High Heat Mortar Primer Getting Started Discuss High Heat Mortar Primer in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; Ah thanks! That makes sense to me. I'm still waiting to find out about getting a 50# bag - What ...

[cecilB]

Ah thanks! That makes sense to me.
I'm still waiting to find out about getting a 50# bag -
What about lime - is that something that Lowes or Home Depot would carry? Because it seems like they don't carry much of anything except the basics! I don't even think they carry very fine sand!
c

[dmun]

Do you know what the difference is between the meshes? 35 or 50?

My guess is that, like abrasives, the higher the number the finer the grain. A google search of "clay mesh" returned kaolin at 200 and 325 mesh, but kaolin is a super-fine porcelain clay.

And how do they price it? Per ounce or per pound?

Usually fireclay comes in a fifty pound bag.

[cecilB]

the reason why I ask about pricing is because it's listed for $.24 - at the most. I'm pretty sure a 50# bag isn't 24cents! ha!
Anyway, if I don't get a reply from them, I will have to break down and call. ugh.
cecelia

[david s]

If you are mixing the fireclay with sand anyway, then the coarser fire clay should be perfectly adequate.

[Lars]

Cecilia,

I think I paid about $20 for a 90lb bag. If you are in KS, you can buy direct, right?

Lars.

[cecilB]

Lars,
I got a 100# bag of fireclay today from Lawrence - 22 bucks! It's the 35 mesh.

Now...where can I get lime?
And what about sand - what exactly do you mean by fine sand ?- could that be playground sand? I have a bag of sand from Capital Concrete and it's fine...but not as fine as I remember the sand on the beaches in Florida!

Also, the lady at the place in Lawrence said they sell silica in bags but that it's expensive - I should have asked her how much...but, oh well. She said "playground sand" should be fine enough.

What do you think?

I also got the "manual" brick cutter from harbor frieght today. Can't wait to see how that goes!

Cecelia

[Lars]

No Playground sand...
Get the fine white sand. At Home Depot they sell it for about $4 a bag, but you can buy it just about anywhere ( lowes, etc.)

Lime, too. Most of the big box stores have lime in about 100lb. bags.
Get yourself a 90lb bag of portland and you're pretty much there.

You mean a chisel? ( manual brick cutter?)
Great deal on the clay. I chipped off some mortar right in the doorway of my oven that has taken the most heat, and it was very brittle, but solid. I assume the mortar in all the joints are that way. Which tells me the blobs inbetween areas that were somewhat inelegantly applied will probably be fine for many years.

The fine white sand is extremely smooth and tiny.... like they used to use in ashtrays. ( if you are old enough to remember) ...not playground and not all-purpose sand...

It costs a little more, but it is the only way to go.

L.

[cecilB]

That's funny - I vaguely remember the ashtrays - weren't they good for using in the car?


The brick cutter is from Harbor Freight - it can be set to cut at angles. If you go to their website that's one of the things that comes up when you search for brick cutters.

Lowe's doesn't carry lime...I'll try home depot.

And the sand from Capital Concrete is not whitish at all. It reminds me playground sand. I'll look for finer stuff.

I think I have decided to remove the old bricks -the bottom layer laid for extra thermal mass - and just do the nice smooth new ones in a single layer for the floor and be done with it. I can't wait to start building!

Cecelia

[Lars]

Sometimes when I need something like lime, I find it at the local concrete supplier or block/brick yard. I thought I bought lime at Lowes, but I could be mistaken. You don't add that much, so a bag lasts a LONG time.

The ashtrays at the Flamingo Resort in Cancun had the white fine sand, but that probably came right off the beach! They used to make amazing zen garden like designs when they would empty them out. Silica sand is probably what it is called. Very fine. You need that so a pepple or oversized grain doesn't interfere with those close joints between the firebricks in the chains of the dome.

Whereabouts in KS are you?

Lars.

[cecilB]

Yeah, the lady (Anne Bracker?) at Bracker's in Lawrence - it's right on highway24 just north of I-70 -made it sound like I didn't need the silica - she was more interested in showing me her building of her kiln - which I admit is very interesting - but not much interested in her customer's project! Whatever! Her kiln building was really neat - hooked up to gas...and able to bear temperatures in the 2500 degrees, or higher. And it's walk-in!
Makes the building of a wood fired brick oven seem .... piddely!
ANYWAY....

I'm in St. Mary's - about 45 minutes west of Lawrence -
Our town has a (very small) Farmers' Market where a lot of Saturdays I sell my bread. It has become the summer project to fund the supplies for the Brick Oven - but I'm starting to think it will become the year-round project to make it possible to renovate the kitchen, etc....(and put a brick oven in it!)


Cecelia