new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Jas
WAY TO GO..... you have reached that magic milestone you have a completed dome..... really... really pleased for you

regards dave

[jas.]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Hi Dave,what did you use for your chimney pipe? I may get one made or go scrap metal hunting!!just curious,,mmmm

[Worb]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Jas,

I got 2 x 1 metre lengths of 8 inch gal chimney pipe for $40 each from BBQ's galore. I had to buy it sight unseen and was sure it would be a thick as a beer can, but I'm pretty impressed with it. Nice and light, but still more than strong enough.

[Worb]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

I thought I might whack a few photos up of the WFO. I keep seeing these beautiful ovens by blokes with real talent. While it's great to see, it's discouraging for those of us who are masonry impaired. I thought I might add my attempt so people can see that it doesn't have to be perfect, and that any mug can have a go.

The Footing, dug on a stinking hot day day with a hangover, sorry - wine flu.

Base in progress with the Cheif Quality Assurance Officer overseeing the build

Base Completed. In hindsight, this was the hardest part.

Vermicement base. Freaky stuff, I was worried it wouldn't dry, but it came good after a day or so.

Snazzy little landing with provision for an ash pit hole, and most importantly, somewhere to rest a drink.

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

dear Jason
I ended up with a low oblong chinney it sorta grew out of the square dome entrance I ended up with. Not having a arch shape to bring the smoke to the top so it could go up a 150 mm pipe it needed to be wide to collect the smoke from the entrance. Kept it low so it would dominate the local skyline and works well, we get a fair breeze here in the evening and something higher could collect the wind and blow the smoke back down the chinney.
I was planning a pipe chinney at first perhaps your concidering the same check out the price of Stainless steel? you want something to last right. you would only need a mtr? now thats not to high that you need a fancy cap on the top to stop the rain, you could just slip a pottery pot plant base to keep out the rain. The other thing is that the higher you go the more strong and complex the connection between brickwork and chimnney needs to be . I can just see some kid swinging on the end of it.
By the way how longs your entrance Mine is 1 and 1/2 bricks long I recon its about as long as you would want to go as you got to remember the depth of the oven you want to be able to reach back in there easily.

hope this helps the old thought processes
Go well
Dave

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Dear worb
Masonry inpaired!!! looks pretty damn good to me love the curved lines.

Go well
Dave

[Worb]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Thanks Cobblerdave. I now have a new motto "A coat of render buries a thousand sins".

I hope I'm not hijacking somebody's thread, I'm a worse internetter than I am a brickie.

Below is my setout for the floor, my attempt at the arches (don't have a bricksaw and my bolstering is pretty hit and miss). It's rough, but going to be rendered so I wasn't too concerned about it being pretty. The bricks and the strap were my resolution to anchoring my hendo indispensable tool (and what a tool it is, could not have done without it). I ended up using a sand form towards the top. In hindsight I should have persevered with the indispensable tool, I couldn't see what I was doing with the form and it ended up being a bit of a dog's breakfast. I used a circle of mdf, cut in half(ish), overlapped and screwed together under the sand. I used a car jack to hold 'er up there. There was a moment when removing the form where I just had to rip the jack out and hope for the best. A bit puckerish, but amazingly satisfying to see the dome staying up, holding together all by itself.

I live on a corner block in a small town with my back yard exposed to the road, am getting a running commentary on my progress from everyone from the local garbo to random strangers. And the common thread - I'm gonna build an oven one day. Amazing how many people want to build a WFO, but you see so very few around.

[kriso]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Worb
Nice job, can you tell me about the metal device that you have in one of the pics to hold bricks up. how long did you have to wait for each brick to set. is there a method to that?
Cheers
Kris

[Worb]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Kriso,
There's a heap of posts on the Forum about "Hendo's Tool", or "The Indispensable Tool", have a search and it'll tell you all you need to know. But very basically, it's a piece of metal with a hinge on one end, and a right angle on the other. It lets you position your bricks exactly. For the 10 minutes it takes to make, it is well worth the effort. I found the bricks on the lower courses stuck pretty quickly, 10 seconds or so. As you go up, it got a bit harder with the bricks wanting to slip, that's why I went for a sand form towards the top.

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Hi Worb
Your all over the place arnt you Question for you have you givin you oven a insulation layer?

Regards Dave

[Worb]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Like the scarlet pimpernel, they seek him here, they seek him there (old footrot flats joke).

I put a 50mm insulation blanket around it, then smeared on some vermicement for good measure. I'm still getting a fair bit of heat through to the outside though. I know I shoulda put a thicker blanket on, but by the time I finally got the one I got I was over the whole scene (long story, I'm a procurement officer by day and do you think I get a bloody roll of insulation from brissie to kingaroy).

What I'm hoping is that the heat is just steam from my base layer and my dome, and that when she dries out it won't warm up so much. Failing that, I can always stick another few inches of vermicement on, but I'd rather not. It's shit to work with, and the chicken wire and render scene was not a whole lot of fun.

How far along are you with your build, I can't remember if I've seen a photo or not?

[jas.]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Hi Dave, i did go to BBQ's galore and spoke to a guy there at aspley he had a 6" steel pipe and after explaining what i was going to do with it he suggested i go to pineapple st just around the corner where they make fire places. I got talking the another chap and he has all sizes in stock , a 8" is what i ended up with and 1 mt long $59.00 he even had different shaped cowls, they are the rain caps that go on top, they cost a lot more so might try something else for that one..
on sat we scooped out the sand form in the oven ,yeah we went that way cos' i had a whole trailer full, cleaned it all up put the insulation blanket on ,chicken wire and then that vermiculite render mix , now thats only fun for a short while until you got to keep it on vertical , the wire helps but if the mix isn't right there goes the thrill.
didn't get the chimney on ran out of time and daylight.
I stood back and was quite impressed with myself, well done me.
I have two brick lengths for the opening coming straight out , kinda thought i could have gone on bit of a angle to access easier from the sides but thats cool.
I intend to enclose the whole oven like a little house with a roof and tiled walls but we see what happens as time goes by , may change .. next weekend the finish, chimney and then box it all in.

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Dear Jason
Very impressed your moving along at a cracking pace. Bet ya your had your head on that oven impressed with neat rows of firebrick, and on more than one occasion too. Glad you have the measure of the dreaded perlite cement seems that everyone can make it work bar me. Cant wait to see the pics hint hint.
Regards Dave

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Dear Jason
Back from tea and the dreaded paperwork. Ha like to hear more of your plans to enclose your oven? you told us right early in the piece you planned to enclose using the same bricks as your house. You would have to be the only one in Aust that I aware of that is doing this seems everone has the igloo type. So very interested in the progress

Go well
Dave

[cobblerdave]

Re: new guy wants to build a pompeii oven in brisbane

Dear Worb
I think ya hit the nail on the head, ovens not dry yet perhaps a few smaller firings to dry things out would help. mine got soaked with days of rain and took forever to dry completely so I could seal it and any small fire you could feel the heat outside and open the oven door you could feel the hot wet air flow out. for Photo check out the forum Cobblerdave build.
Regards Dave