First course brick ????

[kriso]

Hi there all
Can anyone give me an answer to what the reason is behind the soldier corse / first corse.
I have attached some pic of the options I am pondering.
I have just laid the floor tiles. The bricks I am using go outside the floor tiles and thus the first corse of brick is only 50mm. Should I lay the first course on its side to give it extra height. Should I lay a second layer straight up which will give a vertical of 125mm or just start the curve from the 50mm.
Cheers Kris

[brickie in oz]

Done.
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/2/ov...tml#post102680 (Oven Build 900mm - NZ)

[Neil2]

Do you have an insulation layer under your hearth tiles ?

[gdest]

Well to answer your question as to the first course/shoulder course, I believe the correct answer is.....however you want to do it. What do you want your oven design to look like.
The first course is just that, you have to start somewhere. Think of it this way, think of a sphere, or a ball. Cut the sphere along the hemisphere and put it on a flat top. Does this look like it will provide you with enough cooking area with the fire? Or would it be better to raise up the half sphere giving you a little more room for your woodfire cooking.
I hope that this address's your question.

Gary

[kriso]

Thanks Gary
Well described.

Kris

[SCChris]

Kriso, Forgive me if I'm wrong, but your soldier course bricks look like common bricks not fire bricks. You want and need firebricks and all of the insulation that you can around the oven.

Chris

[kriso]

Neil 2
Yep I have a 100mm structural slab, 100mm vermiculite/perlite layer, full fire brick layer then the fire brick tiles. I am trying to get a cost effective brick now. I have found a clay paver that might do the trick as the fire bricks here are $6.50 each.

I am just about to upload a pic of a stack of bricks that I have, any thoughts on them as to their effectiveness.
Cheers
Kris

[kriso]

Thanks all for the input on my crap clay bricks... glad I hadn't started laying them. I have a couple of other bricks that I would like some help with. Check out the picks below. One is an old red clay with holes, I am guessing that these could be filled with vermiculite or perlite, the other is a double clay brick that are left over from the house also with holes or I can get a solid clay paver for about $1.00 each which is 230mm x 114mm x 50mm. I am at the end of the budget for this build so the firebricks at $6.50 each is not really an option unfortunately.

Cheers
Kriso

[RTflorida]

Are the Aussie "pressed reds" available in New Zealand? Several of your neighbors on the big island swear by them as a suitable substitute for firebrick. I would not use any bricks with holes for the actual dome, they will affect performance and since they are not a refractory product, they will probably become brittle at some point from the thermal cycling - you may throw a log in there some day, hitting the side, and have a brick shatter.....or maybe not......I would stick with solids.


RT

[Les]

Originally Posted by kriso

I am at the end of the budget for this build so the firebricks at $6.50 each is not really an option unfortunately.

I think using non-refractory materials is not an option either. The bricks you are posting look like standard cores for building. If you subject them to high heat, you may be dissappointed.

Les...