New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Great JP. Thanks man! Feel free to drop in anytime to check out my build. I'm in Downer. I'm guessing you're somewhere in Gungahlin?

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

So, looks like I'll brick my dome up using half fondu ciment and half homebrew. Will provide feedback on which cracks more for the hivemind. Provided my wife doesn't go into labour (she's due any day), I'll be cutting bricks on the weekend. I look forward to reporting more soon.

[david s]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

So, looks like I'll brick my dome up using half fondu ciment and half homebrew. Will provide feedback on which cracks more for the hivemind. Provided my wife doesn't go into labour (she's due any day), I'll be cutting bricks on the weekend. I look forward to reporting more soon.

Good plan, I'd be interested to see how you think they compare. Do not try mixing the two together though. Lime plus calcium aluminate cement simply acts as as accelerant and your mortar will go off so fast that you'll probably lose at least half a batch.

[fillemup]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Hi guys
I too am in Canberra and have just finished my 40" build. I found sourcing materials locally very difficult but did manage to find brickies clay at CE industries in Fyshwick and vermiculite at $45 / 100litre bag at hydro shop. Picked up fire bricks and pavers off allclassifieds ( was going to use Canberra reds) 8" s/s flue at burning log Fyshwick ceramic blanket from field furnace in Sydney. I used poor mans mortar after stalking this site for info i threw it all together. I will be following your build with interest as I enjoy the weather turning cold and learning to cook (successfully) in my oven with a glass of red to ease the pain in my back, neck, wrists, hands...... Oh sorry good luck and enjoy the journey.

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Thanks to JPs tip offs, today was largely spent gathering materials, and getting ready to build. Got about 80kgs of brickies sand from CSG for $5 - which was about a 1/4 of the price of the bagged stuff at Gungahlin Homemakers. Lime at $13 for 20kg, Builders (fire)Clay at $11 for 20kg both from Homemakers.

Took the form of the vermicrete, and pleased to report it's set well. Got the indispensable tool sorted, and lay out a few cut bricks.

Then got sidetracking making a long overdue pizza peel for a good mate down the road who I helped build his WFO a few months ago. Really happy with how it turned out - pics below. Timber is Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegantensis) which grows at my old man's property up in the mountains and which we mill on-site.

Next: lots of brick cutting, then a layer of sand on the vermicrete and start laying!

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Dan,

Nice start. This is where the fun and hair pulling starts. Very nice looking peel.

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Thanks Russell.

Had a good couple of days on the WFO:

Bit the bullet and splashed out on some dinky-di fire bricks for the oven floor. Just wasn't happy with the recycled Canberra reds - too many chips to get a nice even floor. Once again paid the 'Canberra tax' and forked out nearly $5/brick! Was still cheaper and quicker than a drive to Sydney. Got about 20 too many, so I think I'll work them into the top courses of the dome.

Made a template for the floor out of a bit of ply, which I'll also use to protect the floor from dome-building spills, and as a centre for the indispensable tool. Then cut the floor bricks using the template as a guide.

Tested the layout with some reds around the outside. Seems like it's going to be a good fit.

I had some excellent help from my 2yo apprentice Sam - see pic. And also brick cutting from Jon - thanks mate!

Next: lay the floor onto a fireclay/sand/water mix. Can anyone tell me how much such a mix grips the floor bricks. Hoping to be able to replace them as necessary over the years. Would I be better off just laying the floor bricks onto sand?

[david s]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Thanks Russell.

Next: lay the floor onto a fireclay/sand/water mix. Can anyone tell me how much such a mix grips the floor bricks. Hoping to be able to replace them as necessary over the years. Would I be better off just laying the floor bricks onto sand?

Yes you could use just sand. I've never pulled up a floor that had clay/sand under it so can't say how difficult it would make it. Someone else my chime in.

[Desmo78]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Hi Dan,

Drop the water from your mix, no need for a slurry mix to get your level for the bricks to sit on. I had several attempts at getting it level with the dry mix, sand and clay. Adding water will make it real mess to try and pull the bricks back up.

JP

[cobblerdave]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Gudday
Had experience once removing and relaying pavers that had been undercut by a storm. It was a s$@"t of a job. 1/2dz pavers turned into 40 or 50 as its impossible to get them releveled. Took out complete corner and rehauched the edge. Find it mind boggling to attempt that inside an oven! So it's good that you have a firebrick hearth
Regards dave

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Thanks again for the tips guys.

Had some great help today from Laurence. He was meticulous with the spirit level which was fantastic!

We laid the outer base course with fireclay/sand/water mix and the floor with just sand. Ran out of light before completing the floor. Some very fine adjustments with the grinder to be done to fit it in snug.

Everything is super level, so very happy at this stage.

[brickie in oz]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

Thats a lot of sand, I thought it had to be 1mm or so thick?

[Dan W]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

[QUOTE=brickie in oz;151327]Thats a lot of sand, I thought it had to be 1mm or so thick? [/QUOTE

Thanks for that Al. Not too late to pull up the floor and scrape off some sand. What's the rationale behind a thin layer? Is it so the floor bricks don't compress the sand over time and become uneven? My vermicrete base has bumps bigger than 1mm tho! I'd need a little bit more than that I reckon.

So hivemind: what the max amount of sand you'd tolerate?

(ps. this forum rocks!)

[brickie in oz]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

The more sand you have the more it will move under the bricks, you really only need to level out the bumps with the sand.

[david s]

Re: New 42'' pompeii build in Canberra

The more sand you have the more it will move under the bricks,

that's why the usual brew is sand, clay and water. It sets up hard and can not move. Your layer of sand should work fine though and I'm sure it won't give you any problems.