Todd's Oven

[Jed]

Todd,

On the first couple rows of the fire brick the angle on the bricks where they meet doesn't demand much heat stop to get the brick to come together. This changes as you work up the dome.

Unless you are willing to make the time to cut 30 to 40 % (maybe more?) out of each brick to create the custom shape, the brick work at the middle and top of the curve on your oven will go together much faster with the mortar. As you get closer to to the top of the oven the angles on the adjoining sides, top and bottom faces of the brick get steep. It is pretty easy to fill those spaces with mortar, and time and brick consuming to fit each brick to the space.

Some of the guys do pay close attention to the detail and create beautiful ovens with carefully crafted brick - fantastic workmanship. Many of us use lots of heat stop. Both ovens make great pizza.

Your choice.

JED

[toddj]

Thanks JED,

I am going to use minimal heat stop to glue it all together but it may be therapeutic to my OCD to fit cut all the bricks. Il see how far I get..

[toddj]

Got a little more done.. all just dry stack as I am waiting for the heatstop 50.

[toddj]

[Ken524]

Todd,

Who needs mortar? Your cuts and bricks are so tight, this thing is going to rival Les' dome. Lookin' good!!

[dbhansen]

Wow, this is going to be a seriously cool oven. Nice brickwork so far!

What's the whitish-looking brick in the middle of the oven floor? Just curious.

Not to insult your intelligence, but don't impale yourself on that rebar! Might want to put caps or tennis balls on those things, especially when you start walking on the hearth to reach the upper dome.

[toddj]

Thanks Ken... im still on the easy part... learning a lot by trial and error...

Funny to think i came here thinking i was going to be building a fat barrel oven to cook fast pizza

[toddj]

Thanks dbhansen,

GOOD POINT about the rebar! I have not been up there yet but I will be soon.

The white brick was just a dry brick that I sat in after I had wetted down the others. Its the one where my thermocouple goes.

[toddj]

Moving at normal speed and taking mandatory beverage breaks I find that I am able to mark and cut about ten bricks per hour.

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by dbhansen

Not to insult your intelligence, but don't impale yourself on that rebar! Might want to put caps or tennis balls on those things, especially when you start walking on the hearth to reach the upper dome.

Hmmm... sounds like sage advice from "Daren the Impaler" (or is it "Daren the Impaled")