dmun's 36" geodesic oven part II

[dmun]

This post continues the construction of my oven - Part one (dmun's 36" geodesic oven) was in the pompeii thread, and last year's masonry season ended with the oven built and the enclosure built up above the dome.

So: Spring is here, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming,



and it's time to get back to work.

I first used refractory mortar to attach the two halves of the refractory flue tile funnel together:



I need to offset the flue to make room for the things that are going in above the oven, so the funnel gets tilted back and to the right:



Measuring the amount of bottom tilt needed to make the right side vertical.

[dmun]

Last year I had completed the dome, and the side walls of the entry. I started brick cutting by raising the side walls up above the dome, and squaring up the hole.



Another view:



This piece of luan is the shape of the bottom of the funnel

[dmun]

The bricks cut to match the angles of the top of the geodesic dome were really wierd:



The pieces of flooring clamped to the dome are to keep the dry assembled bricks from sliding off the dome as I fit the pieces.

Each of these bricks had multiple cuts at compound angles:



The slope fitted:

[dmun]

Here's a couple more views of the assembled brick vent:



The downhill brick has a notch to help allign the vent.

Here's a view with the template in place:



The next job is to take it all apart and mortar the bricks in place.

[dmun]

So, today's first job was to mortar the brick vent transition in with heat-stop.



This view shows clearly that the back of the vent support is built on top of the oven. This may be a bit "squirrel tail-ish" to be ideal, but space in my enclosure is limited



Here's a pic from underneath, showing the two adjecent arches, and the rectanguar opening for the vent.

[dmun]

Last year I had made a decorative frieze in the basket weave pattern, and one of this spring's jobs was to mortar it together. Doing it freehand wasn't at all successful, so I had an idea. I put the pieces upright in a frame the size I wanted:



I put dry type S mortar mix between the cracks about half way up, and sprayed it with water mist as i did:



A day later it had set up well, although it was sandy on the surface, from washing down the portland with the mist. I mortared it with conventionally mixed mortar. Here's the frieze setting in position before mortaring it in:

[christo]

Wow! The freize looks awesome. Nice job.

The pics you posted in the photo gallery really show how nice this looks.

Christo

[Xabia Jim]

Very nice work Dave....from the dome to the freizework and the keystone

an original work of art!

Congrats!

[CanuckJim]

Dave,

Immediately quit your regular job and travel around the country building ovens. You've done a splendid job. Patience, I understand, is a virtue; one which I lack to the degree you have it. Well done.

Jim

[james]

David,

Congratulations. Well done. Thanks for all of the time you put into documenting your work so that we could all benefit from both your work and your knowledge. We all appreciate it.

Now, let's get cooking! From concrete dust to pizza flour dust.
James