D105 Pre-Cut brick kit build in Tassie

[Steady]

I think you and I are on the same schedule steady. I did my first burn over the weekend and I also got a hairline crack at the opening arch. Will post my photos soon.

I'm looking forward to seeing them.

[PizzaCharlie]

I think you and I are on the same schedule steady. I did my first burn over the weekend and I also got a hairline crack at the opening arch. Will post my photos soon.

[Steady]

I noticed this fine mortar crack in the outer arch - I would be happy if this is as bad as I get but I am a realist

[Steady]

The second fire of the weekend

[Steady]

2 more from Saturday 8th August 15

[Steady]

Here are some photos from the weekend, this is the first fire on Saturday

[philby303]

Happy days thats great to here you will be smashing out the pizzas and everything else very soon

[Steady]

There was a break in the weather today and I managed to light another curing fire - the oven got a good hour and a half at between 110 C and 150 C and then when I had burnt all of the sticks I had gathered I left the coals glowing with the door in but ajar. I just went out to wrap it up in a tarp (1 hour after it was down to coals) and it is sitting on 80-85 deg C

When I went to light it today (about 21 hours since the first) it was 25 - 28 deg C inside and the outside was 7.

[Steady]

My oven had its first fire today - I kept it going for 2 hours and then left the coals burning, put the door on and wrapped it back up in a tarp as it is going to rain tomorrow. I struggled to keep the temperature from going high. No heat made it to the outside, the under side of the supporting slab stayed at 7.5 deg. No noticeable cracks yet

Staring into the flames today was a nice way to spend a few hours - I will post some pic's on Monday

[Steady]

No, the kit didn't include sand, cement or lime, it leaves the finish up to the individual as everyone wants their own look. I could have purchased an acrylic render coat as an optional extra but couldn't decide at the time so didn't.

I am out of sand and lime so will need to buy something either way. The Dunlop pre mixed acrylic render is $13.50 / 20kg so I would need 3 bags for a 10mm cover - not so bad.

[david s]

Does the kit not provide the render or give instructions on a recommended product or provide a recipe? Strange.
If you have the materials to hand 4:1:1 sand, cement, hydrated lime is about the cheapest.

[Steady]

I have an infrared thermometer and will monitor the temp and just see what happens - with an emphasis of going slow. The forecast is faverable for tomorrow but I have a few other commitments (a netball grand final and cutting fire wood for the house) but regardless of whatever else gets in the way I WILL be lighting the first fire tomorrow 😀

I do not plan on applying a cosmetic render until the moisture has been driven out of the bricks and insulation using the plastic cover method to confirm. I have however started to think about it - looking at bunnys this afternoon I see they sell both cement and acrylic based render pre-mixes, what are the pros and cons of the two options? They didn't seem overly expensive but is there a home made recipie members in the know use?

[PizzaCharlie]

I started with very small fires and put an el cheepo oven thermometer inside and built up the temps by 100 deg F each day.

So by that you mean build a little fire, let it burn itself out after ~5mins.
Then repeat the same process the next day with a couple more pieces of wood to raise that extra temp and let it die down again? And keep repeating the following days?

[Greenman]

With the weather you blokes are having at the moment in Tassie a few sticks would do little more than clear the frost! I started with very small fires and put an el cheepo oven thermometer inside and built up the temps by 100 deg F each day. By keeping the fires relatively small it takes some time to get up to the next temp goal and once it gets to a point of drying the fires just seem to take on a mind of their own. The first fires were a bit sluggish in getting going but the latter ones were very different and got much hotter much quicker.

You should be a master of that beast by Christmas. I am sure that your Christmas Dinner will be a memorable one, and tasty too!!

[Steady]

How are you going to go about your first fire steady?

Thanks PizzaCharlie.

I'm just going to build a very small fire with a handful of pencil sized sticks to start and then make it a little bigger each day (while keeping an eye on the temperature around the dome and floor - and the external insulting render initially)

I plan on going slow, I figure I have 3 - 4 months up my sleeve to stay on my original schedule of cooking Christmas dinner in it.