Australia - What Mortar to use?

[bicheno]

Australia
I am designing and building a backyard masonary oven for bread, pizza, roasts ... for family and friend to enjoy.
I have done plenty of research on various sites and discovered Forno Bravo offers the best information.
I have decided to use new Boral Longreach solid bricks ( Red Clay)( 35x90x76mm ) @ 93cents ea. for the arch and floor ( 2 layers ) Arch front to back with straight sides, front chimney. Different !
What I need to know is what is the best or correct mortar to use?

Any suggestions?

[BOOMERS WFO]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Hi,
Mortar I use consists of

1 part fireclay
1 part lime
1 part cement
4 parts sand

good to work with and you have plenty of time to work with it.

Cheers

Craig

[nissanneill]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Go with Craig's suggestion, the "poor man's mortar". I used it on my 40" Pompeii and does not have a crack in the oven, only in the covering render which is over 2" of superwool and vermiculite insulation. It is cheap but great, I haven't heard/read one problem experienced from people who have chosen it. Stick accurately to the formula and use fireclay, even if hard to find, it makes it stickier!

Cheers

Neill

[Steve W]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Hi All

Another Aust. thread said:

"1 part Portland cement
3 parts sand
1 part lime
1 part fireclay"

I would think the 1:1:1:3 would make a harder joint?

Regards
Steve

[brickie in oz]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

for the arch and floor ( 2 layers )

Why two layers?

Have you included insulation in your plans?

[david s]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

35x90x76mm is a very small brick. Are you sure your measurements are correct? You'd go nuts cutting and laying bricks that small. Is this why you want to do two layers of them? 35mm would be too thin on its own.

[hungng]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

I'm confused. Went to Bunnings and they don't have sand. Only bags of mortar already mixed with sand and cement. Where do i get this sand from? Is it the same as bedding sand? I imagine its finer than that.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Gudday
I used Bagged sand ( Cleaned and graded)for the mortar mix from Bunnings
Check out the Plant section you'll find it with the potting mixes etc.
Didn't bother ordering bulk because of the small amount req.
A suggestion, only mix small amouts at a time to save waste I used a plastic tupperware container to measure into a 20 ltre plastic drum and mixed with a paint stirrer on an electric drill.

Regards Dave

[nissanneill]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Don't worry about going to Bunnings, they're too expensive and most in here don't know or understand the specifics.
Go to your local sand and metal merchant, they have all types of materials needed except for the fireclay and for a fraction of the cost.
I mixed up a builders barrow of mortar which allowed me to complete half the dome in a single hit, then cut in the floor. Next day, I put in a snd dome on plywood shelf and cut, mortared in the top rows and capped them off with the keystones. All done in one weekend, the way to go.

Neill

[david s]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Don't worry about going to Bunnings, they're too expensive and most in here don't know or understand the specifics.
Go to your local sand and metal merchant, they have all types of materials needed except for the fireclay and for a fraction of the cost

Neill

just out of interest, does anyone know why some aggregate is confusingly known as blue metal when it is actually a mineral?

[david s]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Metal because that's the archaic historical term for gravel used in road building, blue because its made from the granite/basalt rocks i.e. they are bluish, as compared to sandstone, brownish?

Thanks,
That seems logical. reminds me now of the story when graphite was found in England around 1500 they thought it was lead (metal instead of mineral) hence the misnomer "lead pencil".

[Bert]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Folks

would one use brickie or sharp sand??

Cheers Alex

[david s]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

It probably doesn't matter much, but I'd guess sharp sand because the grains are sharper and therefore should have more holding power. Brickie sand tends to contain more clay, but you are adding plenty of clay so there is no advantage there. I use silica sand.

[nissanneill]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Bert,
stick with the brickie sand as it is 'fattier' and holds/sticks together better than the 'sharp' concrete sand. You must however use fireclay in your home brew.

Neill

[Jimmybendigo]

Re: Australia - What Mortar to use?

Hey guys!
Can someone please tell me where to find fireclay? I can't find it anywhere!

Thanks