7. Building the Dome
Overview
At this point, you have reached a decision on the type of
dome you want to build, the size of your oven, and the type
of forms you will be using,. You are now ready to start
building your dome. The next decisions are first, to
determine the orientation of your first course of bricks. The
first course will determine not only the size (internal cooking
floor diameter) of your oven, but also the shape and inward
curve of the dome. And second, you must decide on the
type of high heat mortar you will use.
The First Course
The dome itself is a series of self-supporting circular brick
chains that curve inward, until they meet at the keystone at
the oven top. The first chain is a ring of brick cut in half and
standing on their ends, with the thin edge (2 1/2”) facing
inside the oven. You can adjust the exact diameter of your
oven to match the size circle that your bricks form, so that
you do not have to cut a brick in your first chain.
7.1. First course a half brick set upright.
The first course can be oriented in three ways. First, you
can stand a brick cut in half upright (4 1/2”), as show in
Photo 7.1. Second, you can lay a half brick on its side (2
1/2”), as shown in Photo 7.2. Finally, if you are building a
Naples-style oven, you can assemble the first course with a
full height brick standing upright (9”), as shown in Photo 7.3.
There is no right or wrong way to start your oven. Once you
decide the style oven you want to build, you can decide
which first course method works for you.
7.2. First course with a half brick on its side.
7.3. A full height brick upright in the first course.
HIgh Temperature Mortar
The oven is assemble using mortar designed to withstand
both the heat of a wood-fired ovens, along with constant
heat up and cool down (expansion and contraction) cycles
that will break down standard masons mortar.
There are three options when deciding which high
temperature mortar to use. The Forno Bravo Pompeii Oven
Kit contains a dry, pre-mixed refractory mortar designed for
high heat environments. It is a calcium aluminate-base
Pompeii Oven Instructions
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