Hello from deepest Dorset!

[allfiredup]

Hello to all you wood oven builders out there! Im just starting out on my build of a 110 pompeii oven having rashly promised one to my other half a few years ago. She's a private chef / food writer and in order to stay in her good books (and, frankly in the house...) I now have to deliver on my promises! 

I'm a reasonably competent DIYer but this is my first wood oven. Ive decided upon a round slab with a rendered dome design with natural stone outer skin for the base and detailings.

Just putting the spec / quantity sheet together for the firebricks / insulation / mortar so I'm sure I'll be back shortly looking for advice and guidance.... Kilnlinings seem to be the 'go to' guys for the refractory stuff I see.

Cant decide whether to use the 64mm or the 76mm firebrick for the dome - anyone got any views??

I'll get some photos up of what I've done so far and go from there.

Cheers

[oblertone]

FWIW most brick built domes are around 4" (100mm) thick based on the size of a halfbrick laid 'end on' so unless your building a dome using whole/uncut firebricks then the thickness of your chosen bricks will only affect the number of layers, rather than the thickness of the dome.

My build thread (below) illustrates this better than the above explanation, but I used old building bricks for the dome.

If you are constructing a dome using purely firebricks then you'll need to cut them individually into a trapezoid to get perfect alignment and take full advantage of their thermal properties. TBH it's not a technique seen much on this forum but the US fornobravo site is full of such examples.

Remember to take lots of pictures and start a build thread on here so we can follow your progress.

[allfiredup]

Thanks for the response! Yes, was planning to use half bricks for the dome. Its a toss up between fewer courses (and therefore fewer joints)with the 76's but maybe a neater look with the 64's as one will get a slightly smoother curve to the dome and the narrower brick 'oblong' profile is perhaps more aesthetically pleasing. Dome thickness will be the same as you say. There's a lot of pride to be had I see with the neatness of the dome joints and whether to taper cut each and every brick to get an immaculate tightly jointed internal (and external) finish. I've got a decent stihl cut off saw with diamond blade so cutting is not a problem, its just the time!

Will get a build thread started