50mm thick base. Newbie Forum Discuss 50mm thick base. in the Good Background Information forums; Ok, so i have nearly sourced all the bits needed for my 40" WFO. I have decided to use solid ...

[3G_]

Ok, so i have nearly sourced all the bits needed for my 40" WFO.
I have decided to use solid clay pavers for the dome as firebricks as $6.00 each in Adelaide. I am tossing up wether to use the same clay pavers for the base or to use 300 x 300 x 50mm fire brick tiles for the base. I can get these for $15.00 each so that seems reasonable. Does anyone see any problems using the two different materials?

Also does anyone know where to get 390x190x190 concrete blocks for less than $5.50 each?

[Rodneyf]

Welcome to the forum. What you plan to do is the same as I have done except that I used solid red bricks instead of pavers. Be carefull with the pavers you use though' as some of them have cement added, what you need are "driveway quality double fired CLAY pavers". If you use a strip of 2mm cardboard between your fire tiles and your soldier course it will eliminate any difference in expansion rate because it will burn away and leave you with an expansion joint that will fill with ash.

[3G_]

Thanks for the tip about the expansion joint, so your first course starts next to the base not on top of the base? I am going to use Littlehampton clay bricks, 76mm thick fired at 1200 celcius.

[Rodneyf]

That is right the "soldier course" goes beside your oven floor and is not mortared to anything but themselves, ie you mortar the soldier course bricks together at their sides but not to the floor or the insulation layer that thye sit on. You will see in the pics I attached that I used baking paper as a medium to seperate the floor and the insulation from the soldier course. this way the soldier course is floating and free to expand into your insulation blanket that you will use later. The idea is to give your oven the freedom to move and expand without being held back and at the same time not impact on the finished walls or render. Your insulation will assist you here by giving you a cushion effect between the oven and your final finish. There will be a mountain of advise coming your way if you stay in touch with this forum and if you get stuck ask a Q and wait for the A it sure beats making a costly mistake.