First time build

[smithjames0]

How long would you leave the shuttering on for?

James

[cobblerdave]

G'day
Cover from drying out and water every day. Concrete cures with water in its structure, it doesn't dry out. I'm not sure due to the temperature difference. So I'm going to say 2 werks and a month till build but I could be to cautious .
Anyone with local knowledge please correct me
Regards Dave

[smithjames0]

I took the side shuttering off about 12 hours after and underneath about 16 after


I left it for a day to dry before adding the next layer of blocks.



I used 17 blocks on there side, with a 13 cm gap at the back and either side, after I took the picture above i added rebar 4 lengths of 150cm x 10mm.
To fill in round the side of the blocks I used 
3 bags of sand
5 stone
1 and a bit of cement.
I did have quite a bit of waste

My clay bricks turned up today 

James

[smithjames0]

I've started the solider level, I have noticed that some of the mortor between bricks has cracked I used homebrew 5 sand 1 cement 1 lime 1 clay.



James

[cobblerdave]

G'day
Could be any number of things.
Dislodging a brick when laying the next. Happens it you move a brick accidentally knock a brick before the initial set.
Mix. Use the same size container to measure the correct ratio. Mix Dry then add water.
Water. Always hard to guess. Add till you think it's a little dry. Then let it sit for a while then make your final adjustments. A couple of drops of dishwashing liquid helps.
Results. post your findings. You've a fan base out there that's hanging on your every word ( and your great pics)
Things are coming on real fine.
Regards dave

[smithjames0]

The solider course i used 32 bricks, 29 whole and 3 cut up for the mouth.

Started the inner arch 45cm wide, I used a cardboard template to cut the bricks.




The mouth is 50cm wide and 41cm deep including the 2.5cm overhang on the front. 12 Bricks used


This is a close up of the cracking I have in some of the joints

James

[lamby]

Hi James.
Great looking build. I'm planning on building the oven you've shown on YouTube this summer.
I've just dug out for my slab so you're way ahead of me!
Good luck
Chris

[smithjames0]

Laid the hearth bricks, I used 26 bricks. Using old clays has it's disadvantage as they are all different sizes




I marked by hearth tiles using the wooden circle I had used to make the solider course, this turned out not to work very well as it does not include the mouth and it does not take into account the best use of the tiles.


Plan 2, place them on the hearth bricks and play around with them, I used 9x9 cardboard squares to get the shape

James

[oblertone]

You've probably completed the floor by now but a good rule when laying tiles is to do all the complete tiles first, then cut the nadgery bits; it gives you something to work from. Looking good, keep the pics coming.

[smithjames0]

Jun 1, 2015 8:36:42 GMT oblertone said:

You've probably completed the floor by now but a good rule when laying tiles is to do all the complete tiles first, then cut the nadgery bits; it gives you something to work from. Looking good, keep the pics coming.

I started at the front so I had no funny little bits showing at the front 

The floor all laid, I ended up breaking two tiles, hit them a bit hard with the rubber mallet! 
[

Cut the brick up ready for the first course




James

[smithjames0]

I haven't done an update for a while so here goes, it's a bit pic heavy....

Inner arch the centre is 10.5" high 9.5" either side


This is the third layer after the soldiers meeting the arch





and the key stone over the arch on the forth layer



they way I cut the brick was the easiest and most straight forward way but it left a gap under it, so I cut a sliver of brick as you can see.



Dome complete and outer walls build up.





Inside the dome 



I started drying it out with small fires in a metal tray, so I did not set the wooden floor alight, I did not want a big fire at this stage!







Dome after the first fire, all looks ok.



I did a few fires building up in size, then on Tuesday I had a bigger fire and decided the use the heat to cook some bread. 



Pretty soon the wooden floor caught fire



After this medium fire I inspected the dome, the only fault I could find was this joint on the outer arch, I cut the mortar out with the grinder and redid it


Bricks used;

Solider 32
Hearth 26
First level (after solider) 21 (half brick)
Second level 21 (Made up of half and less than half bricks)
Third level 20 (Made up of half and less than half bricks)
Forth level 21 (Made up of half and less than half bricks) + 1 full
Fifth level 17 (Part bricks)
Sixth level 12 (Part bricks)
Seventh level 7 (Part bricks)
Eighth level 1 (Part brick)
The seventh and eight levels I was able to use offcuts from lower levels
Outer hearth 4 full bricks + 1 block

I am starting to make the transition to the chimney, this is the layout of the bricks for either side to go behind the outer arch.

[cobblerdave]

G'day
Looks great well done! Love the pics
Regards dave

[smithjames0]

It's been sometime since an update, 

A picture from inside the chimney, not the prettiest transition.



Test fitting the chimney pot, I fitted the insulation, two 5cm 3.66M (Density 128kg) blankets one over the other.


I had a go at making a door, I have a plank of 1" oak lying around so I cut two doors using the arch form as a guide to cut the first and stuck them together, to make sure the two doors were exactly the same a used the first as a patten and copied it with a router.


I used Mega strength Adhesive to glue the pieces together, I can not recommend that adhesive enough it sticks everything to everything including fingers and it sets in 5 min
]

[cobblerdave]

G'day
Love the look of a wood door, but, over a few firings they dry out and eventually catch fire and burn. If you can lay you hands on some thermalite block you can silastic to the wood and it will protect the wood from the heat and of course give you great insulated door.
Thermalite block is easy to cut with a handsaw and shaped with a rasp to fit into the opening of your oven.
Follow the link to my build and you find a further link on the forno bravo site to this type of door.

[smithjames0]

Been sometime since an update 

I added some vermiculate, it varied in thickness, I used 2 bags



To apply it I used a plasters hawk to act as shuttering, then using my hand to squashed it. 



As I did not want a flat surface round the back of the oven I packed it with left over mortar and bits of brick



For either side of the mouth of the oven I used 9 x 9 clay tiles, 5 per side



Either side of the dome I had a 4 cm space between the edge of the dome and the side of the base, I didn't want to tile such a small space so like the back corners I filled it with left over mortar



I am going to k-rend the whole base and dome, this is the first time I have rendered, my plastering skills are shockingly bad! I have used k-rend 11mm corner bead 4 lengths of 3m



Then I used 5 25kg bags of base coat, 2 of which were on the dome.



I have keyed it ready for the top coat



So this is how it stands at the moment, waiting for the top coat and the chimney pot