My 3-Legged Dome

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

I made an insulated door this weekend.

[Jaronimo]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

The bricks look great. I love the look of old brick.

[Millstone Man]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Great oven and cool looking door. What's the other side look like? How did you insulate?

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Great oven and cool looking door. What's the other side look like? How did you insulate?

Hi,

I don't have a pic of the other side. I'll take a pic and post it tomorrow.

I used 2" worth of ceramic blanket remnants and completely "boxed" them in this aluminum box which I made from alum sheeting cut from a couple of old serving trays. The handle is from a notched mortar trowel. I simply broke off each notch with a pair of pliers.
The thermometer is a 750F bbq unit with a 5" stem which is secured with a sprung clip on the stem at other end.

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

I think the insulated door is holding temps well. I baked some banana bread last night with the residual heat from a firing couple of nights ago.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Nice looking door George. Did you fold (bend) in "tabs" on the sides under the top & screw (the 2 rivet looking things) in the corner? Or is there, as you said, an entire box from each side, 1 slightly smaller than the other?

Hey, good looking banana bread too.
-Dino

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Thanks Dino.... No, I just used one box, with both sides tapered inward, and a flat 'lid' riveted all around on the other side. I'll post a pic of the back side tomorrow as I am at work at the moment.

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

As promised, here are a couple of pics of the rear of the door:

[car1gil]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Looks great George, I'm planning on making a similar one with some remnants of my insulating board. I don't know what metal I'll be using, I guess I'll have wifey dig through some pans no longer in use. How thick is the aluminum plate you used and how is it holding up with the high temps?

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Hi,

The aluminum sheeting I used from the trays were not at all thick and rigid, and they were pretty pliable, so very easy to work with. I know alu has a low melting point but for the entry area post pizza temps I think it'll hold up well. If it should deteriorate down the road I'll make something identical again but with steel sheeting, like 26 gauge, for instance. I like door so far. One handed operation (so you can hold food in the other hand), and very light.

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

I started application of the final coats of stucco using white surface bonding cement. I'm using Quikcrete Quikwall with acrylic fortifier. I'm planning on leaving the oven white for a few weeks, letting the finish and the color weather to see if I like it. I'd like the white to become 'dirty' quickly for that aged, rustic look.

I also decided to build a small partial round concrete countertop against the block wall just to the left of the oven.

[car1gil]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Looking good George! I will be using Quikwall too, I've only read good things about this product from other posts, however I've never thought about white... and I really like the idea! How thick are you going with the SBC and what kind of trowel are you using?

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

Looking good George! I will be using Quikwall too, I've only read good things about this product from other posts, however I've never thought about white... and I really like the idea! How thick are you going with the SBC and what kind of trowel are you using?

Thanks!

I believe Quikwall comes in either white or gray straight out of the bag and since I wanted to see what the oven looked like in white that's what I used.
I might blotch on a very light pastel color to create a rustic look later on.

I'm applying it at about 1/8" thickness and I am not using a trowel. I'm using my hand, with tight fitting latex glove, to apply the stucco, and within a couple of minutes, sponging the area smooth. Using my hand works perfectly as it conforms to the shape of the dome and I also get a better 'feel' of how thick the stucco is being applied. I will also apply a second coat.

So how's your oven coming along?

[BrickStoneOven]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

How well does the door hold the temp in. Whats the temp when you put it on after your done with a pizza session then 24hrs after.

[fxpose]

Re: My 3-Legged Dome

How well does the door hold the temp in. Whats the temp when you put it on after your done with a pizza session then 24hrs after.

After pizza, and when there's no live fire except for the pile of hot embers the temp gauge on the door reads over 650F. Exactly 12 hours later, the next day, the gauge over 500F. And that evening, 24 hours after the pizza session, the gauge reads 450F.
I've done low and slow cooks more than 48 hours after pizza at around 300F.

These temps have been pretty consistant the last couple of pizza firings. I'll take another set of readings beginning tonight.