New Oven in NWI

[Chris Octane]

I have found so much valuable information on this forum and I want to say thank you!!!
I have wanted to attempt building a pizza oven/ outdoor kitchen for years and I have stared. The plan have obviously came from the Forno Bravo PDF and a 1/2 dozen youtube videos. I will post some progress pics in the next post. It has been fun!

[Chris Octane]

Some of the first

[Chris Octane]

[Chris Octane]

[Chris Octane]

[UtahBeehiver]

Chris,

Thanks for posting. That is a lot of hand pour.

I do have one major concern. The insulation (Owens 150 Foam) under the brick floor is not suitable for a WFO for the following reasons. The material is only rated for 165F and these ovens get really hot, Second, the material only has a compression rating of 15 psi, you need at least 75 psi (ovens really heavy) This is a critical issue and needs to be addressed before you go anyfurther with the oven construction. I don't want to rain on your parade and just want you to have a successful build. The floor insulation can either be the following, CaSi board (typically rate at 2000 F plus and at least 2"), perlite or vermicultie/concrete (at least 4" at 5 to 1 ratio) or insulated fire bricks under regular fire bricks.

[Chris Octane]

Chris,

Thanks for posting. That is a lot of hand pour.

I do have one major concern. The insulation (Owens 150 Foam) under the brick floor is not suitable for a WFO for the following reasons. The material is only rated for 165F and these ovens get really hot, Second, the material only has a compression rating of 15 psi, you need at least 75 psi (ovens really heavy) This is a critical issue and needs to be addressed before you go anyfurther with the oven construction. I don't want to rain on your parade and just want you to have a successful build. The floor insulation can either be the following, CaSi board (typically rate at 2000 F plus and at least 2"), perlite or vermicultie/concrete (at least 4" at 5 to 1 ratio) or insulated fire bricks under regular fire bricks.

I was using the Owens for the form area/ oven layout for the insulation under the fb only not for insulation. I have been under a dilemma whether to pour 4" of vermiculite mix or 2" CaSi board. I have found CaSi board locally from a mfg that I seen on this site and it is cheap without any shipping. So I really don't know which way to go.

[UtahBeehiver]

That is good to hear that the Owens was not floor insulation. CaSi is by far the better insulation if your budget can handle it. In the scheme of things, the cost is moderate considering the out door kitchen you are building. Do get a spec on the CaSi, K values should be around 0.5 (Btu-in/hr-ft2) at 500 F and around or more 75 PSI compression at 5%. One caveat, CaSi is very water absorbent and wet insulation is one of the most common problems with WFOs. You can mitigate by raising off concrete slab with tiles or with a non water absorbent insulation such as FoamGlas. Also install weep holes in concrete slab. If you enclosing the oven, in a structure then it is not as big a problem.

Where in the NW burbs are you, the better half is from Cary.

[Chris Octane]

Pizza oven going okay here is the link for my build so far. 2 rows down a few to go.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6CDuHjzCwFnSbhMNA

[UtahBeehiver]

Coming along nicely. Couple observations. Good job buttressing inner arch. You are at the point to start doing a tapered inner arch. Attached is a pic from Mr. Chipster showing how the IT helps determines the inner arch shape. Since the IT pivot point is not a floor level, you will see the dome ID increase in radius as you move up. So you may have to make some radius adjustments with the IT to make the taper inner arch and dome mate smoothly. I see you are tapering the brick joints (nice tight one) but you will start to see what is called the inverted "V" joint if you do not start to bevel as well.

[Chris Octane]

Coming along nicely. Couple observations. Good job buttressing inner arch. You are at the point to start doing a tapered inner arch. Attached is a pic from Mr. Chipster showing how the IT helps determines the inner arch shape. Since the IT pivot point is not a floor level, you will see the dome ID increase in radius as you move up. So you may have to make some radius adjustments with the IT to make the taper inner arch and dome mate smoothly. I see you are tapering the brick joints (nice tight one) but you will start to see what is called the inverted "V" joint if you do not start to bevel as well.

I am using MrChipsters Jig and the excel dome calculator to cut the bricks. BTW the 3 cut jig is awesome. I really do not understand how the IT pivot point will change the dome or taper and not sure how to adjust it accordingly?

[UtahBeehiver]

When the IT as at the zero course the radius from the pivot point is for example on a 42" ID oven, the radius is 21", at the top of the dome, the ID radius is 21" (pivot point) plus how far off the brick floor the IT pivot point is. So I see plywood, assume 1/2" plus the pivot point off the plywood (eye balling) 1 1/2" so the dome height at the peak will be 21 plus 0.5 plus 1.5 = 23" and the dome ID will be somewhere between 23 max (top) and 21 min (bottom) depending how far from the zero course to top the ID is. This is where adjustments to the length of the IT around the tapered inner arch takes place so the dome and arch mate smoothly. I know this is confusing but just something you need to adjust to as you move up in course on the dome.

[Chris Octane]

Well here are the latest shot of the oven I am hopefully close to starting curing fires.

I do need some direction in doing curing fires however to keep temperatures right.