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Post by hotstuff on Aug 4, 2015 17:12:18 GMT
Anyone? How am I looking?
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Post by daggle on Aug 4, 2015 21:14:49 GMT
Looks great......but where's the door?
But seriously what have you put on to colour it red?
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Post by cobblerdave on Aug 4, 2015 22:09:13 GMT
G'day Once the dome has been complete you have to cut out you oven mouth and start removing the sand former. It's different to a brick oven as you start you drying fires strait away. If you leave the sand former in, the dome will dry and contract , the form will not .... Major cracks! I may not have built a clay oven but I did do some serious investigation, this is a major difference. Regards dave
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 4, 2015 22:34:28 GMT
Cut the door couple of hours ago 63% High and width of half diameter of oven so 40cm wide It felt so nice pulling that chunk out very heavy chunk!! I didn't remove the sand yet becuse I was scared the top half which was done this morning was still too wet and may cave in.
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 5, 2015 12:57:28 GMT
Finished the door way off properly this morning Also found a crack! Wasn't sure how deep it was but filled it in. Started raining to had to cover with tarp. I'm so scared of taking the sand form out now and the roof collapsing that I still haven't done it. What do I do?!!
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 5, 2015 16:50:22 GMT
Bumby
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Post by cannyfradock on Aug 5, 2015 20:00:46 GMT
Hotstuff As mentioned I am not experienced with the clay you are using......but it looks a fine job at the stage you are at. You mentioned in a previous post about a second larger layer of clay?.....I haven't seen what Simon recommends but from what I've learned from other clay oven builders.....and what I pass on to my students in my clay oven courses link ...or have a look at all the pics on my facebook page... link....I lay a first layer of clay about 3" thick puddled with sand at a ratio of 2 parts sand to 1 part clay with water added. A second layer is then added with straw pieces or wood-chips (to create a honeycomb effect for a thermal final layer) at about 2" thick. About 50% of clay oven builders build an entrance arch out of bricks.....50% don't!!....and just use the opening cut from the clay dome to serve the same purpose. You have done a wonderful job of cutting an entrance from the clay. There are lots of advantages to building a brick arched entrance, but your oven will work just fine if you stay with just an opening. The only dissadvantage of a natural cut opening is to be very careful how close you get with the pizza peel. If you want to keep your eye lashes and eyebrows please respect that even with a clay brick hearth and a clay dome with many cracks.....your oven after the curing firing stage will probably achieve 500c + on a full firing. Regarding the crack at the back.......scrape out the crack to give at least a half inch of repair....."pug" that gap with fresh clay. If this happens when firing......wait for the oven to cool a little then "pug" the gap with fresh clay and as the clay dome contracts in cooling. The newly pugged gap will will be squeezed into the void. You have now a few other members on board with your thread.....read through their comments....they are all very valid to your build especially Cobbler Dave's comments......once you have your full quoto of cob on your sand form......start removing the sand former.....little by little. Remove perhaps a third of the sand on the first day then create a little kindling fire......this will form a crust on the arched opening (the weak point).....then over perhaps 2 or 3 days, rermove the rest of the sand....and like dave says....get some small heat and flames in ther dome.....this will "crust up" your cob walls. Not sure if I answered any questions.....but hope so!!! Terry
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 5, 2015 22:39:40 GMT
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 6, 2015 17:15:26 GMT
Hotstuff As mentioned I am not experienced with the clay you are using......but it looks a fine job at the stage you are at. You mentioned in a previous post about a second larger layer of clay?.....I haven't seen what Simon recommends but from what I've learned from other clay oven builders.....and what I pass on to my students in my clay oven courses link ...or have a look at all the pics on my facebook page... link
....I lay a first layer of clay about 3" thick puddled with sand at a ratio of 2 parts sand to 1 part clay with water added. A second layer is then added with straw pieces or wood-chips (to create a honeycomb effect for a thermal final layer) at about 2" thick.Yup this is exactly what Simon's ebook says first layer sand and clay then 2nd layer clay, sand and wood shavings and then 3rd layer sand and clay again..About 50% of clay oven builders build an entrance arch out of bricks.....50% don't!!....and just use the opening cut from the clay dome to serve the same purpose. You have done a wonderful job of cutting an entrance from the clay. There are lots of advantages to building a brick arched entrance, but your oven will work just fine if you stay with just an opening. The only dissadvantage of a natural cut opening is to be very careful how close you get with the pizza peel. If you want to keep your eye lashes and eyebrows please respect that even with a clay brick hearth and a clay dome with many cracks.....your oven after the curing firing stage will probably achieve 500c + on a full firing.I think we will go for a archway to protect the edge of the arch and also for aesthetic reasons..
Regarding the crack at the back.......scrape out the crack to give at least a half inch of repair....."pug" that gap with fresh clay. If this happens when firing......wait for the oven to cool a little then "pug" the gap with fresh clay and as the clay dome contracts in cooling. The newly pugged gap will will be squeezed into the void.
We have now removed all the sand and i can see the crack from inside the oven now but on the outside it seems to have shrunk a little..
I'm curious on what you mean by "pug" and what you mean by scarping out half an inch?
You have now a few other members on board with your thread.....read through their comments....they are all very valid to your build especially Cobbler Dave's comments......once you have your full quoto of cob on your sand form......start removing the sand former.....little by little. Remove perhaps a third of the sand on the first day then create a little kindling fire......this will form a crust on the arched opening (the weak point).....then over perhaps 2 or 3 days, rermove the rest of the sand....and like dave says....get some small heat and flames in ther dome.....this will "crust up" your cob walls. Sand was removed very successfully! filled 12 bags of sand
Not sure if I answered any questions.....but hope so!!! Terry Thanks again Terry for dropping in and commenting...Now on to the Archway and Chimney...then 2nd layer!
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 6, 2015 17:34:36 GMT
Also anyone know where a good place to get a cheapish oven thermometer probe? so far £14.99 is cheapest and I don't think that covers P&P
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 7, 2015 18:48:23 GMT
Right been firing the oven up for couple I days to dry it, it's drying well apart from the crack which has smoke coming out. What's the best way to approach the repair of it?
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Post by niall on Aug 8, 2015 9:19:26 GMT
Just keep parging the crack with left over clay. Best time to do this is when the oven is cooling down after you have had a fire. I had the same problem on my build.
I did use some chicken wire on one crack and used a clay slurry to cover the wire which worked. Don't worry too much as the insulation layer will help keep the first layer together.
Niall
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 10, 2015 21:32:33 GMT
Been a couple if days haven't done much so today me and the old man started the arch Pics: How does it look? Is it too far away?
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Post by cannyfradock on Aug 11, 2015 17:28:08 GMT
Hotstuff
"I'm curious on what you mean by "pug" and what you mean by scarping out half an inch?"
Pug is a term I use in place of "fill in" when referring to clay. "Scarping" is a typo.....meant to say scraping. It's easier to scrape out your small crack to give a decent sized opening which you can really fill....previous posts are spot on advice.
Now then Hotstuff.....why have you built your clay dome in one county and the arch in the next county?......The arch is meant to "butt up" to your clay dome. You have a few options now...you have enough room to "dress" the clay opening and build another half brick arch or simply shutter up....with some bendy hard board etc, the underside of the arch and the clay entrance and then fill the gap with more cob.
Are you trying to create a vent for a chimney?....if so it's maybe too late as it should have been created in the arch that is already built. I'll dig out a few threads with stage pics of this and post.
Try to fill that crack.....it's not a big deal on a clay oven...it'll still work.
Love the arch btw.
Terry
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Post by hotstuff on Aug 11, 2015 20:52:57 GMT
Hi Terry,
The idea for the gap is space for the second layer and also a chimney..
Have we messed up?!!
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