Essex Seaside 2.01

[woolf26]

Hey Everyone,

I've started my oven build recently after moving house when i started my first oven and only completed the base....so still lots to learn.

I posted another thread but think its in the wrong place....so am starting this one for some advice and to share my progress.

Over the weekend i spent time finishing the base and laying the concrete top - I definitely should have hired a mixer for this and not mixed all 16 bags in a wheelbarrow, it was a LONG day and my backs only just recovering!



I've got my fire bircks, Calcium Silicate board (50mm), materials for my homebrew and am ready to go on the dome!

Few questions before i get going.....


I decided to go with the Calcium Silicate board (50mm) for under the hearth of the oven, but am a bit unclear at this point how to lay it, so questions below;



1. Would you lay the Calcium Silicate board straight onto the concrete slab on top? if yes, then do you need to add 'home brew' mix below it to secure?



2. I've seen people wrapping the Calcium Silicate board in tin foil...is this required? and if so, why?



3. When i lay the bricks on top of the board, again would you use home brew to secure the bricks?
I've seen some lay the fire bricks just on sand so they can be removed and allow for some movement...?


4. When i lay a soldier course of bricks around the oven base, i understand that this should not be actually cemented to the side of the hearth and only inbetween the outsides of the bricks for expansion - is this right?
how about under the soldier course 


Sorry for all the questions - just want to ensure i get this right! Thanks for any help.

Pictures below of how i've progressed;

[guym]

Hi. Looking great. There used to be good video on YouTube by the Melbourne Fire Brick Company showing how they recommend doing this. It's what we followed. Looks like they've had a very reecnt update of content so I'm note sure their old video is there anymore - but this one might cover it

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LLWImzU8kU

We just laid the calcium boards straight onto the dry concrete slab. The weight of the oven will ultimately hold it all in place - won't go anywhere.
The reason for foil wrapping is to stop the very porous calcium boards soaking up moisture from the bedding mortar of the floor tiles

[woolf26]

Quick update on progress, i cut all the bricks and cal sil board down and dry laid the soilder course.

will need to sharpen up some of the edges on the outter bricks of the oven floor to ensure the soilder course sits flush.

However, now im a little stuck as im none the wiser on my above questions....checked out the youtube clip but it doesnt give any reasoning or explanation - will have to just go for it at some-point unless anyone has some pearls of wisdom?

[Thomobigands]

Morning,

I thought I answered these questions but they are not showing on the thread?

I would just start getting some homebrew in between those joints now. I also smeared a good layer over the outside too. I did that with all layers so that when finished, the whole thing is covered in homebrew so you can't see the bricks on the outside of the dome. Don't worry about gaps inside the oven in the cooking floor or where it meets the soldiers. These will all fill with ash when in use.

A word of warning working in this heat though. Your homebrew will dry and crack. Keep lightly misting with a spray bottle of water as you go. I even used to return every so often throughout the day to respray. With the surface wetted, you will also find it easier to work the homebrew into the Joints and smooth over drying cracks. Personally, I would not build in this heat. Either way, try and keep your build shaded. You may also want to pre soak your firebricks. I used to for about a minute.

Others may have a different view, that's why it's important to research before doing, as tempting as it is.

Hope this helps.

[woolf26]

Thanks for your advice thus far.

I've laid the oven hearth now and done the soldier course and first ring - the 'indispensable' tool makes it easier than i thought....famous last words as i start going up i imagine.

Quick question...again....should i point any small gaps on the inside of the oven walls between bricks?

[Thomobigands]

Looking good, well done. You should be really pleased with your effort.

I didn't point as I went. I did crawl in when it was finished and try and fill some bits. Better to just try and get your inside joints to touch.

Indespensible tool is great. I made my own. It's great to see it pitch each layer.

Crack on until the course that meets the arch - that will have you scratching your head. Then you will need to see how you close the dome. Different methods.

Keep going. Doing great lad.

[trickedem]

Looking good. Where did you get the fire bricks from? Are you using thermal cement for the pointing.
Thanks

[woolf26]

A bit more progress made - you were right Thomo, i really am scratching my head about how to feather the opening arch into the dome....few options on the table - im spending a lot of time trawling through old posts to see how others have done it.
Spent a fair bit of time watching your youtube video, once you went over the arch and supported them with bricks below, i assume they were held in place because of the arched bricks holding them up? (if that makes sense?)

If anyone has some pointers or other info on this i'd be really interested to see - i do have an angle grinder with a dimond blade, but so far I've not been that accurate with it....cutting specific angles may be a challenge.

Trickdem - I got all my fire bricks, insulation etc from 'kiln linings' they're still delivering - as others suggested to me, make sure you order everything you'll need in one as they have a £200 min spend and delivery fee is about £50 - you need to figure out how big your oven will be and figure out how much material you'll need + a bit extra.
With regards to using thermal cement - i am using the homebrew mixture which i found through this forum. consists of 3x Sharp sand 1x Lime 1x cement 1x Fire Clay....everything you need you for the home brew you can get from B&Q except for the fire clay, which Kiln linings sell.

[Thomobigands]

Looking good. It's great when you start to see it progress row by row isn't it.

Unfortunately it does get tricky around the arch and when you get to the last few courses and you can only set a few bricks at a time because they all have to be propped up.

My transition bit where it meets the arch wasn't the prettiest piece of engineering but it worked. I supported it until completely dry then removed the support and carried on. Homebrew nice and sticky which helped.

You are doing the right thing in looking back through old posts. Everyone does it differently so it's just a question of scratching your head around it and doing it your way.

Good luck.

[woolf26]

Quick update on progress - since my last post i got a bit paranoid about the 'inverted V' gaps between the bricks, from reading on other forums , if not tapering the bricks for each course of the dome, to retain most head the gaps should be pointed....so i spend an afternoon with a trowel touching in and cleaning the joins.

I've also managed to get my inner arch done, offset 1.5cm each side to give a reveal for a door and built up the side supports for the front arch which i'll leave the middle 2-3 bricks as halves to give me a chimney exit.

Ring 5 of bricks is coming along and i'll need to tackle going over the arch shortly. Gravity is becoming a pain in the backside now, so taking it slow and supporting the bricks as i go. Then onto the final stretch of closing the dome!

feel like its coming together now.

[oblertone]

Top tip: Bung a few rags in the bottom while mortaring, it makes clearing up spillages much easier.

Excellent work so far, please keep posting progress pictures.

[woolf26]

Managed to get a few more courses and a bit of tidying up done over the past week - also managed to go over the front arch which was a good feeling as it took me a while to figure out how i was going to do this.

Ended up going for a full brick across the front arch with a taper on the front so it wedged itself and maintained the angle of that course of bricks, added a 'keystone' on the right hand side to make sure it was sitting tight and secure. (added some pictures below). Also had to make some funny looking shape bricks to get the ring that met the arch to taper in nicely - but over that hurdle now and on to more gravity related issues.

After the next ring, i'll chuck in a former and build around/over as its getting too tricky for the propping up with sticks. Unsure what to use for the former yet...most likely sand or make something up with cardboard/plastic to save the mess - considered a exercise ball but it will take an age to be delivered at the minute and imagine they're in short supply...

I've also been pointing as i go with any large ish gaps between the bricks that appear as i am not tapering them because of time (and mainly, I dont like the dust / angle grinder).

Thanks for the Tip oblertone - i'm putting the cardboard cut out wrapped in clingfilm on the floor when doing brick work (when i dont forget) to keep the floor tidy - I really like the herringbone floor, so i take them out for pictures

[woolf26]

Big day yesterday, I finished the dome!!!! Felt great to hit that milestone.

I managed one more ring of bricks using the indispensable tool and propping each brick after it had been laid - i had to cut each one to be a snug fit, but it worked well.

I then only had a relatively small hole left to put a former into and build around. i used 1/4 bricks for this ring to minimize the size of the mortar joins which worked well, other than leaving me an odd shape for the final brick/bricks. I cut a piece of chip board, propped it up with bricks inside the oven, put a damp cloth round the edge and then used builders sand to finish off the arch - i'll take it out after 72 hours and point any gaps.

Cant wait to see the inside of the oven complete, i think the brickwork looks great! One key reason to build your own rather than buying a casted oven for me! a few larger gaps between bricks than i would have liked, but didnt have the patience to taper each brick - really happy with how it looks though (pictures attached)

So, insulation and chimney to go.

Insulation next, i have a cermanic blanket to wrap round and chicken wire to secure - how did people hold the chicken wire in place once they'd wrapped it round?

I also have 2x bags of vermiculite which i plan on going over the top of the blanket with, what mixture of cement and water do people recommend going with for the insulation layer?

After i've done this, i'll get going on the chimney so i can give some time for the vermiculite to dry and not rush in with a render!















For the keen eye'd, you may have noticed i broke off the corner of my overhanging slab off - far too eager to get them off! will try sticking back on when finishing off, but not too fussed.

[simonh]

nice work

[slen916]

the dome is looking really good, all that work will be worth it.the first time you get it up to pizza cooking temperature and all that soot burns off and you can see your brickwork inside you will be made up. well done