Firebrick vs. Refractory Cement
Firebrick vs. Refractory Cement...?
So, here's a question for all you experts out there: I just came back from my oven building class and started thinking about the following: when building the oven, one would definitely want to use firebrick for the hearth surface, but what about the inner dome? Is firebrick really necessary, or could the whole inner dome be constructed from refractory cement? I have heard about companies using large inflated tubes to build bridges, and I'm wondering if I could have a solid "dome" made from plastic, set it on top of my firebrick hearth and then pour refractory cement arond and over it to form the inner dome? Would the characteristics of the refractory cement be similar enough to the firebrick to make this product feasible? Or would there be concerns about cracking in the cement over time? So, inflate dome, pour 6 or so inches of cement around it, let harden, deflate dome and build chimney as usual?
Any input will be greatly appreciated.
Stephan