South Jersey Pompeii Oven - Am I Doing This Right?

[JRPizza]

If you think there is any possibility you might put up a roof/cover some time in the future you might want to consider going double wall. You can get it much closer to any wood structure than single wall and if you really want do to do multi-day cooking you won't have rain or snow ruining your plans.

[Gulf]

I'm all in for covering an oven to extend the number of days per year that it can be comfortably operated. That said, double wall creates a milder heat transition where the stucco/mortar or other masonry meets the pipe. I have seen double wall sections (ss inner/ galv. outside) as short as 12". You could go with the single wall above that for the time being. If a cover was ever in the future, you could easily transition back to double wall to get through the roof.

[mintee]

Starting the drying today. Still gotta work on the outer arch and flue. But I thought I should update. Check the last few images from my gallery

[mintee]

Updated pictures. I've had a 500w halogen work lamp in there for the past 3 days, so it's pretty dry and toasty. Starting to really think about the flue gallery, and I'm gonna pull the trigger today on the 8" base and a 3' double wall chimney. The price is gonna hurt, but it's all in the name of proper pizza, right?

Working out the details of the heat break too. I can't find local fire rope anywhere, and I have plenty of left over FB, so I'm thinking about just cutting that into 1" squares and squeezing it in between the dome and flue gallery, then cover it with a thin layer of mortar. Seems reasonable at least in my head. Any objections?

[mintee]

Speaking of heat break, it just dawned on me after looking at some other posts, I have my outer refractory mortar going over and covering my FB and touching the concrete base. Should I think about getting a grinder out and cutting that away and filling that gap with vermiculited concrete?

[slschoming]

Updated pictures. I've had a 500w halogen work lamp in there for the past 3 days, so it's pretty dry and toasty. Starting to really think about the flue gallery, and I'm gonna pull the trigger today on the 8" base and a 3' double wall chimney. The price is gonna hurt, but it's all in the name of proper pizza, right?

Working out the details of the heat break too. I can't find local fire rope anywhere, and I have plenty of left over FB, so I'm thinking about just cutting that into 1" squares and squeezing it in between the dome and flue gallery, then cover it with a thin layer of mortar. Seems reasonable at least in my head. Any objections?

I got my rope from a local chimney/fireplace installation company. When they asked me what I was doing they offered me a job on the spot!

Are you using blanket insulation around your dome? If so, it might be a little easier to stuff scraps of that into a heat break than the board.

[mintee]

Are you using blanket insulation around your dome? If so, it might be a little easier to stuff scraps of that into a heat break than the board.

Yeah, that's what I meant, but after noticing that fire rope is so cheap, I'm just gonna order some. I figured it was gonna be crazy expensive like the FB and blanket, but I found it online for <$25 per 10'.

In regards to the chimney, I think I've decided to go clay flue liner as a temporary solution until next spring, when I start to build the gabled house around it.

[slschoming]

In regards to the chimney, I think I've decided to go clay flue liner as a temporary solution until next spring, when I start to build the gabled house around it.

I think I may convert to a duratech double wall when I build my patio cover if I feel like I can stomach the cost next spring.. Thinking it will be similar to JRPizza's found here.. The only difference is that my transition will start a little higher since I will already have 2 feet of brick chimney.

[mintee]

Yeah, I'm going to build a gabled house around mine next year, so I can toss the duratech in on that construction build. I love the huge cover over JR's, and man, is that chimney made of 2 x 4' sections? Wonder how much draw there is with that length.

I'm not sure how/if I'll be making a cover like that anytime soon.

[JRPizza]

Those are two 36" sections, and they draw very well I know our cover looks big, but we actually could have made it bigger. When it is raining, which it does often here in the PNW, dry space is at a premium. We also covered two of the side walls with the twinwall plastic they use in greenhouses. We get most of our wind/rain from the South and West, so no matter how hard it blows the oven and hearth stay dry.

[mintee]

Got the gallery done today, but didn't get many pictures taken. See the gallery, since I can't upload pictures over 2MB.

Thinking about ancoring some 1/16 steel wire around the outter arch to support the larger chimney as a fast and efficient way of buttresing.

Sorry for the lack of posts, and pictures. Life happens and when it doesn', there's beer.

[david s]

Make sure you insulate the oven incl flue gallery and flue tile before lighting any fires, otherwise you risk damage from thermal shock.

[mintee]

I started 2 fires, as seen in the photos without the insulation. Despite the look of a large fire, they were just made with small twigs, and only held for 15 minutes each. I'm still working on making sure the oven is fully dried before rushing with the insulation.

[david s]

This fire is only paper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxOkwQyY-2w&t=27s

[mintee]

Lots of progress recently but no posts. By the time I'm done with the work, I'm too exausted to sit down and make a post, and I'm usually stealing time from work and family to work on the oven, so no days for posting then either. Sorry about that.

Thanks for the input on the flue insulation. I haven't mounted the clay flue yet, but plan on today. Unfortunately I ran through 2 boxes of CF blanket wrapping the dome and forgot to save a bit for the chimney. Another $80 and 40 mile drive mistake, as now I need to buy another box of blanket.

I buttressed the sidewalls of the outside arch with some standard brick, and I learned the hard way that I bought quick setting mortar mix. Seeing how I've never done actual brick work before now, I had to learn in a hurry. I'm going to pick up some muriatic acid today to help clean up the mortar mess.

Along with mounting the chimney flue, insulating it, and starting the brick work around it, I'm also going to try and lay the scratch layer of stucco today. Wish me luck!

Also I purchased the 5 pack of residential oven tools from Forno Bravo. I felt it was the least I could do for the company for providing the community with a save haven for our pizza oven posts.

I'm still not too sure what I want to do with the oven door(s). Should I be making 2 doors? One for the inner arch to hold in heat over the weekend, and an outer arch door to prevent mother nature from sinking her weathered teeth into the opening?

More pictures in my signature.

PS: I hate chicken wire!