Ready for the concrete!

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi all

has been a while since my last post. have been busy working on the oven during weekends but regularly check updates by other forum members.

i have attached a couple of pics showing my progress to date. have two layers of insulation (approx 2-3 inches of the ceramic stuff) covered by wire mesh and under about another 2 inch of cement/sand/lime mix. will be finishing the bench tiles next weekend afterwhich i am covering the dome with a final layer of acrylic render which hopefully will provide some waterproofing (although i expect that it will never be totally waterproof).

have also been starting small fires gradually. after the first couple had some steam/vapour coming off the top of the dome (without insulation). this stopped after a few more fires and decided to place the insulation and cement mix.

so far seems to be holding well (fingers crossed). i still havent put the oven to the full heat test as i have taken other forum members advice that you can never go to slow with the curing process. hopefully i havent rushed the insulation bit but seems to be differing views on whether you this before or after the curing process. my eagerness took over on this part of the oven build.

i may try some bread while i am curing the oven but will need to build a door of some sort, at least a temporary one which i can use to test the size/design.

thanks again to all forum members as every little bit of advice and experience all goes into a melting pot with a little bit of own ideas thrown in. i think that is how each oven has its own little bit of character.

i am also starting to get a long list of people eager to try a WFO pizza plus also generated i think another 2-3 people that may give it a go. i have highly recommended this forum for advice and general information.

till next time

best regards

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi

thank for the comments to some of my queries and apologies for taking so long to put up an update.

i have progressed to putting the dome up. had a week off and have spent the last three days getting the dome and the first arch done.

i wasnt to keen on putting the photos up as it hasnt come up as neat as some of the others i have seen on the site but i will put it down to the character of my oven!

if there is one lesson i have learnt during this stage - go slow! i think i tried to work to a time and why i most probably didnt get the best finish. i started with the IT but found i lost a bit of shape near the arch. once i was about five rows from finishing i changed to using corflute held up with bricks and some timber. it shaped around the dome height i needed well as long as you supported the corflute

i have used second hand bricks (from a friend) for the dome but used new ones for the floor. it has two layers of insulation under the floor. i went with the high temp mortar (Fondu) for the bricks that i purchased from Bianco Building Supplies.

as i went along i applied some of the mortar over the bricks. not sure if i will get to regret this?

next will be to finish of the flue and outside arch before i start the curing process. i was planning to leave for 1 week to dry naturally before i start gradually increasing the heat. once i finish the curing i will apply the insulation (25mm ceramic insulation (i think)) and then thought of applying a layer of vermeculite as i have seen a few times on the site that you cant ever have too much insulation. after that i will apply the final waterproof render.

[OzOvenBuilder]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi Chaz, regarding your firebricks, they would be better in the long run as the are designed for heat, one reason being the standard clay brick would eventually deteriorate faster due to the hot/cold cycling that occurs in WFOs.
Maybe try calling some of the suppliers in Melbourne as I can source for around $3 ea brand new first quality, maybe a little more if you're buying less than a pallet (approx 330).
You don't know any truckies that do the Adelaide - Melbourne run that may be able to help with freight on back loads??

Cheers,

Russell.

[david s]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

"the other query is re the flue. I was looking at using the besser block that I am using for the stand. It will be a 2-3 high and eventually rendered to look like the rest of the oven. Is this OK, ie will they be able to take the heat coming up the flue without cracking?"

Hi Chaz,
Just reading your thread.
The concrete blocks for the flue are most likely to crack from the heat. Use something more refractory, standard bricks are ok or stainless steel.

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi all

Finished pouring the top today. i have gone with a brick edge at top for a bit of a feature (unless i change my mind and just render over it when i am rendering the blocks as not totally happy with my brick laying!). The brick is the same as our house and plan to have a charcoal/dark grey render that matches the roof of our house. The dome of the oven will be similar colour to the brick and then have a grey tile on the work areas - well thats the plan at the moment!!

Picked up the insulating blocks earlier this week which i am planning on laying on a thin layer of sand. i hope to get the bricks this week but wont be able to start till the week after as family we havent seen for a long time are coming over from interstate.

May get some time to start the arch frame and prepare the IT as i have decided to go with this method.

Have posted some pics from todays effort.

thanks agian to all.

[BOOMERS WFO]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi Chaz,
Littlehampton Brick often have second firebricks. I got mine for $3 each.

I hired a brick saw for the day, worked out how many full bricks for the hearth and cut the rest in half. This has worked really well, with most of the shaping of bricks using a
5" angle grinder with diamond blade. I also am using a 9" grinder with diamond blade to speed up the bigger cuts. Remember the cut face is facing out so no one is going to see it. As far as shaping I am just making sure that the internal face edge is neat, the rest is filled with mortar.

Good Luck

Craig

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Thanks all for comments.

Laku will try the angle grinder and see how I go.

[Laku]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

You don't need anything else than 230mm angle grinder and diamond blade(s) for cutting the bricks. Not saying that it wouldn't be easier with proper brick saw, but it isn't that hard with angle grinder either.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Welcome Chaz from Utah........

The bird tracks add a great touch. My slab is a boring broom finish. Will be watching your build.

Russell

[brickie in oz]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

On their website they refer to around 24 hours of heat retention.

Only with the right insulation.

[buckeyebreadman]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Never mind Drugs........I'm gonna smuggle FIREBRICKS into Australia...

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Hi All

This WFO thing really hooks you! I reckon for most of the day today I have been either thinking about my build or watering the new slab so it won't crack! Don't think it's really necessary given its only about 14C. While 'thinking' a few things came up that I thought I would seek some feedback:

looking around for the bricks I have found a couple of local suppliers (Adelaide, Australia). Littlehampton Bricks that has the fire bricks at around $6 each. When I contacted them they said I could also use their clay bricks at around .80c each

The other is Traditional Pizza Ovens which has refactory bricks at around $4.50 each. On their website they refer to around 24 hours of heat retention.

Based on what i have picked up from members of the Forno Bravo site it seems that I should go with the fire bricks rather than the standard clay bricks. I also picked up that more insulation is better so I am considering going for two layers of insulation.

If i was to have the dual insulation I was wondering if this would make the standard clay bricks keep the heat better. Or is it that the clay bricks will eventually deteriorate?

the other query is re the flue. I was looking at using the besser block that I am using for the stand. It will be a 2-3 high and eventually rendered to look like the rest of the oven. Is this OK, ie will they be able to take the heat coming up the flue without cracking?

My last query is the actual oven build. As I don't have a saw of my own I will need to hire. Given that I will be doing the oven over a few weekends this may not be economical so I thought I would use the wet sand method and dry stack the bricks using wedges to keep the angle correct. Once all completed I would apply the mortar to fill the gaps and remove the wedges. I was thinking of using the wet sand method also for the front arches. Any thoughts on this approach to the dome build?

Sorry for the long query and hopefully not too silly ideas/questions!

[Lburou]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Looking good! You will be glad you incorporated the wings for counter space

[Chaz Aus]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Thanks buckeyebreadman. I like to work in a tidy area. See if it lasts to the end!

[buckeyebreadman]

Re: Ready for the concrete!

Your posts speak well of you as a person! You clean up the area before you take the pics. You and I would get along very well!.......Good on ya'.....