Milan 750 on Oak Sleepers

[jons]

Jan 28, 2019 13:09:56 GMT webbm00 said:

I've added 25mm of insulation under my Milan 750 as a just in case precaution. The cost is easily offset by the thought of having an oven that doesn't hold the heat and always wishing you'd added it.

You can never have too much insulation

Couldn’t agree more.  How’s your build going?

[webbm00]

No real dramas so far. Lifting the rear dome was fun but it looks like you've got that done already. How are the gaps with your oven? Did you manage to get them close together and still maintain the shape of the door opening? It took me ages to get mine to look right

[jons]

Jan 28, 2019 17:27:52 GMT webbm00 said:

No real dramas so far. Lifting the rear dome was fun but it looks like you've got that done already. How are the gaps with your oven? Did you manage to get them close together and still maintain the shape of the door opening? It took me ages to get mine to look right

Yeah the rear dome was errr fun! Haven’t done the front yet. Got the firebrick base down then it was getting dark so I’ll try and finish as much as possible next weekend. I’ve ordered a piece of granite for the hearth which should be cut by Friday. Good luck with the rest of your build...

[jons]

Bit more progress today after a week in the office. Got front of the dome on then filled the gap between that and the fire brick floor. I collected the granite hearth from the stone workshop yesterday and laid it today. To do that I needed an angle grinder to cut a paving slab and some bricks to size. The angle grinder is my new favourite tool. 😄. 

Hope to build a brick arch tomorrow, get the flue in (possibly build a small brick chimney for it), put the insulation on and render the whole lot.

[webbm00]

Looks good. You've just about caught up with me while I've been messing about with polished concrete worktops

[jons]

Feb 3, 2019 9:37:25 GMT webbm00 said:

Looks good. You've just about caught up with me while I've been messing about with polished concrete worktops

I was a bit optimistic in my expectation for today... It was below freezing until midday so all I did in the morning was make the arch form and cut the bricks for the arch (angle grinder put to good use again. Made a few deliberate mistakes so I could use it a bit more 😁). This afternoon I learnt what I pain in the proverbial it is to insulate and wrap the oven in chicken wire. Looking like render goes on next weekend weather permitting. Got a small fire going to start the drying process.

[webbm00]

Nice arch. I finished cutting the bricks for mine today about the only thing I can do in this weather.

You might want to cut the bottom off of your arch support so you can put some wedges in as you might not be able to get it out after building the arch

[downunderdave]

It was below freezing until midday so all I did in the morning was make the arch form and cut the bricks for the arch (angle grinder put to good use again. Made a few deliberate mistakes so I could use it a bit more 😁







[/quote]


If you are cutting bricks with an angle grinder it is essential to wear a good respirator mask. The microscopic shards from cutting fired brick are particularly damaging to the silia in your lungs. Without a water feed to reduce the dust to a minimum this is a problem. Soaking the bricks well before cutting will reduce the dust a little bit, but no substitute for a good respirator. A paper dust mask is next to useless.

[jons]

Feb 3, 2019 20:42:02 GMT webbm00 said:

Nice arch. I finished cutting the bricks for mine today about the only thing I can do in this weather.

You might want to cut the bottom off of your arch support so you can put some wedges in as you might not be able to get it out after building the arch

I measured the arch form and allowed about 10mm once the mortar is in. I’ll measure again though and may shave a bit more off. Getting stuck would be seriously annoying. Cheers

[jons]

Anyone have any thoughts or advice on this...

I originally wanted to make the arch out of a blue brick that has been used extensively in the back garden and forms the base that the oven sits on. I read in the build instructions that blue bricks are not advised. Because of that I’ve cut red brick but have not yet built the arch. For aesthetics the red brick will either need to be rendered and painted the same colour as the dome or I’ll need to paint the brick directly.

Cheers

[oblertone]

FWIW I used 'blue' bull nosed bricks to form the entry arch on my WFO and they worked just fine; what was the perceived issue ?

[jons]

Feb 5, 2019 10:01:16 GMT oblertone said:

FWIW I used 'blue' bull nosed bricks to form the entry arch on my WFO and they worked just fine; what was the perceived issue ?

Thanks for responding. A lot of people advice that blue engineering bricks can shatter under the stress of being heated. To d with the process when they’re made. The outside is vitrified changing the make up of the outside to become almost glasslike. The rate at which the outer and inner of the brick expand and contract under heat is different causing them to crack and shatter sometimes. I’m thinking of taking the risk... the arch can easily be remade if things turn out that way

[oblertone]

Personally, I'd give it a go and see what happens. The dome arch gets hot, but nowhere near as hot as the inner oven (550c) so I think you'd be ok. My driver was having a free supply of said bricks !

[jons]

Feb 5, 2019 11:37:40 GMT oblertone said:

Personally, I'd give it a go and see what happens. The dome arch gets hot, but nowhere near as hot as the inner oven (550c) so I think you'd be ok. My driver was having a free supply of said bricks !

You’ve convinced me. Nice oven by the way. Did you do the mosaic?

[downunderdave]

Feb 4, 2019 14:41:52 GMT jons said:

Anyone have any thoughts or advice on this...

I originally wanted to make the arch out of a blue brick that has been used extensively in the back garden and forms the base that the oven sits on. I read in the build instructions that blue bricks are not advised. Because of that I’ve cut red brick but have not yet built the arch. For aesthetics the red brick will either need to be rendered and painted the same colour as the dome or I’ll need to paint the brick directly.

Cheers

Those bricks should be ok for the outer decorative arch, particularly if you leave an expansion joint between it and the inner oven castings. The decorative arch has no flame impingement so doesn’t get a massive, sudden temperature rise.