got it! photos are posted in the gallery.