Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Worked all weekend and made some real good progress and have finally gotten my oven weathered in for the most part which really gets a monkey off my back.

It has taken a very long time to get here, but we cooked in our brick oven for the first time this weekend. Very satisfying and frustrating all at the same time. I've been making homemade dough, thin crust pizza with a brick oven insert in my home oven for years with very good success at 550*.

Cooking in the WFO at 750+* is going to take some getting used to, to say the least. My first cooking experience went really well and turned out three very tasty pies. The very next day, I cooked six pizzas and only 3 or 4 turned out good. One I flat out ruined and two or so the bottoms were a bit over charred. I guess I've got a new process to learn, go figure....

Is there a good method of cooling down the cooking floor? I'm sure the answer is just hold my pants on and wait till it is a bit cooler and drink a beer?

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Thanks Texman! I can't wait to be able to use it.

[texman]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Great Job! That is a great oven in a beautiful setting. Enjoy!
Texman

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Update: This weekend I started the curing process with my first fire, insulated the dome and started building the enclosure. Today after work I will be starting my third day of curing, the amount of heat held overnight is amazing. Cant wait for my first pizza, maybe this coming weekend if weather holds out so I can finish the cure.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

I am a slow poke, I have all the copper but I need to practice my copper forming skill on some cheap steel duct work. At $4 a square foot I do not want to screw to many pieces up. So I am putting along on the final cladding. But when I start in earnest I will be photo logging the progress. BTW, you build turn out very nice.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Hodgey,

I used expanding concrete concrete bolts with a high temp sealant underneath then capped with a row of brick. make sure you plate is plumb and adjust accordingly because if not it will show up on your chimney as you go extend up.

Thanks Utah, I stopped and looked at your build today, what a beautiful job. Where you able to do the copper finish on the dome? If so Id like to see it.

Chris

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Hodgey,

I used expanding concrete concrete bolts with a high temp sealant underneath then capped with a row of brick. make sure you plate is plumb and adjust accordingly because if not it will show up on your chimney as you go extend up.

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Progress update.

I finished building the chimney this weekend and doing some touch up work here and there. I also did something ive not taken the time to do since starting this project and that is "clean up". Two five gallon pails full of brick cuts plus one nearly full of the clean-out muck from water reservoir on the brick saw. The chimney turned out very much to my liking and I'm contemplating keeping it exposed when I do my enclosure.

I will give it a week more to dry then im going to start curing fires. I have not secured the stainless adapter plate for the double wall pipe yet, Do I need to use Tap-Cons to anchor it to the bricks or can I just mortar it in place?? Im a little worried about drilling into the brick and possibly cracking something.

[TxTanner]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

I'm glad to hear that the rain has stopped.Now you can get on it....

Love the up shot of the dome. Now that's the way to save money on mortar!!!!Gooodandtighttt

Bill

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Concrats on the plug!

Thanks Utah, cant wait to cook my first pizza!

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Concrats on the plug!

[hodgey1]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Bill, Thankfully the rains here have subsided for the most part enabling me to make some pretty good progress. The FB board seems to be holding up well even thou subjected to quit a bit of moisture earlier during construction.

This weekend I completed the 14th ring, the dome is now fully enclosed. I also did some clean up in the interior and finished the outer arch. Pics below.

Chipster, thanks again and I'm doing my best to pay it forward with my posts as I continue with the project.

Chris

[mrchipster]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

It is my 12th week since starting this major backyard project. I have just completed the 13th ring and only have the Keystone at the very top of the dome left to have it fully enclosed. I have posted pictures below.

The last two rings I have begun cutting each brick using the bevel/angle method "wish I had from start". Thanks to MrChipster's posts and all the information from Boylanta. Once again I am going to repeat what a invaluable source the forum is and its members who's are so willing to help. There's no question in my mind that I would have never thought about starting this project without Forno Bravo and its members on the forum.

I hope to complete the outer chimney this weekend so I can start the curing process. My initial plan/dreams where to be able to cook pizzas for my birthday next week but that's not looking possible unless I could become unemployed and that wouldn't make my wife very happy!

I am glad I could provide some assistance but I was helped by others and all of my brick cutting jig development came from the insight that people like JCG31 provided before me. I hope you will be able to pay forward to others on the forum in the future on the things you learn.

[TxTanner]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Looks great to me .Are you still having problems with the insulation and slab?


Bill

[GIANLUCA]

Re: Starting 42" NW Pensylvania

Hurry and plug it before it leaks!!!!!