First milestone passed

[karl]

Further progress made. I am really starting to fight with gravity now. I will not start the 6th course before I have done the opening arch. Still waiting for those full length bricks. Hopefully tomorrow....!

regards from karl

[karl]

The oven is starting to look like just that! Opening and flue exit completed. "Only" the closing of the top remains. The dome/opening was challenging, but I am pleased with the result.

karl

[sarah h]

Karl,

Nice job - you're really moving along fast, too! Any plans yet for the finish? It looks like it won't be too long before you're at that point.

[karl]

Thank you for the supporting words Sarah.

I am planning to do a full enclosure. At this point it is the flue transition that makes me uncertain. I have no clue how to make the "reducer" adapting a 6" flue gas pipe to the rectangular flue gas exit.
I estimate that there will still be 4 weeks before I have enclosed the oven. mainly because my vacation is over this weekend and (due to commuting) I cannot work on it except for the weekends.

regards from karl

[Breven]

Karl-
Here's a couple of pics on how I did it (I think I followed pics from Les). I used a grinder to make the round hole for the chimney base plate, which is actually tapered. Then made a curve on the bottom of those bricks to mortar onto the arches. I sandwiches those two brickes in between 4 outside bricks for support. It took a while, but was pretty easy to do.

[karl]

Breven,

That is very nice work! But I cannot see how I can make such a nice "hole" with the tools I have available. With the grinder I have (and my poor techique) there is no hope!

regards from karl

[Breven]

Give yourself some credit! Nice thing about cutting a hole like that is it doesn't have to be perfect- mortar will fill in the gaps. I needed a 6" hole, I cut a 6-1/4" hole. Same with the curved bottom parts...they weren't perfect, but the mortar filled the space and helped me level it. Just take your time...a little off here a little off there and keep checking to see how it fits. I used a
4" grinder with a $14 diamond blade and took my sweet time- never done anything like that before. You can do it!

[dmun]

With a little practice you could make a fire breathing dragon with a four inch angle grinder. As Michaelangelo said: you envision the shape inside the rock and remove the excess. And he didn't even have an angle grinder.

[nissanneill]

Karl,
you've come along well and justly proud of your achievements. Well done. Now you need to take thast next uncertain step that you think you can't do. Well, you have just proved that you can and it turned out OK. If you were to make another build, how and what would you do to make it even better. I bet that you would come up with a pile of things and they would all work.

I wouldn't put in a 6" flue with a 36" oven as to me it is just on that point where I feel that you will get some smoke exiting your front arch and staining those very porous firebricks. I would go for the next size up, an 8" and I would also make a steel, preferably a stainless steel transition as I did and as I am making for Hendos oven (once I get to buying the sheet). If you can't make it yourself, which it is quite easy but you will need some other basic equipment (a small angle grinder with a couple of 1mm steel cutting discs, a vise and access to a welder). The funnel action will draw up the smoke and channel it into the flue much better than simply cutting a hole into a stone/brick slab and hoping that all the smoke will go up the chimney.
They are made with 2 identical panels, one front and back, with a 1/2" folded edge on all but the bottom edges. A straight piece od sheet is then cut to the correct width and bent ay the corners to meet the shape, a suitable hole cut into the top to allow the flue to enter which I do with the 1mm cutting discs and tack weld them together. I then roll a 1"x 1/8" flange around the flue hole to allw the flue to be screwed and secured into the 'hood'
Drill 2 holes in the front and bottom edge and using small dynabolts, secure it in your chimney void. You can seal it with a little silicon of your high temp mortar.

Neill

[karl]

Neil,

Something like you propose I would need to have made. I don't have the tools nor the experince to embark on such a task. The shape of the "funnel" on your drawing is however very similar to how I have arranged the slim firebricks that collects the flue gases from the wide exit to a more narrow and rectangular shape on the top.
I will have a look at the 200 mm pipe and may go up to that size. Thanks for the advice.

So it is just about copying Michelangelo .... !

regards from karl