Just starting out

[bullster]

Hi Guys,
Getting all excited about building my own pizza oven. Have enjoyed reading lots of helpful posts. So far I have a slab laid down, and am organising some bricks for the oven base. Thaks to everyone who has contributed to this forum.
Cheers, Pete

[azpizzanut]

Re: Just starting out

Hello Pete,

Welcome to the forum.

You're in the southern highlands of NSW, Australia, wine country. "Mitt" seems like a nice small town. Is there any chance you could find fire bricks at an old building or one of the old mines in the area?

Cheers,

[bullster]

Re: Just starting out

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the suggestion about getting bricks. The Mines in the Mittagong area have been closed for a very long time now and there whereabouts are hard to find.- there's not much left at all. I've been a little way into two tunnels, but i chickened out before getting very far.
There was an iron smelter in Mittagong (Australia's first) but now that site has a shopping centre built over it. The remains are part of a display in the car parking area. Even if there were bricks there i would probably get into big trouble trying to remove them.
There is a cement works nearby at Moss Vale which would have refractory bricks, but condition/composition/impurities/aquisition is all a bit hard.
However: I have just secured 500 common bricks which i will use for the base and 200 solid clay bricks which i will use for the dome.

cheers,
Peter

[azpizzanut]

Re: Just starting out

Hi Pete,

There are many successful Aussie ovens built from solid clay bricks. If you can obtain some low or medium duty firebricks for the hearth I think you would be well on your way to adding another. Either way, firebrick or clay brick, don't give up on the under hearth insulation. Please keep us posted on your progress. I know there are a few brickies and oven builders on the forum that will be happy to answer your questions.

Have you decided on the oven style yet?

Cheers,

Bob

[C5dad]

Re: Just starting out

Hi Bob,
I've been a little way into two tunnels, but i chickened out before getting very far.

There was an iron smelter in Mittagong (Australia's first) but now that site has a shopping centre built over it. The remains are part of a display in the car parking area. Even if there were bricks there i would probably get into big trouble trying to remove them.

cheers,
Peter

First off = welcome to our happy Pizza Family!

Second, Do not ever go into old mine workings. As someone who has to do this as a profession to clean up the mess, usually workmanship in old addits and tunnels are questionable given the conditions of the bracing and mining techniques. I am glad you chickened out as a few thousand tons of rock falling on you, or critter bites could really mess up your day!

As for bricks - Bob hit the nail on the head. I would steer clear of any used bricks unless you know where they were from and how they were used. Nothing like some good stuff like cadmium/chromium/lead flaking off. Clay bricks can be used successfully.

One thing I have been noticing in general, is down under bricks are a real problem to secure. Has anyone thought of making their own brick kiln and baking their own? I know that there is plenty of clay down there. Reason why I ask is that I bet someone near Sidney or Brisbane could make a killing. Heck, across the border below Yuma, AZ there are towns that all they do is make brick (and a huge initiative to stop it due to air pollution due to burning anything with a btu value!).

[bullster]

Re: Just starting out

Hi Chris,
Thanks for your concern about wandering into old mine shafts........I just had this probably unjustified feeling that there might have been a pot of gold or some other treasure left behind at the end of the tunnel. I must have read too many books when I was young.

We have a brickworks very close to where I live (but not refractory bricks). I like the idea of recycling used bricks, or even better, getting unused old bricks for free

Cheers,
Pete

[bullster]

Re: Just starting out

Hi Bob,
I've decided on a pompei, igloo style. In the "if I did it all again" posts, I became aware that the height of the oven and lighting inside the oven is something that was worth paying attention to. I'm thinking about incorporating some polished concrete somewhere as well because that looks pretty cool.

cheers,
Pete