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  • gjbingham
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    They will understand completely when your project is done and they've had their first freshly baked pizza or bread from it.

    Look forward to seeing more progress photos. Pretty cold out there now, huh? I imagine our climates are very similar. Cold and damp.....

    George

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  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    The family are still looking at me with a sense of bemusement (what's wrong with the oven in the kitchen?). Friends look at me like I've finally lost it. The Guardian newspaper did a supplement this weekend on baking - written by Dan Lepard I think - (lots about wood fired ovens, especially from Tom Jaine) - and it said that to build an oven in your garden you had to be 'an ultra-enthusiast or lunatic'. Lots of people are quoting this at me. I think they're implying I'm the second type of person. Here's the link to the baking guide if you're interested - looked good to me: Guardian Guide to baking

    Still, I'm cracking on. The brick walls for the base of the 10 foot by 10 foot summerhouse are finished now, and the timber arrived yesterday ready to go up. I'm trying to raise the base of the timber frame above ground level so it doesn't rot away. You can see the bolts embedded in the mortar - I'll be fixing the frame down with this so the whole thing doesn't blow away in the breeze.



    I quite fancy putting a roof on this ASAP, because it's no fun building an oven in the cold rain. Hopefully I can get a lot of the frame up this weekend. The cladding for the summerhouse is coming from a demolished fence - more recycled products being used. Also very cheap - good old ebay!

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  • gjbingham
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Carl,
    I just found this thread. Really cool ideas on your base. Things seem to be moving along quickly. I look forward to seeing your progress.

    Has your family caught the bug, or are they still just shaking their heads as you trudge out the door to work.

    George

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  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    I spent a long time looking for a cheap pyrometer, and found that there weren't any. So a bit of lateral thought led me to buy a 'temperature controller' that accepts a type K thermocouple. I bought it off ebay, and bought four thermocouples at the same time from the same person on ebay. I don't really need the 'controller' circuit, but I thought it would be fun to have it switch a light on outside my oven when it was up to temperature.

    I can't find the original seller (I bought it a couple of years ago, while planning a different oven project that didn't happen ), but it looks identical to this one (maybe same seller, but can't guarantee): temperature controller on ebay

    I think I paid a bit less than this auction (about ?15), plus about another ?10 for three more thermocouples. I also bought a couple of cheap thermocouples of ebay similar to these ones: Type K Thermocouples on ebay

    I plan to use these last two 'low grade' thermocouples for the areas that should only get warm, not hot - under the insulation and in the outside wall, just to see how much heat is lost. To choose between the thermocouples I got a used rotary thermocouple selector off ebay for ?6, which selects between 12 different thermocouples. I'll stick some pictures up when I fit them.

    It should be obvious, I hope, but I have no affiliation with any of these sellers

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  • Wlodek
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Carl,
    On the blog page you show some thermocouples wiring. Where did you find them? Especially at this price?
    Best wishes,
    W.
    (who has been stalled by formalities)

    Leave a comment:


  • sarah h
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Looking good! I like your round stand. Great job with the stone face - will you carry that look around the dome?
    I'm rather envious of your thermo-couplings as it's something I'd like to have done, however, I felt I had enough to contend with in just building the oven (I'm currently in the midst of dome construction).
    Your under-bricks for the floor sound as if they'll be fine.

    Sarah

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  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    I finished the hearth slab pour last weekend, and am pretty pleased with it. My bodge of using black plastic to hold the concrete in worked well, and this morning I had a nice flat level slab to work on. The slab was reinforced with a 6" grid of rebar tied together, so this thing should be bombproof.



    The slab has an 'interesting' edge, but I'll be plastering over all this anyhow, so I can live with that.



    I mentioned that I'm going to use Thermalite blocks for hearth insulation - it worked out very quick and easy to get them done to give me 4" insulation.



    It only took me an hour and a half to get this done, including cutting all the blocks. I could have laid the hearth firebricks straight away, but I haven't got any fireclay yet Need to get more supplies in...
    I'm putting six thermocouples in, on both sides of the insulation, in and out of the oven. I want to know if these blocks are any good, because they were very cheap, and a lot easier for me than vermiculite/perlite concrete.

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  • Ken524
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Beautiful work Carl!

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  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    It's been a while now, as I've been thinking about how to do the round hearth slab form. I settled on using some waste 3x2 cut into lengths with 15 degree ends - when held together with a ratchet strap it made a surprisingly strong round (ish) form.



    There were some huge gaps between the bottom of this and the (very uneven) top of the stand, so I filled the gaps with some concrete resting on a black plastic 'skirt' inside the former. I'll pour the hearth next week, once all this concrete has set.



    It's not pretty, but it's functional. I'm hoping the set concrete will stop the ring of wood shifting when I pour the hearth. It will give a messy edge to the slab, but I'll be plastering over that anyhow.

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  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Got the rest of the stand finished today - used up a lot of rubble and most of my free rockery stone. I've filled the gaps between the concrete support blocks with the rest of the rubble.

    Next I need to fill the cores in the blocks with concrete and rebar, then I can think about pouring the hearth. I'm pretty pleased with this so far, especially since all the building materials were waste materials (apart from the mortar, obviously )

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  • pizzaboy
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    That was actually my plan.... I still am not sure how I will finish off the top dome and integrate with the stone. Maybe flat top?

    Leave a comment:


  • Carl
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    That's a compliment! Of course you're welcome to take anything from this - I've learned a lot from everyone else on the forum, if I can give something back then that's great.

    Please bear in mind though that I'm making it up as I go, so you might want to hold off and see how it works out first! I'd hate to lead you into a mistake !

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  • pizzaboy
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    Carl, I love it!!! And within my budget as well (Nada$!) Mind if I use yours as a go-by for mine? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? That stone is exactly what I had in mind and I like the compact dimensions as my allowable space is tight.

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  • asudavew
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    i hope you didn't cover the hand prints!

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  • asudavew
    replied
    Re: Another UK oven started

    one word

    beautiful


    Leave a comment:

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