My first oven is a success

[brokencookie]

Re: My first oven is a success

I will take a bunch of pics and try to write something up for the forum
if there is interest

We are always interested in pictures of ovens. It's part of the obsession

[SpringJim]

Re: My first oven is a success

Yes Tim, after looking at that link (thanks Ken) it would be nice to see yours too. How about your pics from last year??

That should help all of us realize how flexible a wood fired oven can be. We get so caught up with perfect looking domes and are crushed by a few cracks....that bread looked fantastic!

Jim

[Frances]

Re: My first oven is a success

yes, and potential new builders get worried about whether they'll be able to build one... and maybe decide not even to try.

One-hour ovens are cool!

[jeff]

Re: My first oven is a success

Perchance Francis, perchance.
Mate, what is it with these people?
A brick oven MUST move.
You show me your crack, and I'll flaunt mine.
Our pile of bricks split directly as an architect would have predicted.
I'm just a blow-in larrikan,[and wouldn't know shit from clay, which seems somehow appropriate] but it seems I dun good eh.She split right there where I reckoned it might. (Some where near the weak point eh.)
Strewth fellers, just do it!!
Gotta be good, tru eh.
teach.

[Orrin Dean]

Re: My first oven is a success

I'm getting scared and I like it!
I think I'm almost more fascinated with the thermodynamics! I can live with the bread from my oven, but I love stretching the heat.

[fullback66]

Re: My first oven is a success

very neat webpage. thanks

[jeff]

Re: My first oven is a success

Eh?
teach

[Orrin Dean]

Re: My first oven is a success

OK I got something to eat. Much better.

If I buy firebricks and supplies for this project, could I use them in a permanant build? Would a burn or residue damage the brick?

[dmun]

Re: My first oven is a success

Bricks: OK. Firebricks are only harmed by chemical/heavy metal contamination.
Insulation boards: OK to the extent they weren't cut.
Loose vermicu/perlite: OK
Anything made out of concrete: Landfill

[Orrin Dean]

Re: My first oven is a success

Thanks, Dmun!
Why is the concrete landfill? Is that due to structural damage?

[dmun]

Re: My first oven is a success

For a temporary oven build, anything cast from concrete in unlikely to be reusuable. Things stuck together with cement based mortars are going to be hard to take apart.

You could make your support slab from pre-cast concrete lintels, but they tend to be very expensive. I don't see any reason why you couldn't make your own in hand made forms. If your support slab was in four lintel-like pieces, two or three people could lift them into position on the block stand, and they could be re-used when you relocated the oven.

As a note, pre-cast lintels are made from special pre-stressed rebar, and are designed to be installed in one particlar postion. I think this application is much less fussy - your rebar would need only be near the center of the slab section.

James once built an oven in Europe using terra-cotta lintels, light, strong and cheap. Sadly, not available in the States.

[james]

Re: My first oven is a success

James once built an oven in Europe using terra-cotta lintels, light, strong and cheap. Sadly, not available in the States.

Everything in the Mediterranean, for southern France to Italy and Spain, is made our of terracotta beams and blocks. It's fun to watch construction projects for houses that are designed to last 500 years. They build a roof structure out of terracotta beams, and then pump tons on concrete on top. The weight must be incredible.

There was a small apartment building going up next to our tennis club, and it was a real kick watching it develop over the months. Beams, lintels, brick, block, and concrete. That's why Italy has muratore -- masons, where we have carpenters.

If I could figure out an inexpensive and safe way of getting them shipped from Italy to your house, it would be good. The beams are basically free. Still, using supports and Hardibacker isn't too bad. I think that beats plywood forms.

James

[jeff]

Re: My first oven is a success

James,
You're a lovely but oblique spirit, and I bow to your Phorno Bravo site
Thanks eh,
jeff H.

[zer0vette]

Re: My first oven is a success

Bringing this back from the dead.

I'm looking to build something like this however i still cant visualize how the roof is held up. Can anyone enlighten me? Anyone have any other ideas for a low budget mortar free build like this?

[dmun]

Re: My first oven is a success

The referenced oven
used a castable refractory concrete ceiling over his baking chamber. Castable isn't for the faint of heart. If it were me, I'd buy a kiln shelf. Either castable or kiln shelf takes the project out of the low-budget ballpark.

Even if it were just for a few uses, i'd spring for some insulation, and even vermiculite concrete isn't cheap.