42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Trying to get caught up on pictures.

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Wow?.I can?t tell you how happy it makes to be able to finally post pictures showing a closed dome.

For anyone who cares, I ended up using an upside-down home depot bucket and a little bit of wet sand to support my final two courses of brick. It ended up working pretty well. I originally tried the medicine ball method but it seemed like it was too flexible with too exaggerated of a pitch for my personal preference.

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Here are some pictures of the vent to chimney transition. I was kind of stressing on how I was going to properly form up the inside of the vent transition so that I could:

1. Cast the vent to chimney transition in-place (while still being able to remove the inside forms).
2. Change the shape from my vents long and skinny rectangular shape to an 8? circular shape without compromising the smokes ability to flow.
3. Do it without spending too much time or money on it.

And then it dawned on me to use what precast concrete companies use?..Styrofoam wrapped in duct tape. So I bought a piece of 2? thick foam insulation, stacked it to the proper height, cut it, and wrapped it in tape. Btw?.The theory on the duct tape is that it will stop the Styrofoam from soaking up the water from the surrounding concrete.

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

And with a finished front arch?.

[stoveup]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Nice brickwork, DTR - you'll be cooking soon!

I particularly like your entry/flue design that minimizes the depth of the entryway, which gets you closer to the oven while still allowing a very wide smoke chamber above the entry

Please post plenty of pics of the forming and pour-in-place process. I have debated using that method myself.

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Thank you stoveup. I don't have a ton of pics but here is the one that I do have. It is not the prettiest form but it defiantly worked. Here was my overall process:

1. Used the taped up tapered Styrofoam as a substitute for the inside form
2. Used plywood (reinforced with a one 2x4) as the front form
3. Used (2) stacked 2x4's as the side forms.
4. Used small strips of Styrofoam to fill in any major form gaps. This kept the concrete from running out of the bottom of my form (this was removed the next day with the form)
5. The side forms were braced with a vertical 2x4 which was anchored to the side arch brick via (1) masonry screw (I used the smallest screw that I could in an effort to minimize any damage to the arch brick.
6. The front of the form was held in place with a strap which was wrapped around the other side of my oven (this kept me from having to anchor into my dome which I wanted to avoid at all costs)

Overall....I ended up using about 3/4 of a (1) 80lb bag of premixed concrete which I added fire clay to.

The next morning it took about (2) minutes to remove the outside of the form and about (5) minutes to CUT the Styrofoam out with a small drywall hand saw. Overall....from a construction standpoint it defiantly worked. Now only time will tell if the logic is sound which I think it should be.

[abesau]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Sorry if it has been asked before, but I couldn't find it.
1. How many firebricks did it take to build you're oven?
2. How much refractory mortar did you end up using?
3. Is the mortar to bond the bricks together the same as
the castable refractory cement or are they different??
I believe the castable is used to cover the fire blanket.

Thanks

[Paul in Rockwall TX]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

I sent you a message earlier regarding Gartex. In general, I highly recommend downloading the free POMPEI oven plans. they are very informative and have tables in the back that show specific material lists for various size ovens (36" and 42")

It's a great starting place. I printed them out and put them in a binder, about 70 pages as I recall.

Not all the detail is there, but that's where the forum picks up.

In answer to one of your questions, I used 4 50# bags of mortar. I used Heatstop 50 drymix, which was available locally.

Paul

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Unfortunately my blackberry died and I lost a ton of pics. Especially of the framing and insulating process. However, here is where I left off right before the summer got too hot for me to work on the oven. Lucky for me.....it is about time to start back up

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Thanks for posting. Love your octagon enclosure. Got plans on your final finish material?
John

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

I have it narrowed down a little but it will all depend on what kind of deal I can get for the materials.

Roof - Either slate roof tiles or a flat concrete tile

Pizza Oven Finish - Either a 12"x12" slate tile (cut in half) in a brick pattern or 18"18" travertine tile in the same pattern. Plus, there will be some type of accent tile.

Countertop - Either granite or concrete countertops

Base Finish - Either cultured stone (prob too expensive @$8/sf) or travertine tile in the brick pattern.

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

A slight change in the exterior materials but I think it is coming along quite nicely... Here is an update photo

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

for those who care.... it is tumbled travertine for the arch. A piece of black granite for the keystone. And bricked slate for the rest.

[brianventura]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

The oven is looking great!!! Have you done any cooking in between working on it?
Brian

[dtrbovich]

Re: 42" Corner Unit - Phoenix

Thanks! I have and it cooks great! I have fired it up about 8 times in the last year (and yes it has taken me that long to get to this point). However, I will say that I have not mastered cooking any more than one pizza at a time. But even with that being the case, we still knocked out 28 pizzas in under an hour and a half! WOOHHHOOOO!!!

By far my favorite pizza is still a very non-traditional buffalo chicken blue cheese pizza.
Here are the ingredients for anyone who cares (I found it on-line):
- Franks Hot red hot for the sauce
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Grilled Chicken
- and lots of blue cheese crumbled on the top

The wife loves a prosciutto pizza which is also awesome!

mmmmmmmmm