Gaps...closing dome

[inu]

I have closed in my dome but the last 1-4 rows seem to have rather large gaps (approx 7cm x 7cm x 7cm triangles). I used fire mortar from thermal ceramics and back filled with normal brickies mortar.
I will of course be insulating the dome and adding a flue.

Are the gaps going to be a problem?.
Will the mortar fall out??
Should I redo the rows??

Thermal Ceramics have a mastic product that industrial furnaces used to fill gaps from inside.
Has anyone used it????
Have attached some photos.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks

[cobblerdave]

Re: Gaps...closing dome

Gudday
Nice oven by the way ...thanks for the pics



Was worried about the gapes in the brick at one stage (cut with angle grinder/brick bulster) but 18 mths later and pizza 3 weekends out of the month I've ceased to worry at all.....thats until I took this photo ...thank god no one usally sticks there head in the oven especially guest as its a little hot by that time

Whats the plans for insulation?

Regards Dave

[nissanneill]

Re: Gaps...closing dome

Hi Carol and welcome aboard.
I will reply here to your personal email as other members will benefit from possibly my comment.
I personally would remove the rows in question, build a sand pattern on some semi circular boards that will fit through your entrance and supported on several brick stacks (minimum of 3, preferably 4 stacks). I would then use as David suggests a diamond saw on a grinder and/or a brick bolster and cut the sides of the bricks in each row to reduce the vertical gas to a minimum. Cutting the tops and bottoms will require significant time/skill and demand at least another row of bricks.

I used fire mortar from thermal ceramics and back filled with normal brickies mortar.

I again would use as I have always suggested, the poor man's mortar rather than what I see as the problematic adhesives/mortars sold. Somewhere in my build here on the forum is my pics of th dome which as soon as I placed the final keystone bricks, knocked out my sand pattern and immediately stood on the top without collapsing it. I then removed the brick stacks and sand then climbed inside and with a hammer adjusted and cleaned the 'not quite correctly places bricks'.
You are more than welcome to come around to discuss and check out my oven and I will even offer to help you with your rework should you need it.
I am at Flagstaff Hill and travel all over this city working so can call in for advice and/or help.

Cheers.

Neill

[deejayoh]

Re: Gaps...closing dome

Gonna take a flyer here, but would I be off base if I guessed that two different people worked on this oven? Fit and finish of the top looks completely different than the bottom.

Those last six courses look to be normal red clay brick, not fire brick. If that's the case, I'd say they all should be replaced.