Glasgow build

[bookemdanno]

Good foraging!
I enjoyed that bit and working out how i was going to use the bits, as much as the build!!

I've got a dozen or so storage heater bricks at mine, but as i'm in East Anglia, it'll be a fair courier charge to get them right up there!
You can have them FOC, if you want to arrange a collection though. Just let me know.

As far as the flue diameter, you can be too small, but never too big really.
Its just a matter of whether you can actually fit it, support it and it not becoming an eyesore.

Good luck with the next bit!

[sel0975]

thanks for the offer Danno - I think ive just about got enough as I'm going to use up some off cuts - see photo below with the remaining bricks sitting on the form without mortar. The transition went ok, not the neatest job but will hopefully do the job (i'll know once the form is removed the photo below shows one of the cuts which sits on the arch - i think cut a few more bricks to make them thinner.

I'm now slightly worried that the remaining rings are getting too low/flat and wont stand up once the form is removed. I had planned to have an internal height of 17.5 for a 35in oven but if i keep laying the bricks flush then it will def be short of the 17.5 and as ive said maybe too flat - any thoughts/advice would be really appreciated. should i maybe sightly stagger the bricks to make more height/curve?

I've also added a photo of the chimney - thats another headache for another day I hoping to get the brick work finished at the weekend.

[cannyfradock]

Sel

Hope I'm not too late again with a bit of advice. Some people do go for a lower dome than advised with only the slightest of curvature at the top, but it looks like the (sand form?) you used was too dry and not packed solid enough. If the bricks haven't been evenly laid and some of them have sunk down you will a very uneven internal top of dome with large ridges which may hold soot when firing. If 1 or 2 bricks have slipped down too far you may have a weakness which could cause cracking/problems.

I would re-do the top bit AND mortar the bricks as you lay them the best you can. Once the area has been laid get a thin trowel (I use an old bricky trowel that I butchered with a grinder to leave the blade about 20mm wide tapering down to 5mm)...and cram the joints and perps full with mortar.

I'm a bricky so chance my luck a bit but, if I know all my joints and perps are full on this last top bit of the dome....I only wait about hour or so before removing the sand form. It makes scraping off the inside, then cleaning with a wet sponge a lot easier. In this weather you could do this as soon as the outer bed mortar joints start to crisp up.

Terry

p.s.....I also didn't have my sand form wet/stiff enough on my last build and the internal view shows my mistake. I was disappointed with the result but I didn't re do it as I think I just got away with it...



....still not happy with it and in all honesty I should have re-laid that top bit.

[sel0975]

Thanks for getting back to me Terry. I should have explained the photo better, the photo shows all the bricks laid out but this was only to see if I had enough, they have all been removed again and I have individually mortared each brick since the start of the build. I'll def check the form although the sand was pretty wet when I built it, below the sand is freezer bags filled with gravel so hopefully they are well packed in. I don't think any bricks have slipped as they have been well tapped into position with plenty of mortar. I think I will have a look at the form to make sure it is level, I have only fixed one more ring of bricks from the photo so hopefully plenty of time to sort. I've got a few other questions about the next stage but they can wait until I get the dome built

[bookemdanno]

A lower dome is fine, if you look at the ovens designed for pizza only, they'll be lower. All you lose is available height, and the "63% Rule" will be out. It'll still work.
So if you want to stand a beer can chook in there, you'll just have to find a more vertically challenged one!

If you can afford the bricks, as you're low on stocks, just try to ensure that the outer edge of the bricks are bigger than the inside (Wedge shaped) or use thin sections to wedge between the bricks to force the chain into a stressed or pinned chain.

[sel0975]

my progress has ground to a snail's pace at the moment - i got another two rings completed this evening but for some reason i'm finding this stage the most frustrating. I'm managed to keep the height reasonably ok so hopefully it wont be far of the 17.5 mark. My main issue at the moment is the size of the bricks as i have to use up what i have left - I'm down to using 3 inch thick bricks (some are less) so concerned about the thermal mass - I'm considering a few options

1) i have plenty of off cuts (between 1-2 inch thick) and i was considering cutting these and putting them on top of the bricks already mortared into the dome - clearly they wont be seen when its finished.

2) put a good layer of a fireclay & cement (maybe lime??) over the top as i have a full bag of fireclay left (I'm assuming by leaving over the sand it wont crack as easily??)

3) a combination of 1&2

4) wait until i can get more storage bricks so i can cut them into at least 4 inch pieces

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Danno - I've followed your advice regarding ensuring that the rings are pinned by using a wedge.

[bookemdanno]

I can't quite make out what going on with the bricks Sel, but i reckon option 4...wait for another storage heater to become available.

Then, use the bag of fireclay that you have to knock up a batch of homebrew to fully enclose the dome too. Then get cracking with the insulation after that.

I know it means waiting, but the other options seem a bit of a bodge up to me.

[sel0975]

decided to press on yesterday before i saw your reply Danno The photo below shows the size of the heater bricks i was left with - i did cut a few bigger ones i had in half (widthways) and put a 'cap' over the last few rings to increase the termal mass - it worked out fine. photos below show the dome finished and the internal just after the form was removed - I've managed to remove most of the mortar and pointed in the gaps. Overall its looks to have turned out ok - not the greatest but will hopefully do the job! I've made a start on the external arch today - I've had to go back to the drawing board in relation to the flue - its too big (8 inch) for the space i have left at the front of the oven as it would also need to be bricked in to make it stable and there would not be any room for both the flue and brick. I've put the flue on gumtree so hopefully i'll be able to sell and buy a 4 or 5 inch one instead.

[cannyfradock]

Sel

The interior looks fine. It's always difficult to get a good finish on the inside as the mortar pieces or "snots" are always difficult to clean off once the mortar goes hard. have a final check of the inside to make sure that there are no holes or edges where the soot can gather. it there is, then simply parge up with fresh mortar and use a ewt sponge to clean off.

The entrance arch is up to you how simple or elaborate you want it to be. It looks like you have enough room to build a brick and a half length entrance like this...



...sorry but couldn't find a better pic. This will allow you to create a bigger hole for your vent. If you still cant use the larger flue you can also make a post on our members buy and sell section..
ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=membersbuyandsell ...you never know.

Looking good and all the best with the next stages.

Terry

[sel0975]

thanks Terry - I'm trying to use up the old bricks i got from a tenament flat in Glasgow within the arch. Due to the size of them i dont have enough space for a brick and a half so i have built two support columns and have laid out (without the space between them) the bricks for the arch. I'm wondering how well these bricks will stay up given their size/weight but i suppose time will tell. I'm intending to leave at least a 5 inch gap between two key stones in the middle - hopefully this will work.

[cannyfradock]

Sel

The weight of the bricks won't matter. You have built two solid pillars each side so any extra weight gives pressure at the "springing point"...or the first arch bricks. You can lay a full brick at each side of your arch to stop any outward pressure at the base of the arch.

If you look at my picture you will see that I only laid a 1 brick pillar. If there was any substantial weight going on the arch I would have built a more sturdier pillar. You will also see that I laid my arch bricks "on edge" and not flat, which is the standard practice (on edge) but laid flat will also work.

I like the way you have put wedges under your arch former. It makes removing the former a lot easier.

Terry

[sel0975]

that re-assuring terry - i got the arch completed tonight, to dark for photos so will get them taken tomorrow. I've ordered the ceramic blanket from e-bay so hopefully it will arrive before the weekend so i can get it on. Quick question - how much chicken wire will i need, does it make any difference which size i get? After all this its back to the dreaded vermiculite

[cannyfradock]

...on my "Abersychan build" I bought the smallest roll of chicken wire available from Wickes and it was enough for my 90cm internal size oven (can't remember the exact length....about 5 metres?). The smaller sized holes will make laying the vermecrete a lot aesier.

Terry

[sel0975]

thanks Terry - I'll check out Wickes

[sel0975]

a couple of photos of the external arch.