Hand-holding on saw purchase

[ttriche]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

You may be very intelligent.

Unlikely -- I am after all building an anachronism ;-)

I am sorry if I offended you in some way by touting the simple virtues of a chisel

You surely did not. I thought it was great that you wrote up your observations for others to consider. When I'm done with my dome, maybe I will too, although John Bek has already done a thorough job on the low dome design and its attendant considerations. That's what pushed me over the edge (well, that and my younger brother chipping in for a birthday present). I quickly found that my bricks were more amenable to scoring with a hacksaw and then tapping to split them, so I went the saw route.

I am hoping now that you offer a better design for the method everyone ( including myself) seems to be using that results in cracks.

I'll let you know in a year or two ;-). I'm just trying to incorporate observations and improvements derived from the experiences of others, and perhaps contribute a few of my own in the process.

Where are you in the building process, by the way?

Mortaring the dome. I should post some pictures, it seems like a long time ago that I was scared to break ground and pour a slab. Even my wife accuses me of being 'handy' these days. Not sure if that is a good thing.

This forum is a tremendous resource, and the diversity of opinions (like yours!) is what keeps the Pompeii design evolving over time. That's cool.

[Lars]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

TT,
Lucky for you to be able to put your math/programming education to profitable use. You may be very intelligent. I am sorry if I offended you in some way by touting the simple virtues of a chisel, but this forum is really about putting ideas out there and showing what worked ( and what didn't... though I don't think my cracks are related to my using a chisel). I see some very competent individuals on here and I don't think there are many who would have trouble sifting through all the info and making their own decisions. All I know is what worked for me.

I really don't even know if my posts are somehow annoying and off the mark. Like many, I am just going through the building process and learning things as I go.

I am hoping now that you offer a better design for the method everyone ( including myself) seems to be using that results in cracks.

Where are you in the building process, by the way?

Lars.

[ttriche]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

... lots of cool methods to learn in the oven building process -- and many ways to do the same thing.

I hadn't laid any regular old house brick before, and I am just amazed at how easily one can cut them with a chisel. They break remarkably clean. But, that being said, there are definitely place where it would be nice to use a tile saw.

Just to be absolutely clear, I think it's fantastic that you went old-school with your dome and rolled Freemason style. But if papavino wanted to go that route, I would suggest returning the 10" diamond saw. I like mine, but that doesn't mean I would want someone else to purchase one and then find that the meditative process of old style masonry fit them better. After all, you have 30 days to refuse Harbor Freight merchandise for any reason.

Me personally, I like the pro-wrestling, anything-goes, modern style of engineering (one of the reasons I can afford to indulge in this folly is that I write code to solve linear and nonlinear dynamic equations), and so I just paid a visit to Harbison Walker this afternoon for more insulating castable refractory. But once upon a time I was going to skip all of this masonry business and just build my oven out of mud! I'm pretty sure the Pompeiian oven builders did not buttress their domes with Kast-O-Lite, but I'm also fairly sure that they didn't have to worry about fascist requirements for variances either :-) which I do.

It is a very Good Thing to have a healthy diversity of opinions and styles. Cheers!

[RTflorida]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

I stand corrected....you may just wear out your saw. I've never been big on extended warranties, but with your "honey do list", the extra warrantee on the tile saw may prove to be a smart investment.

You certainly have WFO fever......putting your oven ahead of everything else. You are my new hero. Good luck.

RT

[drogers]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

HF has a coupon in the circular that I received this week. The coupon offers the saw for $199.99. Blade and stand are extra.

[papavino]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

I'm fully expecting the saw to make the job of tiling our shower go smoothly. And the bathroom floor. And the tiled entry-way. And the countertop for the oven. And our kitchen. So much on the calendar... But that will all wait, as the oven is job #1.

[RTflorida]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

papavino, the one thing you will find with a wet saw - when you get comfortable with using it, you will find that you can almost split hairs with it and nibble a brick or tile into almost any shape. A diamond blade is a wonderful thing.

RT

[Lars]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Hey RT,

After reading on this forum, I will probably get a tile saw too!! Nobody is attacking anyone, here. Papavino has the right idea, in my opinion... lots of cool methods to learn in the oven building process -- and many ways to do the same thing.

I hadn't laid any regular old house brick before, and I am just amazed at how easily one can cut them with a chisel. They break remarkably clean. But, that being said, there are definitely place where it would be nice to use a tile saw.

Even tile ( which I have done several times) is fairly easy to cut using the 'score and crack' method, but there are times when it would be nice to make an abrasive cut.

I have several more cure fires to go before I know how many cracks I will end up with. I have a lot to learn and that's what attracts me to this forum.

Lars.

[papavino]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

I'm going to use it. No need to be confused. But I'm probably going to cut some brick using the chisel as well. Nowhere does it say that I have to use one method exclusively. I want to try different methods. I've got lots of tile projects coming up, too, so the saw will see plenty of use over the next year.

[RTflorida]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Lars, I don't think tt was attacking your build method. I think we all have an appreciation for "old school" work by hand. This thread was all about using a wet saw (whether good or bad) and papa was obviously bitten by the power tool bug and purchased the saw.....now he has a saw that he may or may not use. I'm a bit confused as well.

RT

[papavino]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

I'm sure both methods will create a structurally sound oven. I'm going to try them both just to gain the experience. That's what is so great about this. I'm greatly expanding my skill set during this project. I've never used a tile saw, never cut brick, never chiseled brick. But after this week I will have done all of those.
In anticipation of the end result, I made a pizza last night to feed the helpers. Conventional oven, but it was still good.

Take care.

[Lars]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Well Papavino,
Of course everyone thinks their own way is the best, otherwise, why would they choose it for themselves. Personally, I liked the quiet plink, and relatively accurate angle cuts I made with a chisel. ( and I will let you know in 100 years whether my dome has 'structural integrity') I am sure that many of the surviving ovens from antiquity were made with a 10" diamond saw, so I guess I am stuck in the stone age.

I am pretty sure that either way, ( chisel of saw) with the proper mortar, your dome will have structural integrity. I put up a post about using a chisel for cutting a taper on bricks in the 'tips and techniques' section a while back. I thought this method worked very well for my dome, and reduced the size of the mortar joints between the bricks horizontally at least...

[ttriche]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Thanks, Lars. I think I'll use a chisel for most of the bricks in the dome, but I'll use the saw to make nice, clean cuts on the floor and the transition. That seems like a good compromise between the traditional way and the modern way. I went and picked up the HF saw today and put it together tonight. Everyone gets a +1 for the comments about the assembly instructions. Absolutely useless. I need to get a chisel from a friend this week, then I'm totally in business.

I don't get it. You have a fairly precise instrument now, which could enable you to build your dome with much smaller joints and much greater structural integrity. It wasn't free, either. Why not use it?

If anything, I'd say that the transition and floor could easily be done with a chisel, whereas a tight dome practically requires a 10" diamond saw. YMMV. I used mine for just about everything and certainly don't regret doing so.

[papavino]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Thanks, Lars. I think I'll use a chisel for most of the bricks in the dome, but I'll use the saw to make nice, clean cuts on the floor and the transition. That seems like a good compromise between the traditional way and the modern way. I went and picked up the HF saw today and put it together tonight. Everyone gets a +1 for the comments about the assembly instructions. Absolutely useless. I need to get a chisel from a friend this week, then I'm totally in business.

[Lars]

Re: Hand-holding on saw purchase

Buy a chisel!!! You will be done with the entire oven before you even get your tile saw!

Lars.