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Post by cannyfradock on Jun 29, 2012 15:52:29 GMT
Danno
Brilliant job. Well done!!!......I'm not trying to patronise......I love all the aspects of your build. I really like the way you have pushed the entry arch to the maximum width. The most I've gone is 18" over a 90cm diameter. As far as I know there is no actual equation for the width of the door compared to the diameter of the oven, but after using many different ovens, it's apparent that the pure nature of these ovens (once there's heat inside of them)....draws the clean air in through the vent and when it's heated and expanded, the air naturally curles over the dome and escapes at the highest point (where the 63% rule comes into play).....
Try to extract your forms at the earliest opportunity so as any cleaning or "tarting up" of the internal joints will be that much easier.
Terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Jun 30, 2012 5:55:34 GMT
Thank you Terry. I am in awe of this forum, what you have created, and all who it has brought together. I'm sure we are all from many different walks of life, but the exchanges of knowledge, wit, experience and collective craziness for these "passions" and help for each other is just inspiring! The photoblogs on here have been amazing, the level of detail incredible and the way it lays one open to critique, is both humbling and pushes you further on to make your best efforts. I wanted to "guinness pig" some ideas. If it fails, i'll just have the joy of another build! I pondered long and hard over the entrance design, but i liked the matching hemispheres and went for form over function in the end based upon FBs 19 x 12 dimensions. I drew it out full size, then worked out the volume of the hole. I dropped my radius slightly, then scribed a semi-circle over my drawing you could see the areas of the shapes that just moved from top to bottom. I thought...it may allow more cool air in through the wider base section, aiding the fires draw. Trying to convince myself of the design! Only an in-experinced musing mind you! Working out the volumes again, they were slightly less for my semi-circle entrance, and still remained in the 62-64% "rule" for height. George came out last night. Quite messy, but the Hydraulic Lime takes longer to harden up, and was still "green" so it was easily scraped off. I'll add a few more photos after the weekends works. Once again...Thank you all. So inspiring! I wouldn't have done it without you all.
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Post by faz on Jun 30, 2012 7:09:20 GMT
I'd agree with Terry about taking the form out sooner rather than later. I found it much more difficult to keep everything tidy when using the form and had to scrape quite a lot of excess homebrew off the underside, as well as point a few gaps! Sounds like you needed to do somthing similar once George came out I like your dome, it does look nice and tidy - and I bet you were pleased when you could get that final piece in and close the dome. I know I was Onward to the insulation & all the other bits and pieces!
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Post by cannyfradock on Jun 30, 2012 13:00:52 GMT
Wow....thank-you Danno. I read your words and stated to cry!!!. ...but as a 53 year old bricklayer I made sure no one was watching. The first forum was bourne out of frustration, as the only(main) WFO forum was the FB forum (American) and as good as it is, they didn't seem to want to give "time of day" helping out us Brits with OUR questions. So I chanced my arm and created a UK WFO forum in the hope of it gathering a few members so we could all learn from each other.Unfortunately the first forum was plagued with nasty ads from my forum supplier, plus visiting guests could not see any uploaded pics or links. The old forum is now closed for posting but is always on-line as it is a brilliant site for reference purposes. woodovenukforum.forumup.co.uk/index.php?mforum=woodovenukforum The new forum however is more user friendly to all that visit, and although I don't see myself as an expert in this field I have gained so much knowledge from people exactly like yourself who pass on their experience and post photo's, that I'm proud to say that many wood-fired oven enthusiasts have benefited from a visit to our friendly forum. Now then.....why was I replying to your post..... Terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Jul 2, 2012 12:35:28 GMT
George came out this weekend. As i suspected, it was a bit messy in there. A few bricks hadn't lined up too well leaving matched joints, and slightly larger joints than i suspected. If there's a next time, i'd taper cut the last three chains i think. The Hydrated lime saved the day really as it takes a lot longer in the "green" stage, so cleaning up was relatively easy. Apart from having to do it half in the oven, with all the bits falling in you! There's a few areas that'll need a fill, but in general, i was incredibly happy with my first dome!!! I pushed to build a brick oven, as a personal bricklaying quest and i've pretty much satisfied myself. I can't stop peeking in for a look! Now things move away from the oven for a while so that i can clad the base to give me the surface area at the front for the oven landing. A small raised Herb Bed and the start of the cladding. the Herb bed is still to be finished with a Rowlock header coping, but that'll get done sometime later i suspect. I need to get moving round the front of the base and to the left now, which will hopefully house a charcoal bbq, and the old gas bbq in an "L" shape.
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Post by pete123 on Jul 2, 2012 20:31:11 GMT
Very impressive. Well done.
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Post by cannyfradock on Jul 9, 2012 13:41:40 GMT
Danno
The top of the dome has cleaned up a treat. You say you would have liked to....or will on your next build, taper the last 3 rings. I see that you cut the last ring of bricks before the keystone and it's still well impressive.
Let's hope for some kinder weather for you/us, but do try to keep it covered. Even though the dome insulation is not yet finished you can start your curing/drying fires now. Just remember.....slowly, slowly.
Terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Jul 10, 2012 12:23:40 GMT
Thanks Terry! I hope you've been nice and busy? This weather has been a right B~~~er! I have held off on a Gazebo, but wish i hadn't now. I've been fairly relaxed really about getting the oven fired up, so it's been out in the weather with no coverings. Maybe nervousness about any heat induced failure! I feel a new burst of works will be arriving this weekend, after a bit of a lay-off. I need to get the base and bbq bit done, to get back to the chimney and entrance arches! Weather permitting, of course! I'd run out of hydrated lime and went back to a plain OPC/sand/chemical plasticiser mix for a few bricks the other day, and it was horrendous in comparison! I will always as a minimum add hydrated lime to a cement based mortar in the future. Its funny but i was told i was "so old fashioned", and "what do i need that for" by a few mates! Terry, have you any experience of using Hydraulic Limes or Lime Putty?
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Post by bookemdanno on Jul 22, 2012 7:53:34 GMT
Spurred on by GreensheepUKs Steel Barrel wonder, and a slack day at work i've made my Rain Cowl for the Oven. A workmate who loves to get his Mig Welder out also provided the firework show. Materials - Sheet steel, Flue, Can of Stovax Thermolac. A quick Blue Peter session with some paper and a stapler, proved that to create a cowl of 300mm diameter for a 200mm flue, would need a circle of 330mm radius. So i took a felt pen to the sheet of steel. Which was an old Storage Heater front panel, which supplied the bricks under my oven! The bandsaw at work made light work of the steel. Then cut out the section to create a Pac Man. I'd worked that out from my paper template to be around 40mm. Drill a hole in the centre of the circle too. Whilst i had the steel blade in the saw i cut some strips to mount the cowl. Then i brought the two edges of Pac Mans mouth together, with a downward pressure, stitched them together, and ground back the welds. Then i cut a 50mm deep section from the flue, and split the ring to allow it to fit inside the original flue. We then put this ring inside the flue and tacked it before removing to fininsh the weld. This made sure that it fit perfectly. I then pre-bent the legs ready to weld to the cap. Marked out the cap using the ring as a guide, and Joe got happy with the welds once more. A quick trial fit to the flue made me think that 50mm between the top of the flue and the bottom of the cap looked about right, so we clamped the ring to the legs, and i left Joe to it! Then a little "persuading" of the cap with a hammer, where the welding heat distorted it, and a good rubbing down with an air grinder and a scotchbrite pad...hey pesto! A little Stovax Termolac aerosol... My little ovens Rain Cap complete! One of my favorite days at work! I felt like "Le Salvageur" off of Sky!
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Post by cannyfradock on Jul 22, 2012 8:21:37 GMT
Danno
I love watching "Le Salvager" on TV, but by the look of that cowl, he's not in your league....great job.
I've not used hydraulic lime or lime putty so can't comment on them.
Terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Jul 24, 2012 12:44:49 GMT
And here's the latest photos. I've managed to keep going, but can't believe in a few days, i've gone from covering up for rain to damping down and soaking bricks! I salvaged a recessed manhole cover too, and i've made it the charcoal pan for a bbq, beside my gas one. The piles of bricks behind the oven are for the raised bed behind the oven. That's now complete. So...a little more tidying up and it's onto the chimney transition and entrance arch! During all the rains, i'd busied myself knocking up the form, based upon the oven arch form, so i'm ready to go, when i can go!
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Post by cannyfradock on Jul 24, 2012 17:43:34 GMT
Your oven/grill station is really stating to take shape. As a bricklayer I truly appreciate what you are creating. Love this picture......well worth a second visit... "] terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Aug 14, 2012 20:38:26 GMT
Halloo! Been doing a little more, but no photos for you yet. I've just got to clean things up a bit. Had a small fire tonight... Got a bit smoky when i tried to push back the fire and it collapsed, and boy! don't they kick out some heat quickly! I didn't add any more kindling, just left it to burn out. A fine crack opened up bang in the middle of the arch leading a third of the way up towards the dome keystone. Seen this on many a build, it makes one concerned when they appear. Wish i'd got the Vermicrete on first! It closed up when it cooled down. We'll see how wide i can get it over the next few fires til the big one saturday!
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Post by cannyfradock on Aug 14, 2012 21:16:32 GMT
...If you can still see the back of your bricks, it may be a good idea to lay some ex-met over the crack....then parge it up. The crack may still appear when fully fired, but it should then be minimal. The inside (if the crack is there) can also be repaired....probably with the ready mixed fire-clay
Terry
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Post by bookemdanno on Aug 16, 2012 20:50:41 GMT
Ah yes Terry, i may well take your advice. Weather been a bit windy, so my Gaz has come down, which has made it tricky for fires as i also need to cover up to keep the odd shower out. Another small one today! The wife has lent her help over the last couple of weeks to provide a new building material for the walls. She just managed to keep up, and didn't slow me down too much! ;D Cleared up a bit and took some more progress photos... The view from the back door... The garden back towards the Oven... Beside "the area"... Topped off the countertops... Wasn't gonna bother around the oven for now, but had a little spare mortar and time. I'll have to cover up when the oven layers go on! Also finished the oven landing tiled surface. Thats it for now folks, just fitted the Gas BBQ in the hole opposite the oven tonight. I'm going to go for a full (ish) fire up Friday Night...wish me luck! Saturday is Josephs 6th Bday party, andhe asked for a few pizzas...they'll probably end up all over the bouncy castle!!! p.s. how'd you get those big pics?
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