Full hemisphere arch?

[dmun]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

WAIT--- I will leave my comment up there... but I may have been fooled by an optical illusion. DMUN, are those straight pieces? They look 'opposite wedge' shaped!

Yep, optical illusion: the straight ones are two and a quarter by four and a half inch rectangles.

BTW hundreds of pompeii ovens built with ordinary untapered bricks, held in with mortar, are withstanding repeated heat/cool cycles, hit with logs, tools, and unplanned calzones, generally under a lot of stress. If they are falling apart in numbers, we haven't heard about it, and I'm sure we would. You could build the arch with plain bricks only, and tapered mortar joints, and it would work just fine. My suggestion was just a little more refined visually than that.

[kebwi]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

I had exactly the same thought Lars. I thought there were upside down wedges in dmun's drawing. Thankfully, I caught it before I hit the [post] button. :-) Nevertheless, my final response to his drawing stands...at least until I read his response above..........

[kebwi]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

Lars, yes. I wrote hemisphere and meant semicircle. Didn't notice it until you mentioned it.

Thank you for the clarification.

[kebwi]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

Yes dmun, thank you for the moment of sanity. I concede that these ovens stand up relatively easily despite possible architectural improprieties.

You have to understand, this is how I am. It has nothing to do with brick ovens. I'm a geek, I'm a computer scientist, I'm an obsessive compulsive pseudo mathematician (who isn't very good at math). Overthinking things is what I do best, and for someone like me, designing the oven is at least as much fun as building it...or dare I say using it.

Cheers!

[Lars]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

KW... I am glad you are aware of your condition. Was it Edison who or Einstein who said, 'definition of the problem is 95% of the solution'? I am completely familiar with 'overthinking' ( worked as computer programmer and SDM ...studied physics/engineering and LOVED the math.(BS, summa)) Even today I spent more time drawing a design for a firewood shelter than it took me to build the thing! ( not really , but close)

I stand by my post about the optical illusion arch. Sure many are made with straight bricks, but the most structurally sound have equally tapered bricks. A design that gives, even if it is only an illusion, the illusion of instability is unsettling aesthetically to me. That is only one small opinion.

I think this forum is quite amazing for the enthusiasm for design of domes and arches. The term 'architect' is misleading, since the advent of steel reinforced concrete, most architects act like 'ARTchitects'. There is really a thrill to designing a dome and arches, as we all have found out, or are finding out.

Just thinking out loud.

L.

[RTflorida]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

Keith, overthinking is good, obsessive compulsive is even better. Just make sure you eventually jump into the deep end and build an oven. The food is WAY better than the math, the planning, and the building (spoken by a true tool nut, who never passes on an opportunity to break out the power tools).

RT

[KINGRIUS]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

AMEN! my brother!!
Yeah, what RT said!

[kebwi]

Re: Full hemisphere arch?

Foundation pouring party this Saturday. It has been frustrating how long it is taking to get the foundation poured. I've been digging, leveling,graveling, and forming the foundation slowly for two weeks now...not to mention slowly stockpiling 3400lbs of concrete (more than I need for the foundation, but the rest goes into the stand walls and the hearth).

God help me if it rains too hard to work tomorrow. It has rained all week, but it's not *supposed* to rain tomorrow. I need to try to set up an awning this evening.

Hmmm, perhaps starting an oven in the middle of Seattle's rainy season wasn't the best idea...