36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

[BrendanLovesPizza]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Mine has a few little gaps. Just going to fill with mortar. And over time it will fill with ash

[Greenman]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

If you have the surface of the hearth level any small gaps should not be a problem. Like Brendan says, they will fill with ash over time anyway. The important thing is not to have any spots that will catch the peel and a slight bevel on the edges of the bricks will help with that and any proud bits can be ground off.

I think that using refractory will cause you more issues than it solves over time.

A little loose dry sand will help level your hearth.

[Will4740]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Thanks Brendan and Greenman

I think that I explained my situation a little incorrectly. as you say greenman since my floor is level there are no gaps or major rises in the centre of the cooking floor that i need to worry about.

my problem is due to my lack of time my edge bricks are not 100% flush with the soldier course as i cut them at a series of angles rather than a constant curve round the edge and so i have some spaces between the floor and my soldier course that i am looking to fill. Here is where i was contemplating using a castable refractory product ??

I am possibly looking at doing what brendan suggested and just using some homemade FB mortar around the edges

Thanks for your responses I appriciate them so please keep them coming

Cheers Will

[Greenman]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hey Will

That should work ok in that situation provided you used something to ensure that you had a small expansion gap between the mortar and the soldier course. I cut my floor bricks sort of round with a wet saw and put a little dry sand around the edge low down just to hold them in place. The ash filled it completely over time.

A bit of home brew mortar would work ok.

[Will4740]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hi Steve

I am thinking more about trying to get a better fit than mortar the gaps can I ask for some tips with the wet saw I have just borrowed 1 today and have never used one before are tricks to getting a nice round cut ?
Cheers will

[Greenman]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hi Will

I just laid all of the bricks out and marked the circle then made multiple cuts to form the arc on the brick. You cant really cut around a curve but create the curve with cutting the bulk in a couple of cuts and then shaving it to nearer the arc shape you are looking for.

Probably easier to do than explain but I had never used a brick saw before then either.

[oasiscdm]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

now that brings back memories

[Will4740]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hi Guys
So I decided to get stuck into the build this weekend since we have a long weekend.

I started on friday by mortaring the soldier course and front arch as seen in the first picture. Saturday I then decided to lay the first course and remove the template for my arch. haha this was a bad idea and it cracked. I did check the strength and even though there was a crack i stood on the arch and it held fine. but still i decided to pull it apart and rebuild it.
I haven't gotten to the rebuilding part trying to work out a better solution than wood for my template so i dont destroy my arch when removing it. ??

I then spent sunday and today adding my 2nd,3rd and 4th courses to the build but not fully completing them as i dont have an arch to integrate into. that will be the fun part.

With the 4th course i noticed that i to use a clamp attached to the IT tool to keep the brick at the right angle without it sliding off are there any other ideas that means i could set more than 1 birck at a time ??

I will be honest this is not the most clean or accurate build as i have to have it finished within the month as i will be going back to uni. If i had more time i would spend more time and get a better fit on the inside of the dome but this will do for my first oven.

Anyway would enjoy your feedback.

Cheers Will

[BrendanLovesPizza]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Looking good. Mate I'm much the same as you neat and accurate arent my number one concerns.
my oven is made from recycled fire bricks so its been a little hard to get as neat as I have seen others build. But at the end of the day it you dont look at the inside of the oven. You cook in it.

I noticed you didnt have any packer/wedge under your timber arch. I put two strips of 10mm wood down first then the timber arch. Once the arch is made. Remove the strips. Then the timber arch falls down. Very easy to remove timber arch. No cracks. I removed my timber arch once the last bit of mortar and brick went in. It was not set and it gave me a chance to clean up the brick work and add mortar to any holes.

[BrendanLovesPizza]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Some people use a heavy gauge wire and hook the brick on the inner face and tie to the base of the oven on the outside. Sorry on mobile phone cant link another build I have seen it on. Stops the brick sliding in. Make 4 or 5 of these and you can slowly move around. Once the first 4 are dry enough remove and keep recycling the wire to the next 4. Did I explain it right.
Or setup a mould of sand and lay on the sand like in the instructions from field furnace I linked at the start of your thread. Takes longer to setup but means you can finish the upper part of the build in one go.

[Will4740]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hey Brendan

I am sure that i read about packing the arch somewhere haha but forgot until you mentioned it. I will hopefully give that a try tomorrow.

Also yeah I am thinking about going down the wire or i believe i read somewhere where someone used a gutter bracket as this will still give me access to the inside of the oven.

Thanks
will

[cobblerdave]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

G'day
Roughing up the mortar face of the bricks with the angle grinder will let the mortar key to the brick and resists sliding of. Small wood wedges will help to keep bricks orientated correctly . You pull them out as soon as the mortar gets the first set so you don't need many .
Regards dave

[Will4740]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

Hi guys

Thanks for the tips. I decided to reset my arch today so that I can start cutting my key stones for each layer.

I have been using offcuts of my bricks to hold the angle until it grabs but i think using a grinder may be a good idea will see how i go.

Thanks for the help guys appreciate it

Cheers will

[cobblerdave]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

G'day
This is the moment. The arch transition.
No to are alike!
The angles are a pure bitch.
Press on.
The gapes are... Not one to boast about ... But get above this ring of brick
And it's done. Get on to closing the dome. Don't trust me trust science ,domes are one of the strongest structures on earth.
Regards Dave

[seamad]

Re: 36'' Pompeii in Mackay Qld

I used a diamond wheel like this:


Good for shaping bricks ( fine tuning) but also to cut 2 semicircle notches ( one happy smile, one unhappy smile) into the top course and also the new brick base. Bricks grip in seconds ( for me using homebrew mortar ) and worked till the very last course suprisingly.