Dolf's Bushveld Oven

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Problem with baboons gathering hands full of thatch or at tile roofs, collecting barge boards etc, is that they are not likely to stay around when they see people, so the pic is unlikely to happen. Unless you want a pic of baboon-poo :-)

Thanks for the encouragement. I attach a pic with a wider view. The pic is taken from the back, so the solar pannels you see on the right will be shielded when the lapa poles are up. I only plan 180 degrees of lapa so as not to close the view. That shouild take care of 80%+ of the winds :-)

Cheers
Dolf

[brickie in oz]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Nice.
I think the tree near the oven needs a drink.... but dont worry, if our weather pattern is anything to go by you will need to buy a boat after the drought.

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

You touch a sore point!
As you can see I built a table around the tree. In fact the position was partially chosen because of the lovely tree. Now it has decided that it had had enough and is dying!!! :-(
Clever people tell me it has come to the end of its life. Reason I'm told being that we are on the mountain with a fairly shallow rock bed. Now the trees outgrow their space and die. Why they wont go side-ways I cant tell, but the end result either way is very sad news :-(

[brickie in oz]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

It looks like an Acacia, live fast and free, die young.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

dear Rolf
Why don't you fight fire with fire or in this case Poo with Poo... can't you get some lion poo and leave it around for your baboon friends...I bet you there not going to like it....
Love the build by the way

Regards Dave

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Hi Dave
Sorry for the slow reply - did not notice your response...
Your Lion plan may well work as I guess would Leopard, but I do not feel like regular poo-run s to keep it all fresh :-)
Lets see how it goes.

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Hi All
After the Easter weekend I can again show some progress!!
The oven is now completely covered and only the front top and chimney cladding needs to be completed along with final cleaning & finishing of the brick work. Not mentioning the rest of the lapa wall & pole work, the end is thus very near.
I have made the first kindling curing fire and it draws most lovely
Time will tell when the fires start heating up. but I am getting very confident.
Work schedule hints that the next work will only be in mid-June, but I am getting very excited !

[heliman]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Hey boet - hope I'm getting an invite for pizza and a good dop when you get this baby firing on all cylinders. A fine piece of building for sure - well done.

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Thanks :-)

You are most welcome - bring your best receipe!!

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

The weekend saw me working through my last set of curing fires with the last fires reaching a final roof high of about 400c. Next time I will try my first pizzas!
The building progress to the chimney cladding did not progress as I did not want to work around the active chimney around my curing fire, but I did take pics of the counterweight (old hammer head) which I built into the chimney to to regulate my built in draft door. It works fine! I need to exert some 1kg worth of push or pull to shift it (counter friction) but it stays where I leave it and works great! I now only need to add some sort of handlle, but this is one plan I think which worked very well

Cant wait to make the first pizza but will have to make tools first as I do not have peels yet!

Patience Lord - Please??

[david s]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Dolf,
your draft door is a clever set up. Maybe you could also adapt it to trap a baboon or two.

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Thanks David. Thinking what the B will do once trapped... I prefer a different pizza topping!

My only concern is that while I painted it with fireplace high heat black, I guess it will burn off in the chimney and may very well rust & become ugly. Time will tell. Would engine paint be more temp tollerant? Guess I should have gone stainless, but that is out of budget :-/

[david s]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

It looks like a decent lump of steel, so what if it rusts a little.

[Dolf]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Share the joy! Other than final stone cleaning and finishing the rest of the wall & wood enclosure, I am done. She fires up nicely till my thermo clocks out at 520deg C after 2 and a half hours of firing!
She also holds her heat well as I suspected when the outer wall was still cold to the touch during max heat inside. The pizza making now needs lots of work and learning as the one in the pic is my first ever, but I look forward to lots of experimentation :-)
If you look at my tools and think you recognise the round peel with the hole in, you will be right - its one of the diamond wheels used during construction

Thanks a lot to all of you without whom I would not ever have been able to do this. Especially to James FB who's plans lead the way. I will think of you fondly while we enjoy our very own wfo!!

[C5dad]

Re: Dolf's Bushveld Oven

Congratulations Dolf! Happy cooking