Tapering bricks in the upper courses

[Harpist]

Howdy folks,

Greetings from North Idaho on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. My apologies if this is a duplicate post, but I have not been able to locate the question that I posted during the weekend.

I am building a 40" hemispherical oven dome and I have a question regarding the upper brick courses in the oven dome.

Is it better to taper the bricks for each course (for strength and/or insulation) as compared to keeping a straight edge and having an angled gap between the bricks within a course? Obviously, not having to taper each brick is a lot easier (although you end up using more mortar).

Also, I assume that I should progressively decrease the brick width for each course of bricks (for better fit to the course below it). Is this correct?

Thank you for your assistance.

Good Roads

Harpist

[Neil2]

On the upper courses of a 40 incher you will want to taper or bevel the bricks. You will actually end up doing a "double bevel".

This is easier than it sounds and as you get into it you will see what I mean.. A cheap chop saw with a diamond cutting blade will do the trick.

You may also want to pick up one of these, a bevel setter. It will speed up getting the changing angles correct for the cuts.

[SCChris]

Harpist,
Vertical brick joints that span courses is what you're trying to avoid. The bricks are stronger than the joints and if you can avoid spanning courses I think your oven will be stronger for it. If you choose to decrease the width of the brick and can avoid brick joints spanning courses, great! I think you'll be happier ignoring the brick width and focusing on spanning vertical joints. I'm including a link to a tool that helped me deal with dome brick cuts. I'm quick to say that an oven built with half bricks, and loads of mortar, will cook the same as a oven built with taylor cut bricks.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f28/...ool-12478.html (My brick cutting tool.)

Chris