Newbie question Re: Fire Bricks

[simong1010]

Hi all,

The missus wants to go for the JO Dome60, just so that we can take it with us if we ever move.
However, I've been flirting with the idea of building my own Pompeii oven for quite some time now and am now just putting together some plans from the Forno Bravo Pompeii plans to see which would be better for us.

I've found that in the materials list towards the back of the guide it gives a number bricks to use for the ovens so off to Kilnlinings I went


My questions are

would the 230x114x25 brick be suitable for the floor?

Or do you use the same bricks for the floor as for the dome itself?

also am I correct in thinking that the thicker the brick for the dome the better the heat holding capabilities?

Also for a home oven 42GD bricks suitable or do I need a higher Alumina grade?

Also which are the best bricks to use, the x51 x64 or x76?

[cannyfradock]

Hello Simon......welcome to the forum.

I saw JO's Dome 60 oven when his guys demonstrated it at last years Grillstock festival in Bristol... ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/board/48/grillstock-2013-bristol-11-12 ..... looked like a tidy little unit.

....you'll get a lot more satisfaction in building your own though. They're a bit fiddly to build but easily achievable by a D.I.Yer.

It's good to have a set of plans at hand...and it's also good to read through other people's Pompeii builds when building your own. Many of the Pompeii builds shared on the forum have good stage detail with photo's. We are putting our own plans together but they won't be ready until the summer.

I use the same bricks for the floor as the dome. I've bought fire-bricks (the 42GD) from liam many times and they have always been the imperial sized brick. i.e...76mm deep. I lay the hearth bricks flat (3") and use half-bricks.....again laid flat for the dome so the width of the wall is 4". For the first course I lay a half....brick on edge. Something like this...



...the 25mm/1" deep bricks are..in my opinion not deep enough for your hearth to hold enough massed heat, which is what you want for pizza...or bread baking. I wouldn't use anything less than 2" deep fire-bricks for the hearth but would recommend the 3"....or 76mm bricks. There's only a small difference in price.

Hope that helps...

Terry

[simong1010]

Thanks for that Terry that's perfect!


The main reasoning for the dome60 is the fact that if and when we do move we can take it with us.

But in all honesty I would much rather get my hands dirty

[cannyfradock]

Simon

Decisions, decisions eh!! If you KNOW you're going to move within perhaps 2 years or so......and can't wait 2 years to start pizza partying (in all honesty a pizza party with a wood-fired oven is something that always goes down well and usually the guests/family don't stop pestering you till you hold the next one)...then a modular oven maybe on the cards. Building your own Pompeii oven is a labour of love and take's a while to build and anybody with the desire to build one regardless of gender or skill level could build one. There's lots of help on-line with this forum and The US forum and there's lots of u-tube video's out there also......but only the selected few actually go for a self build.....Oh dear...I hope I haven't made this complicated for you.

Terry

[Bo]

Go with the firebricks Simon, I did and just finished it a few weeks ago and it is the best thing I have built .. am having the first "pizza party" this week after a few experiments and I can't wait, the experiments have been awesome!! Don't do as I did and order too many bricks!! I used 120 for a 900mm dome. Good luck. Bo

[simong1010]

There are plans to move within the next 5 years, let alone the next two.

I think the decision has been made, bricks it is!

[cannyfradock]

Simon

Good for you!!.....Once you create your own build thread you will get a lot more response and help from members with your build. This is still our quiet time of year (we're still getting about 600 people viewing this forum each day)...but in a few months the forum usually gets quite busy and any new builds or builds in progress get a lot of attention from people wanting advice....and members giving advice.....go for it.

Bo (sorry for hijacking your thread Simon)...please post some pics of your first pizza party....I'd love to see them. Even if you have a small quantity of fire-bricks left over from your build.....please post them on our "buy and sell" section. Small quantities of fire-bricks are often sought from Clay oven builds (for the hearth))

Terry

[simong1010]

Thanks Terry,

I've been out and measured the space that I have for the oven and I'm looking at 51" wide.


Am I right in thinking that the biggest oven that I will be able to fit in that space is a 32" internal?

Also reading through the Forno Bravo guide, does the foundation really have to be so much wider than base, surely the foundation can be as wide base?

[tonyb]

Simon, if you go for the 'standard' build then you are right about 32" internal dia. The issue of base v foundation size is a bit more complicated. You don't generally build bricks/blocks at the edge of the foundation slab, you would normally build 3/4 ins minimum in from the edge, its also possible to slightly cantilever the base out slightly from the supporting walls. So it is possible for the base to be bigger than the foundation but in general, it is the other way round. This begs the question of whether the 51" wide space is a restriction on the foundation and/or the base size? Also don't forget that the FB site plans cater for the US areas subject to earthquakes.