3G_'s Build Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss 3G_'s Build in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I am now starting to look at external materials to finish the oven. Do any engineers think the dome will ...

[3G_]

I am now starting to look at external materials to finish the oven.
Do any engineers think the dome will be able to hold the weight of bookleaf blue stone? I have got a picture below of some local sculpture in Adelaide. I would use Kanmantoo bluestone. The stone is between 20 and 50mm thick and i would like to get it so its only 100 to 150 mm deep. I would use a little black mortar on the inside to keep it all together.

One of the other ideas is to use sawn sandstone for the outer arch and flue area, would this hold up to the heat?
Cheers

[Neil2]

"Do any engineers think the dome will be able to hold the weight of bookleaf blue stone?"

No problem, particularly if you provide a "tension ring" of some sort. A normal pizza oven dome does not produce a significant lateral or spreading load under only its own weight and that of the insulation. Usually the gravity and the friction between the bricks is more than enough to hold it together.

If you are going to add a significant dead weight, say more than 150 lbs or more, I would build some sort of tension ring.

On my oven I built a concrete band reinforced by 6 inch WWF (welded wire fabric =rebar mesh). This band is outside of the 4 inch vermiculete layer, is 2 inches thick and extends up 12 inches from the structural slab to about 2 inches above the level of the soldier course. The WWF is tied into the reinforcing around the door opening thus forming a continuous band "holding" the dome from spreading.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Hey 3,
I can neither deny or confirm what neil says, But It seems to make a lot of sense... and that bluestone is gonna be a beautiful finish,,

Cheers
Mark

[3G_]

Thanks neil2,
I would really love to use the bookleaf bluestone. Am i correct that a steel reinforced band of concrete around the bottom few courses of bluestone would be what i need?
I will contact the quarry and try and get some approx weight. I did some early calculations and i got around 1000 kilo but that was a while ago so i could be mistaken.

regards

[John K]

The Bluestone would look great. Would you need to point it to finish it off or just glue it in place?

[3G_]

No pointing of the stone, just a little mortar on the inside to hold it together. I still may not use it. Not sure what to do the outer arch and flue area in if i go the bookleaf bluestone.
Good luck with your arch transition, by far the hardest part of the build!!!

I spent a solid 9 hours on the oven yesterday in the 37 degree heat, man am i cooked.
It looks like i will need two more full ring but this will leave no room for the plug. Should i reduce the last two rings (cut the brick down maybe 15 or 20 mm) so i can get the plug in ?

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

you could put in one full ring and cast the plug in place with your heat stop....

Looks good
Mark

[Les]

3G - it looks like if you did one more ring, you could make the plug using full length brick. Hard to tell from the pic's.

Les...

[3G_]

Thanks Les, i was thinking after the next ring to offer up a full brick or even two bricks side by side and see if can make the plug from two halves.
Ill finish the next ring then look at it.
I should clean the bricks with some acid to remove the mortar stains before closing the dome in.

[jmhepworth]

It is an order of magnitude more difficult to clean the inside after you can no longer clean it by reaching your arm in. You look like you may be beyond that point, but pictures can be deceiving. If you have to crawl inside, I wouldn't even consider acid without serious environmental protection equipment.