anti-gravity brick support....

[dougrappe]

.....sounds better than "chunk of brick on a string"

Working my way up, dry fitting the 4th course and bricks were sliding everywhere. I made some hooks out of corrugated plastic and hung a weight over the outside of the oven. Worked great. After I get a few in place I can spread them out, so one every 3 or 4 bricks was plenty. We'll see how they work on the next course.

Have I seen this somewhere before?

Doug

[texassourdough]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Cool Idea, Doug! Great Work! Thanks for sharing! I am confident you have identified something that will make many peoples lives easier!
Jay

[Frances]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Looks great... I don't know which is better, the idea itself or the name for it!

[Ken524]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Nice Job Doug! Between the "Anti-Gravity" idea and your alignment gizmo, your oven will be a beauty.

[egalecki]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

I used something similar on my oven, but I stole it from someone else... I used a metal clip for mine, though. The cardboard is genius.

[dougrappe]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Thanks everybody, who knew oven building could be so much fun? I need to find a couple more 3 day weekends soon.

I swear I have looked at every picture posted to the site, and read most every oven building thread, so never sure if I'm having an original idea or not. On the rare occasion I come home not already thinking about working on the oven, I've been surprised by it sitting there in the yard! It's like I've been thinking about this project and looking at your oven projects for so long, sometimes I forget I have my own.

Some kind of weird forno-bravo-deja-vu.

Doug

[dougrappe]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

So the brick on a string thing worked for courses 4 and 5...course number 6, not so much.

Time for some internal scaffolding. It's funny, I thought I was going to have trouble keeping the mortared bricks from sliding around, but the mortar is plenty sticky, and If I mix it just right things stay put pretty well. Dry fitting the bricks is another story.

The plywood ring sits on some stacked bricks, and is pinned in place with some plywood tabs pushed up against the inside of the dome, the spring clamps hold the plywood strips in place stabilizing the bricks. I think I still have enough room to get a sponge in between and clean up the joint as I go. (and yes, it comes apart so I can get it out of the finished oven)

5 done, 5 more to go, at least their getting smaller.

Doug

[RES10CUE]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Doug your build is very clean and I love the counterbalance attached to the strings. I attempted a "movable platform" concept. I found it frustrating that when cutting the bricks then attempting some sort of "test fit" gravity took over and everything ended up on the floor of the oven. I am surprised you did not hear me. It was very close to Chevy Chase in National lampoons A Christmas Vacation, I love that movie. Sorry my ADD kicked in. The Paver edging was placed under the form and was leveled with a "Tavy Tile Puck" a must have when setting tile or a "moveable platform thingy". When I was finished with setting the brick I would just jack the form out of the way and go directly to clean up.

[dougrappe]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Wow, that's ingenious. I like that tile puck thing too, never seen one of those before. The one thing I have really learned for good this time is that HOPING bricks will stay put just doesn't work. Also, I have yet to get the bricks to climb back in place by swearing at them, no matter how loudly. (so that's what that was.)

Doug

[papavino]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

Also, I have yet to get the bricks to climb back in place by swearing at them, no matter how loudly.

Ha! This reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons when the Hell's Satans take over the house.
"Marge, how did you get my jacket so clean? I've tried everything to get those blood and puke stains out. I've tried hitting them; I've tried yelling at 'em?"

Your build looks tremendous. I'm hoping mine will look half or 1/3 as nice when I get to that point. Thanks for the photos. Very helpful.

[egalecki]

Re: anti-gravity brick support....

If they stayed up just by swearing, there would be levitating brick ovens all over the world...

If you get frustrated with the platform, you can try what I used- bamboo sticks, broken to length and wedged on the edge of the brick. They didn't have to be there very long, either. All my bricks were set pretty well by the time I got about 3 more set. You can get big packs of bamboo sticks at most garden supply places and maybe at Lowe's or HD. These are the small ones- about 1/4 to 1/3 inch in diameter.