Big Mike's 42" Pompeii

[md_massimino]

OK, so I've been lurking long enough I guess. I started the oven late last year and only completed the pad, base, hearth and insulating layer before the weather turned too cold. I had a plethora of other honey-do projects I had to finish before work could get started again but I'm full bore.

I'm four and a half courses into the dome before running out of bricks and calling it quits last weekend. Today I picked up more and got angle iron to complete the entry tunnel. No arches here, not interested. They are gorgeous and if I were a more detail oriented guy I'd be going that route, but I'm not really going for art. The oven is a means to an end for me, I won't be happy until I'm sliding a suckling pig out of it this Fall.

I've taken a few pictures, not a lot though. I'll post them in a little bit.

[md_massimino]

A few pictures from last Fall, working on the pad and hearth

[md_massimino]

Now the real work begins. My indispensable tool as about as low-fi as it gets, nothing but a piece of wood to set the angle of the courses.

[ggoose]

You are making headway. Looks like the arch is soon to follow. I am a few days behind you...hope to set the hearth insulation tomorrow. Keep up the good work!

gene

[Mistertoy]

Originally Posted by md_massimino

Now the real work begins. My indispensable tool as about as low-fi as it gets, nothing but a piece of wood to set the angle of the courses.

Look really good - much like I hope my starts to look like soon.
How thick are your firebrick - the plans recommend 50mm but your look thicker. I was going to use 75mm thick bricks.

I will be interested how you do the entrance and flue.

Brett

[md_massimino]

Here's my entry way. The plan is to cut one brick about 3" wide and let it hang over into the flue, then lock those overhanging bricks into place with another course on top of it which will be the continuation of the dome interior. It will make more sense once I start cutting bricks and putting them in place.

[md_massimino]

Originally Posted by Mistertoy

Look really good - much like I hope my starts to look like soon.
How thick are your firebrick - the plans recommend 50mm but your look thicker. I was going to use 75mm thick bricks.

I will be interested how you do the entrance and flue.

Brett

I really didn't have much choice with firebrick, all of my block suppliers carry the same size full bricks and splits. I just measured the full brick at 60mm x 110mm x 220mm

[md_massimino]

Today sucked. Flat out. Cut and measure and mock up and recut and measure and mock up again, but I think we're ok now. The interior angle is off, so the plan is to take a grinder to the brick profile to make a nice flat surface for the next course of bricks. The chimney flue entrance is coming along very well, we're stepping in the bricks with 1" overhangs at each level until we get to the 6" x 10" opening specified in the plans. We weren't comfortable moving forward with anything else until the bricks we placed today have a chance to set up a little, but hopefully the dome gets closed in by the end of this weekend.

[ggoose]

I don't know...looks pretty good to me. But you probably didn't photograph the mistakes The transition looks like it will work nicely.

gene

[md_massimino]

The angle is only off a little between the blocks on the inside of the chimney opening transition, the worst offender was the rightmost brick which was also the most complicated one to cut. I've since taken the grinder to it and now it's happily lined up with its neighbors even thought the face of the brick is too far back. A slap of mortar on it and you'll never know