900mm Pompeii build in Westleigh, Syd

[dariusk]

Cheers guys, I'm happy with how it's progressing at the moment, albeit very slowly.

I put together the rebar for the hearth slab this weekend. I ended up going with around 200mm / 8" spacing to line up nicely with the core rebar. Maybe a bit of OCD here...
I'll start the form work for the slab next. I'm thinking of going about 130mm think for this.
Here's a few pics and I'll be back when the next bit is done!
Cheers
Darius

[dariusk]

Hey there guys
I picked up a brick saw recently for a pretty good price but it doesn't have a blade and so will need to get one. Does anyone have any advice about a good blade to use for fire bricks? I've done a forum search but I'm hoping for some local options if possible. It takes a 14 inch wet blade. I've been looking online and there are a few options, but I don't really know what is the best option. There seem to be a few low price options around $50 to $80 or so and others that are more pricey. From reading it seems segmented is the way to go.
Does anyone have any recommendations and where to get them from, brands etc? Also, with plenty of water and not forcing the cuts, roughly how many cuts can you expect from a blade before it needs replacing?
Thanks

[oasiscdm]

Yeah ME TOO......... but alas we are moving in 6 weeks. AAAARRRRRGGGGH

[UtahBeehiver]

That's is a big diameter saw so you should be good on single pass cuts. Life of blade depends on a lot of factors. Brick hardness, blade quality, how much buttering cuts are made. Many builders are able to do a build with a single blade or two. I preferred segmented blades, a little more aggressive. Check with OasisCDM from Werribee, I think he had a 16" saw so can give you feedback on blade supplier and brands that worked for him.

[dariusk]

Well, finally the stand is finished! It has taken quite a bit longer to reach this point than I'd hoped, but time to start on the actual oven now... I still need to get the saw blade and finalise my design plan, plus gather the basic resources to get started.
Here are pics with where it's at. I don't think this thing will be falling down too soon!
Cheers
Darius
Mmm, the pics never seem to upload in the order I want.

[shanesmith80]

It's been a while. Progress? I'm just about to start mine and am on the info hunt.

[dariusk]

Hey there Shane
Yes, there has been some progress, but no where near as much as I would have hoped. I planned to be finished by the beginning of this year, but not even close.
I'll add a couple of pics but I haven't taken any in a while so I'm actually well further along than these. I'll take more pics the next time I work on it. I'm working on about the third course of the dome now.
If you want any particular info don't hesitate to ask. If I can't help there are plenty of others here more experienced and happy to share.

Cheers and I'll get some more updates soon
Darius

[dariusk]

Also, it has morphed into a 1000mm now, after an external insulation decision change.
Here are a couple of extra progress shots, but still not where it's currently at. I will add more pics once I uncover it again.

[shanesmith80]

looking good mate. I will have to start my build thread soon, got the base blocks finished today. What mix did you use to core fill? I'm looking at 3 or 4 parts Aggregrate, 2 sand, 1 cement. Hopefully will start on that tomorrow. Also did you mix the concrete for the hearth slab yourself?
cheers
Shane

[dariusk]

Hey Shane
Yes I think your 3:2:1 ratio for the cores sounds good. I also don't think you'd come across any issues going 4:2:1, considering they are inside the blocks but up to you. I used premixed concrete bags from Bunnings for the cores and mixed them in a wheelbarrow.
For both the base slab and the hearth slab I ended up getting Hansons concrete to deliver 32MPa ready mixed. With a mate and 2 barrows we had each done and levelled in under a hour. Each one was approx 0.5 cubic meters but make sure you do your maths for what you would need. For me it was just so much less work and less time to go down the ready mix road. Plus I have a flat path for pushing a barrow! I don't have a small mixer either so would have needed to organise one. The cost was approx $230 for each load, which is a lot cheaper than bags, but probably more than mixing the raw ingredients. Lots of ways to go about it

Yes, start a thread for your build, I'll look forward to follow your progress too
Cheers
Darius

[dariusk]

This is where I'm up to currently. I think it's coming together quite well although it's a lot fiddlier than I thought it would be, getting tight and even joints.
Hopefully I'll get more done over the coming weeks
cheers
Darius

[shanesmith80]

Good progress Darius. I'm on the hunt for a brick saw. Fixing up the surrounding paving at the moment and cutting them with an angle grinder, although not too hard, is bloody dusty. I'm hoping to get my hearth slab done in a week or 2.