Michigan WFO

[mannextdoor]

Re: Michigan WFO

I would agree that using an angle grinder to grind out he mortar on the one brick in question, would be the way to go. You should be able to replace just the one brick.

[mfiore]

Re: Michigan WFO

I'll see what I can do.

Do I need to put a coat of mortar over my dome? I plan to use insulating blankets, no vermiculite. It will have a walled enclosure, so the dome will not be seen. Does the surface coat of mortar provide any structural strength? Is it's only purpose to round out the oven and give some (0.25-0.5 inch) further mass? Unless it is needed for structural purposes, I'd just as soon leave as is.

[Les]

Re: Michigan WFO

Mike - I don't think it is needed. After you fire it up, and develop cracks - it may help minimize the size of them with a second coat.

Les...

[mfiore]

Re: Michigan WFO

A second coat? but I don't even have a first coat. The bricks are naked and exposed.

[egalecki]

Re: Michigan WFO

I only put my extra mortar layer on because I wasn't as tidy as you were while I was building. I had a lot of "backfilling" to do, and since I only cut halfway through my bricks and broke them the rest of the way, I had a lot of sticking out parts, which I covered up so I didn't shred my blanket (I had already shredded my knees)

You don't need the extra mass, and your dome is nice and tidy. I wouldn't mess with it.

If you're using blanket, you can fire up the oven and pull the blanket back to check for cracks- that's what I did. Although, I didn't get much in the way of cracking initially, and now I have several (of course, AFTER I'd done the rest of the insulating!). They're minor, however, and I think I'm the only one who'd see them.

so, are you taking the arch apart or covering it up?

[Les]

Re: Michigan WFO

A second coat? but I don't even have a first coat. The bricks are naked and exposed.

Mike - I would fire it up and see what happens. I've seen cracks up to 1/2 in. wide on ovens. If that were to happen, I would add some mortar to it. As Elizabeth mentioned, you don't need the mass, I'm just thinking the smaller the cracks, the better.

Les...

[mfiore]

Re: Michigan WFO

so, are you taking the arch apart or covering it up?

Haven't decided yet. I'm going to mull it over tonight over a bottle of wine.

[staestc]

Re: Michigan WFO

Mike,

Make sure it's good wine

As for the extra mass, make sure you don't want it. Always a trade, and not sure I want it either, given the extra time to heat for pizza, but possibly will hold heat longer for other things.

I have been so into the design and engineering aspects of this forum since I finally found it, that I have not even begun to start studying the huge cooking half of the forum! I am thinking I need to do at least a little of that before I make any final design decisions, but I know that I want pizza, bread, and roasts. Probably never loads of any of those.

I am curious how you (and others) see yourself using it, and if you think the extra mass makes any difference from that respect, as well as knowing if there is a stuctural reason to add it.

You had got to be so happy to be worring about these type of things! Your oven is just looking great!

Travis

[mannextdoor]

Re: Michigan WFO

If you coat the dome to add more mass. What product do you use? Does anyone wish they had added more mass? Will extra mass on the dome give a greater difference in temperature between floor and the top of the dome?

[Frances]

Re: Michigan WFO

I don't think it matters much either way in the end...

After building your oven you will have to learn how to use it, and as each oven reacts a bit differently, in respect to heat up times, hot spots, temp curve etc, and as most of us only ever get to cook in one oven... well, how would you compare?

I didn't add any mass to my oven, and I use it a lot for all kinds of cooking. So the answer would have to be no, an oven doesn't need any aditional mass. But really I think that if I had added more mass to the dome the oven wouldn't be better or worse, only different.

[mannextdoor]

Re: Michigan WFO

Thanks Frances

That sounds reasonable. I think learning to use the WFO is when the fun truly begins.

[staestc]

Re: Michigan WFO

Good points Frances Thanks!
Travis

[mfiore]

Re: Michigan WFO

Mike,

Make sure it's good wine

I should have had two bottles. Not my finest day.

I decided to redo the outer arch. I know it was the right thing to do. It just didn't look right.

I tackled it with an angle grinder, trying to cut through the mortar joints of the center 7 bricks. The heat stop was quite hard, but I was able to cleanly make cuts 1/3 the depth of the joint all the way around. The bricks remained securely fastened to the others and would not budge.

I tried to tap them out with a small chisel. Nothing. "Dad, why are you worried about them falling if you can't even get them out?" Grrrrr...

A few more hits. Finally, the entire arch came down in big chunks. So did the side arch support on the left and the first few bricks on the right. Chipped a brick on the way down. I spent a great deal of time cleaning up, grinding the old mortar off the bricks. Getting ready to rethink my plan. I'll wait to rebuild later in the week. The temps were high 30's today and quite windy. Not a great day for laying brick. I hope to regroup and try this again later in the week. I have one day off this week, and working all weekend. I'm afraid I may have run out of time before winter. We'll see.

Sorry, no photos. I couldn't bear to take any today.

[egalecki]

Re: Michigan WFO

It'll be ok, Mike. I think it's supposed to be warmer here next week, so maybe it'll stretch to you? I think the high here was about 35 today, and the wind was gusting to 35 mph. Ugh.

If it bothered you that much, you were right to take it out. Even if you'd covered it up with more brick, you'd have known it was there. Turn the chipped brick to where it won't show- if it's not huge it won't matter structurally.

Maybe a tent with sidewalls and a heater would lend you a little more time?

[Les]

Re: Michigan WFO

Sorry to hear that Mike - had to be a huge set back. With the unknowns of thermal expansion, I think it was the right thing to do. If it's any consolation, when I built my island, there was an area I didn't like. Tore out around 35 bricks, invented cuss words that have never been written, and lost 2 days of hard labor. Stay positive, at the end of the day it will be good.

Les...