WFO with a view

[Knoxley]

Re: WFO with a view

Not in a hurry? Arg! I would want to savor that location and view with pizza in my face right now. But then again us California folk are always in a hurry. Makes me want to move back up to Seattle. It looks really nice, excited to see the final product.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: WFO with a view

hey TF

I've been using HeatStop 50 mortar. The stuff really works great and certainly simplifies getting the hang of it.

Heat Stop - High Temperature Resistent Refractory Mortar

1. Q. How long should we wait after installation before heat may be applied to fireplace or chimney?
A. With regard to firebrick, clay flue lining or any of the Heat Stop refractory mortar products simply wait one day after all of the masonry in the fireplace or chimney has been installed.

I recently found this info on the heat stop 50 website,, they claim you can have fire after a 1 day cure,, I used the heat stop50 as well and loved its workability..

Im not suggesting you light your oven 1 day after its built,, I wouldnt want to be the first one to try this,, Maybe that is more suitable to a Fireplace and not an oven..

Your build is Meticulous,,, Nice Job
Cheers
Mark

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

Mark - appreciate the comments.

I haven't really thought much about it yet, but will probably stick to a bit more tried and true curing process. It does seem pretty crazy to apply full heat to it within a day. With the amount of water I feel like I have been using it seems like it is going to take months for this thing to dry out.

BTW - I grew up in Bergen County (Ridgewood) - that is what drove me to want to make a pizza oven. I sooo miss the variety of pizza options in the area and in NYC. When we go back to visit family it pretty much is a diet of pizza, pasta, and bagels for the week. Seattle is catching up but not quite there - haven't had a nice piece of Sicilian pizza in years!

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: WFO with a view

Hey T,,

I haven't really thought much about it yet, but will probably stick to a bit more tried and true curing process. It does seem pretty crazy to apply full heat to it within a day

I agree with you on this, I wouldnt have done it either, Just thought it was odd they would post it,, even if its true, You would think they would throw in a few extra days for safety,,,,

BTW - I grew up in Bergen County (Ridgewood)

We could have been neighbors,,, I live in Paramus, about 5 blocks from the Duck Pond... I am right off Ridgewood ave. Im sure you remember T & W Ice cream ??

And lately, the pizza around here really sucks.. I built my oven as a tribute to my father who always wanted one after Using my Uncle's oven in Italy... He never got to it, But I finally did.... Love my oven
Cheers
Mark

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

We could have been neighbors,,, I live in Paramus, about 5 blocks from the Duck Pond... I am right off Ridgewood ave. Im sure you remember T & W Ice cream ??

Oh yeah - remember the duck pond and T&W. There used to be some fancy clothing store right there too?

And lately, the pizza around here really sucks.. I built my oven as a tribute to my father who always wanted one after Using my Uncle's oven in Italy... He never got to it, But I finally did.... Love my oven
Cheers
Mark

Great to hear about the oven inspiration - sorry to hear the pizza has gone to hell. I think I spent 90% of my high school lunches at Lenny's Pizzeria, and remember being at Sal's Pizzeria when the Challenger Shuttle disaster happened in 1986.

Bergen county is a great place - nice to see some good pizza is still being made there in hand-built ovens!

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

I was away most of the weekend, but managed to squeeze in a few hours late Sunday to start on my 5th row.

This weekend I need to start thinking about how this is going to merge into the arch.

When do most folks start switching to 1/3 bricks for their upper courses? I feel like I am getting close.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: WFO with a view

Bergen county is a great place - nice to see some good pizza is still being made there in hand-built ovens!

Bergen is pretty good, they (gov. christie)are trying now to change the blue laws and allow the malls to be open on sundays, which is the only day you can actually drive around without getting killed here.. and I think the clothing store MacHughs is a doctors offices now,,

RE: 1/3 bricks, I used half bricks for the whole oven, so I cant answer that question, But I can say your oven is looking great and you are doing a NICE job,,,,
Cheers
Mark

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

Spent some time this weekend puzzling through the dome merge into the arch. This is one area I never spent much time thinking about - and it was a bit more involved than I would have guessed. I don't have a good picture, but I ended up with some intricate cuts for a small brick behind the left and right arch supports and then a brick over the top. Getting the next course in went pretty smoothly and that leaves me to ponder the next steps in dome/arch merging this weekend.

Decided to start mortaring in the whole brick gap now that I'm getting more vertical. Finished my second bag of Heatstop 50 so will be swinging by the store this week to pick up some more. Hoping I can finish with one more, but might be tight with the chimney.

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

Felt like I did not quite accomplish much this weekend despite a number of hours work out back in "the salt mine" (I tell my wife that so she thinks it is a slog while I really am having fun ;-) ).

I cut 3 bricks to bridge across the top of the arch, and then fit 3 more to be mortared in underneath. Hoping the mortar holds them in there as there is nothing else holding them up.

Meant to get my next course up too, but ended up trying my hand at tapering bricks to see if I could get them fitting better.

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

Did not get much accomplished last weekend with mother's day and all, but managed to squeeze in some hours this weekend. What a pleasure the past few weekends have been - finally feels like spring in Seattle. Perfect pizza oven building time.

Nothing too exciting but a few more courses finished. Might actually get the dome closed in this month!

Funny how I notice all my mistakes so much more easily in the pictures then when I was leaning over a brick holding it in place until the mortar sets up ... ;-)

[Eric Pfeifer]

Re: WFO with a view

Great, clean work!

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: WFO with a view

"Funny how I notice all my mistakes so much more easily in the pictures then when I was leaning over a brick holding it in place until the mortar sets up ... ;-)"

Ya, I know exactly what you mean! Your oven looks great and the inside looks fine. Mine turned out about the same. I like how well you used the mortar on the outside to fill the gaps. Tappering (on the lower courses) is fine but not really neaded and your nice oven shows that. I also like how in your last pic you can see the dome "flattening" over. Now those are some serious tappering cuts!

Good job cutting the side reveal into the side walls/inner arch. It makes a stronger, integrated dome. What are you going to do for the reaveal at the top? Add a smaller arch 1" above?

Keep up the good work, nice documentation too on picassa,
-Dino

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

Dino - thanks for the comments. I'm sure we are all our own worst critics.

Good job cutting the side reveal into the side walls/inner arch. It makes a stronger, integrated dome. What are you going to do for the reaveal at the top? Add a smaller arch 1" above?

I was planning on having a door with an inset insulated section that fits into the arch and then have some flat outer piece that presses up against the reveal and the top of the arch. Figured it was mostly important to have a flat outer section to seal up against. Let me know if you think that would be a problem.

Keep up the good work, nice documentation too on picassa -Dino

Thanks! Learned that from you and everyone else. I think I got as much out of looking at other folks pictures than reading the PDF.

[tfasz]

Re: WFO with a view

And an update - fun weekend in the back yard. Managed to get the final two courses in this weekend and the keystone. Let my kids sign the keystone when it was all wrapped up.

Wish I had gotten that last course a bit flatter, but reasonably happy with how it all turned out. Now on to the chimney/flue/landing and then the outer insulation and dome finishing. Hopefully pizza buy July/August!

[fxpose]

Re: WFO with a view

Hey, congratulations on closing your dome! We both did the same thing over the weekend....good timing!
Very clean brick work on your part. Nice!

George