A two day spell of warmer air has given me the chance to lay some more bricks. When I made the plans up for the archway to the firebox I figured I needed twelve tapered bricks. Either I got the number of brick needed for it wrong or my inexperience at laying the mortar joints for them at an angle is showing. Rather than redo all of it I improvised and came up with a keystone of sorts. Im sure it will be strong enough for this project at least.
All along I knew I would have to cut off the tops of the arch bricks to keep the access door to the crucible shelf low enough for access. This works out ok for that also. I have some mortar joints I need to clean up, but its not too bad I think. Gives a strange diamond detail to the arch. I like it!
Start the arch over. Use a radial brick shape with much more of a pie shape so it turns more aggresively.
ReplyDelete2 x pie x r(exterior arc) = circ
circ / 2 = length
length / (brick size+ mortar joint size)= # bricks and # mortar joints
# joints x .375= joint TO
(length-joint TO) / # bricks = shape top
repeat shape bottom and you have the exact radial shape.
I love the project
Justin
www.jackarch.com
Thanks for the detailed response! Glad to have you stop by and take a look. Im a beginner at all of this, but enjoy learning about masonry work etc. Not sure I will tear this one down and do it over, but I will take your advise to mind when I begin work this summer on my garage. I want to put better arches over the windows and doors. Kinda looking to recreate the simple arch look of the 1880s type red brick buildings all around us. Want it to look like its already been here for 100 years. I like the old stuff like that. Anyway thanks again!
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