New build - 1.2M dome

[Bauldy 2]

Looks great boss I record it will taste better than any shop or restaurant bought pizza.I will get back to working on mine next week repaired my old outside fireplace with my offcutts I'll probably finish end of jan depending on the weather.

[Brad Low]

First pizza

That looks perfect

[Damer419]

Congrats.....looks good!!!

[jonv]

First pizza

[RandyJ]

On the IR thermometer you will want one that will go to at least 550 C. Once you are past that you will know as it is to hot to put your hand any where near the oven to measure the temperature.

Randy

[JRPizza]

Yeah I get an out of range at my highest temps. Just keep shooting the bottom 2/3s and you can tell when the oven is heating uniformly. Before my oven completely cured I was surprised at how much cooler the bottom bricks were.

[jonv]

I do have an IR thermometer, but it went out of range on the top of the dome. I can't recall the numbers but it was much cooler on the sides. I was left with a band of soot of around six inches.

[JRPizza]

It took me several fires to get from the center of the dome clearing to clearing the entire dome down to the floor. Do you have an IR thermometer? If you do it'll tell you how much cooler the lower parts of the dome are vs the top.

[jonv]

Good point. At the end of the curing fires I've shoved the embers around the sides but it's not enough yet - will give them more attention on the next fire.

I haven't observed any significant cracks yet - I'll have a good look tomorrow after this big fire. There appears to be one hairline crack across the corner of one of the bricks that joins the inner arch. If it is cracked it is minor and nothing of structural significance.

[SableSprings]

Looking good Jonv! Remember to work the sides/perimeter with the fire. The outside, lower perimeter will be the last part to clear on every firing and during the curing process it will be the last area that still contains moisture.

Pizza from your own WFO is certainly a great way to say goodbye to 2016 and welcome in 2017.

[jonv]

After some weeks of gentle drying with the heat lamp and over a week of long steady curing fires I was getting a little worried that the temps weren't going up as high as they ought to.

But today I had a mighty fire going and saw the dome start to clear. Can't remember the last time I was that excited

I had a little dough in the fridge from testing some pizza flour earlier in the week and threw that in with just olive oil and salt. Results were encouraging - ready now for real pizza on New Year's Eve

[jonv]

That must be really annoying, but you'll be done soon If you can get a heat lamp or something similar in the dome it'll dry out nicely while you're waiting - seemed to do a good job on mine.

"proud and fat" - might have to get that inscribed on the oven somewhere

[Bauldy 2]

I had o take a break waiting on granite can't get polishing disks til new year so new finish date will mid jan I reckon on three days to do entrance and Dec. Arch another two days to do sink an d cupboard further three to complete grill and fireplace that I may get done while I wait for granite pads.you should be proud and fat by new year.

[Bauldy 2]

Well done boss I'm so glad your curling went well.

[jonv]

Dave - yeah, love that. Planning a pizza only diet for a few weeks as soon as the oven's dried out . Nice set of tools that.

JR - haven't touched the garden since I started building the oven - don't think the hoe is going to cut it