Advantages of not using a form for the first 6 to 8
courses:
•
It is a relatively easy and very time-efficient method.
•
The brickwork is accessible from the inside as the
dome is being built.
•
You can continually clean the inside of the dome
brickwork, which will result in a better-looking end
product.
•
Finally, this approach reduces the risk of something
going wrong. Simply put, you know the entire time that
you are working that your oven dome is standing, and
will continue to stand. If the builder uses the forms to
hold up the bricks, rather than using the forms as a
placement guide there is a chance that the brickwork
will not be self-supporting. You will need to support
your rings, also called chains, once the arch of the
dome is more pronounced at chain 8.
The freestanding dome approach builds on itself, where the
first few chains are not difficult to build, giving the builder
the experience and self-confidence necessary to continue
through the subsequent chains.
An experienced mason can build the entire dome without
using any type of form.
Advantages of using a form from start to finish:
•
Forms help maintain the desired profile throughout the
laying of the chains.
•
Before you add mortar to the brick you can rest the
chain on the form to help visualize how that chain will
be laid.
•
Most amateur brick builders have found the foam
vanes, about 8, help in maintaining the profile while not
allowing the bricks to rest on the foam.
•
This method has been the preferred method of amateur
builders.
To further explore the pros and cons of the different
methods further, before you start you oven, join the Forno
Bravo Forum, to find out what other builders have done,
and what they think.
About Your Brick
We recommend using medium duty firebrick for both the
oven dome and cooking surface. The dome firebricks
provide a majority of the oven's ability to hold heat, and will
allow the oven to deliver the high temperatures needed for
cooking pizza. Read our Brick Primer (Appendix 2) for more
background information on bricks.
The firebricks we provide with the Pompeii Oven Kit are
optimal for brick oven use. The Forno Bravo firebrick and
cooking floor tiles are 38% alumina, 134 lb./cu. ft. density,
and are rated to 2,500ºF. During the manufacturing process
they are compressed (2,700psi) and kiln fired (2650ºF),
ensuring both good cooking performance and durability.
6.5 Two firebricks
Much of the Pompeii Oven dome is constructed using a
standard size brick (2 1/2" x 4.5" x 9") cut in half. The cut
side of the brick faces out, away from the inside of the oven,
allowing the clean, manufactured side to face in where it will
be seen. Depending on the brick type and size you choose,
the thickness of your oven dome will be between 4" - 4 1/2",
which is high, but an acceptable amount of thermal mass
for a home oven.
Pompeii Oven Instructions
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