Insulation information

[asudavew]

Originally Posted by dusty

I almost forgot. Here is a recent photo of my oven floor and the first cource I was talking about Dave. I plan to build a red brick enclosure around all 5 sides. You can see the ledge that they sit on in this pic.
Dusty

Man that looks really nice!

Do yourself a favor though, cut your dome pattern out of something more substantial. I used card board, it gets wet, mortar gets dropped on it, and it is flimsy. I wish I would of used some masonite or styrofoam. I think I would of had a better dome, and more accurate.

You won't regret it!

[dusty]

Hot tip Dave! Someone had to learn the hard way, thanks for sharing. I was wondering, at what course did you really NEED the forms? I ask because I kinda remember someone saying that the forms made it difficult to do work on the inside. Like sponge the mortar joints and line the bricks up accuratly and such.
Dusty

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by dusty

at what course did you really NEED the forms?

I'm on the 8th course and still don't need forms. It really hasn't be difficult (yet). I plan on pressing on as far as I can go. I really like being able to reach in and sponge the joints clean.

[dusty]

Thanks Ken,
That's what I plan to do also. I'm thinking I will make a half form or two just to hold up to the bricks as I set them, so I get them set identical as I go around, and I'll just move it from brick to brick as I go.
I have been meaning to ask you a saw question. I've seen your pictures, very impressed by-the-way, and I was wondering your technique for cutting the bricks' width. We happen to have the same saw. When I cut their width, (the 4 1/2" way),I raise the blade, cut about 2/3 through, and then turn them over to finish. Hoping that the two saw cuts match perfectly. As we both know, the brick hits the arbor if you try to do it in one pass with a 10" blade. Is that what you do? And if so, how do you get them so perfect looking?
Dusty.

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by dusty

I'm thinking I will make a half form or two just to hold up to the bricks as I set them

That's what I am doing. I made my form out of foam project board from Office Depot. The foam board is not a good material for this; it warps, but the concept works fine.

We happen to have the same saw. When I cut their width, (the 4 1/2" way),I raise the blade, cut about 2/3 through, and then turn them over to finish. Hoping that the two saw cuts match perfectly.

That's exactly how I do it.

if so, how do you get them so perfect looking?

I don't. Photos lie - no kidding. While it's a good saw, it's still a cheap saw. My blade doesn't seem to be rigged exactly square to the table. It's close, but I think it's around a 1/2 degree or so off of vertical (the bricks also aren't perfectly square). When I flip my brick over, it never exactly lines up. I just do the best I can.

You can/will fix any cutting errors with mortar joints. I'm always amazed at how a pro mason can take a pallet of those ugly, misshaped common bricks and set them absolutely perfectly in the mortar for a gorgeous looking home.

[dusty]

Man, nice camera work. Your cuts look great. Truth is, I wasn't even going to cut my bricks width-wise 'till I saw your pics. I was just going to put big fat mortar joints on the back of each since you can't see them anyway. I wondered why you went to the trouble and I realized that the less mortar, the better it will retain heat. I'm not useing refratory mortar so it is cetainly even more important.
Thanks Ken,
Dusty as h*## in Sac

[dusty]

Well, I still haven't started my dome. I decided that other parts of my project had to be done first - namely the the base for the oven landing. But I'm getting there. Here are some pics I took before the start of work yesterday. I am even closer now.
In the first pic, you can see that I 'm not ready for my oven landing. I want to have that all done before I start the oven. The red bricks will go around the front arch, like the back arch- third photo, and create the base for my landing. But before I could do that, I had to do another thing, and before that, something else....etc.
The second pic is a "before" of the back.
Third pic- half way there!

[asudavew]

That is some really nice brick work.

I think you are headed in a very good direction.

I look forward to seeing the rest of the base complete, and your brick work on the dome.

Keep up the good work!

[dusty]

Thanks Dave,
I think I'm starting to get the hang of setting bricks. The ones I am using are used bricks that I have collected over the years. Some are VERY porous and wick the water out of the mortar in seconds. I have learned to soak those first. Others are so dence that it takes forever to set. The good news is that I will have this mason thing down a bit better by the time I start my oven. Hopfully in a week or so. Still sunny and warm here in cental Cal.!
Dusty

[dusty]

Here are two more pictures taken today. I just set the mahogany doors there for the photo. It will be a while before I'm ready to set those.
Dusty