Building a 42" Brick Pizza Oven & Grill.

[V-wiz]

Originally Posted by Thermal Mass

Free are the best kind!
Can't wait to see how you bring the "history" into it!!
Start mixing mud!

You and me both. I'm hoping to start the insulation board, floor bricks and form on Sunday.

[Carbon]

Man, nice collection of bricks!
What kind of form will you be using for the dome?

[V-wiz]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Man, nice collection of bricks!
What kind of form will you be using for the dome?

Thanks. Ive been debating if i should use the Indispensable tool or use a form. I think in the long run it would be easier to use a form. Since i have lots of plywood from previous job sites/projects (thanks to my dad) i plan on cutting and building the form out of plywood and using a nail gun to attach the form using thin wood veneer. Ill either cut/remove the form once done or ill just burn it.

[Thermal Mass]

Keep in mind when using a fixed form, it can be difficult to "tuck point" inside.
We used 2" pink foam that we could move as we wished.

[V-wiz]

Originally Posted by Thermal Mass

Keep in mind when using a fixed form, it can be difficult to "tuck point" inside.
We used 2" pink foam that we could move as we wished.

Ya that's a good point, one disadvantage of having a form is just that, you can really work on the inside. So you had a form? and you would move it around while you were working on the inside? wouldn't that shift the wet mortar/bricks?.

[Carbon]

With a form you'll be 100% certain how high the dome ceiling will end up at.

Check out this famous builder's method which looks pretty sloppy but he uses a sand form in this set of photos. I like that refractory liquid mortar he pours over the entire dome. Seems like his whole build procedure saves a lot of time.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archive...tml#show-87711

[Carbon]

Originally Posted by V-wiz

Ya that's a good point, one disadvantage of having a form is just that, you can really work on the inside. So you had a form? and you would move it around while you were working on the inside? wouldn't that shift the wet mortar/bricks?.

Even at extreme angles the mortared bricks will set after a couple of minutes. You can use sticks to keep those bricks from sliding down as a safeguard as you move the form or the indispensable tool to the next area.

[Hog]

Looking great!

[V-wiz]

Originally Posted by Carbon

With a form you'll be 100% certain how high the dome ceiling will end up at.

Check out this famous builder's method which looks pretty sloppy but he uses a sand form in this set of photos. I like that refractory liquid mortar he pours over the entire dome. Seems like his whole build procedure saves a lot of time.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archive...tml#show-87711

Very nice read, thanks for posting, that not a bad idea.

[V-wiz]

Originally Posted by Carbon

Even at extreme angles the mortared bricks will set after a couple of minutes. You can use sticks to keep those bricks from sliding down as a safeguard as you move the form or the indispensable tool to the next area.

Ya i rather build the form and work and move fast brick after brick. Im planning on cutting most of the bricks, or at-least the first few course's ahead of time, that way i can zip thru the build, or once i get home from work all ill have to do is turn on some light, mix some mortar and start laying. At-least this is what im hoping to do.

[Thermal Mass]

You can see pretty clearly from these two pics the "I tool" (which we quit using) and the foam form.
Once you get the correct mortar consistency, you can move pretty quickly.
We found a few sticks were very helpful for the short time it took for the mortar to set enough the brick would not move (unless disturbed).
**Your mortar consistency and set up time will vary greatly based on current weather conditions and if you are working in direct sunlight!! Adjust as necessary. Start with small batches of mortar, refractory mortar seemed to be fairly unforgiving once it really started to set up.**
Practice makes perfect...

[Carbon]

I used a slight variation of the I-Tool to set each brick but if I were to ever build another oven again I would use a form similar to Thermal used. I think it's a lot easier to work with.

[V-wiz]

Thanks for the tips guys. Not bad ideas. What i can also do is build a form but with only 4 walls, if you can imagine the oven split into 4 pieces. That way the height and shape will be exactly where i want it to be and i would have room to work on the inside. What do you guys think.

[Thermal Mass]

It gets amazingly small in there in a hurry!!
Keep in mind you are not working on the ground, but over a dome that is likely growing to 5+ feet from the ground.
Your back and stomach muscles will remind you daily....
The foam is lightweight, sturdy, and stands on it's own.
You will also noticed we used it for forming the arch over the flue so if you buy one sheet you will use most of it.
**One tip on the flue arch, we sandwiched multiple pieces together for the form but you almost MUST CUT THE MIDDLE PROFILE OUT (except for the outer piece) or good luck getting it out without a real fight (drills, sawzall, chain saw, ???)!!
Maybe make a couple and miter so they fit in the center if you think you need to.
One form worked out perfect for us and lasted the entire project.

[Wampus]

Let me ask a couple of questions of you builders extaordinaire...

Regarding the chimney/flu...
I'm assuming that you cut a hole for that later? I see where Carbon had some kind of bulkhead that he built in, but Thermal Mass's photos don't look that way. So, did you physically cut in the hole above your "door arch" later and then build the chimney up from there?


Another question: Is the dome design the best way? It's certainly farkin awesome looking and I can see where the shape would affect cooking/baking and all, but does a more "square/rectangle" design not perform as well?