Newby Build Templestowe, Melbourne Australia

[shelbyright]

G,day everyone,

I'm excited to be part of this forum, what a wealth of information!

my plans are not final as yet as i like to learn as much as can before i embark on a project, especially when in know so little about the subject.
I am going to build a 42" corner oven as part of my out door pool pavilion. i have so many questions in regards to the base is should use, insulation and what i need to consider in my measurements.
i do know a few things, base will be concrete with besser block core filled walls, concrete oven base similar to J Russell Wongs build which is awesome, i would prefer counter at cooking platform level. the oven will be undercover so water ingress should not be an issue.

i have just found this site a week ago and i cannot stop reading the amazing builds and ideas on here.

I would like to hear from anyone on here that can share some ideas and pointers. which would be much appreciated.

looking forward to sharing the progress of my build and experiences with you all, and hopefully i can add to the information for some else's next build.

Cheers,

George

[UtahBeehiver]

Welcome to the forum. Just happen to be in Melbourne earlier this summer and toured your great sites along the Great Ocean Road. Oasiscm is one of local builders in your area. He lives in the Werribee area and is just starting to build his second oven. He can give you leads on material resources as well as advice. His stand was hebel based but Aussie version of concrete blocks (besser) works great too. Here is a link to some of the more documented builds.

https://community.fornobravo.com/for...n-the-archives

[SableSprings]

Welcome to the forum George. As you've probably already seen, making sure you plan good insulation and how to keep it dry are two major factors for the build. Since you've got the covered area, no worries on keeping it dry. Do think about locating the oven where you can easily set the chimney through or bending it off to the side of the existing roof.

As you noted, the counter space near or around your oven is an important consideration. I built carts into my corner base which give me added prep space and some wood storage (and I just didn't like the thought of having to go into a dark hole under the oven for a couple sticks of wood ). Also, do think about access from the kitchen, access/storage of your main wood supply, and prevailing wind...if possible you don't want wind blowing into your oven.

Exploring the link to "hidden gems" that Russell added is really worth the time. Also, if you can try to think of your basic oven intent...just pizza, pizza & bread, roasting meats & vegetables, etc. , it will help you decide on how much counter space, oven size & shape, and of course...guest seating/table space (if you build it, they will come! ).

Looking forward to your questions and progress!

[shelbyright]

Welcome to the forum. Just happen to be in Melbourne earlier this summer and toured your great sites along the Great Ocean Road. Oasiscm is one of local builders in your area. He lives in the Werribee area and is just starting to build his second oven. He can give you leads on material resources as well as advice. His stand was hebel based but Aussie version of concrete blocks (besser) works great too. Here is a link to some of the more documented builds.

https://community.fornobravo.com/for...n-the-archives

Thanks for the info, great link too.

looking forward to learning a lot more here

Cheers,

G

[shelbyright]

Welcome to the forum George. As you've probably already seen, making sure you plan good insulation and how to keep it dry are two major factors for the build. Since you've got the covered area, no worries on keeping it dry. Do think about locating the oven where you can easily set the chimney through or bending it off to the side of the existing roof.

As you noted, the counter space near or around your oven is an important consideration. I built carts into my corner base which give me added prep space and some wood storage (and I just didn't like the thought of having to go into a dark hole under the oven for a couple sticks of wood ). Also, do think about access from the kitchen, access/storage of your main wood supply, and prevailing wind...if possible you don't want wind blowing into your oven.

Exploring the link to "hidden gems" that Russell added is really worth the time. Also, if you can try to think of your basic oven intent...just pizza, pizza & bread, roasting meats & vegetables, etc. , it will help you decide on how much counter space, oven size & shape, and of course...guest seating/table space (if you build it, they will come! ).

Looking forward to your questions and progress!

Thanks Mike, you make some really good points here, i have thought about most of the things you have suggested.

i have attached a pretty poor sketch of our layout so far.

Cheers

[SableSprings]

Wow! Quite a fabulous entertainment area! Two thoughts...1) make sure that your path bringing wood to the oven and the fireplace is wide enough to bring in a wheelbarrow (and easy to clean/sweep/vacuum)...since there will be a trail of wood debris ...and 2) make sure your fire pit isn't too big to make the movie difficult to watch . Also, have you thought about ash removal and tool storage?

I think it's great that you have good space between the table and the oven...a crowd will want to gather behind you while you're working the oven. Be sure you leave enough space between the inner pavilion wall and the back of the completed oven. I didn't leave enough space and when I went to put up the last sheet of plywood, not only could I no longer "fit" behind the oven, I couldn't even use my drill (not enough space between the stand and the wall!) So, cleaning behind the oven is now with a long extension on my shop-vac

[shelbyright]

Wow! Quite a fabulous entertainment area! Two thoughts...1) make sure that your path bringing wood to the oven and the fireplace is wide enough to bring in a wheelbarrow (and easy to clean/sweep/vacuum)...since there will be a trail of wood debris ...and 2) make sure your fire pit isn't too big to make the movie difficult to watch . Also, have you thought about ash removal and tool storage?

I think it's great that you have good space between the table and the oven...a crowd will want to gather behind you while you're working the oven. Be sure you leave enough space between the inner pavilion wall and the back of the completed oven. I didn't leave enough space and when I went to put up the last sheet of plywood, not only could I no longer "fit" behind the oven, I couldn't even use my drill (not enough space between the stand and the wall!) So, cleaning behind the oven is now with a long extension on my shop-vac

Hi Mike,

thank you, they are great tips. we did'nt even think about getting behind the oven! we deliberatley left a lot of space so we can put a very long table in the space for parties etc, the pavillion is 9 mtrs x 4.2 mtrs so i think we have plenty of space. we had already thought of the size of the fire pit, and technically its going to be a functional feature. you have opened up a can of worms in regards to access, speaker locations, wood stores, ash removal and storage, etc. i am going to have a chat to my stonemason for some ideas, and agree these do need to be thought of now, and not after the job id completed. so thank you very much for your input.

Cheers,

G

[david s]

Just to add to Mike's warning about proximity to the wall, you actually have way more of a problem when you put an oven in a corner. Working the outer layers of the oven down near the base of the dome gets really difficult if you can't get behind it. Also you are left with a pretty much unusable space in the corner behind the oven once it's finished. Depending on what your walls are made of you might like to consider blending the oven into the walls and fill the corner at the back with plastic bottles with their lids on and cover it in vermicrete. Attached pic is such a solution, but you have to look pretty close on the left hand side to see it.

[shelbyright]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n391519[/ATTACH] Just to add to Mike's warning about proximity to the wall, you actually have way more of a problem when you put an oven in a corner. Working the outer layers of the oven down near the base of the dome gets really difficult if you can't get behind it. Also you are left with a pretty much unusable space in the corner behind the oven once it's finished. Depending on what your walls are made of you might like to consider blending the oven into the walls and fill the corner at the back with plastic bottles with their lids on and cover it in vermicrete. Attached pic is such a solution, but you have to look pretty close on the left hand side to see it.

Thanks David, That is a great idea! i think i will be surely be doing something along those lines. the corner was going to be open and it is accessible from the back, but i may build the corner wall in and seal the back anyways.

Cheers,

G

[oasiscdm]

Hi George

Have responded to your PM. Happy to help you however I can. Nice to have a local building. I wont start my new oven until I finish moving which I start on the weekend coming. I have most of my materials handy but since my job fell in a heap last week arrrrgggghhh. I have the time to build new oven but a lot to do before I start.

Just ask and I will try and help.

Cheers

[shelbyright]

i am now going to start planning my slab layout for my oven.
'
couple of questions please. what is the optimum working height for my oven i was thinking somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 mtrs.(4' and 4'8")

also i am doing a 200mm (8") Thick slab which will be level with my paving slabe and 20mm (3/4 Inch) tiles will go on top of this. and as it going to be in a corner and incorporate the retaining wall, and the post for my pergola structure in the corner (or maybe the sides?) i would like to know what i need to allow for as i am planning a 42" oven.

i was thinking of a slab dimension from the wall of 2050mm (80 and 3/4 Inches) across the back and 1320mm (52 inches) to the front as per the attached drawing; i would like to allow for cladding the oven in stone etc.

Am i leaving enough space for the oven and post.

any help would be appreciated

Cheers

[shelbyright]

i am now going to start planning my slab layout for my oven.
'
couple of questions please. what is the optimum working height for my oven i was thinking somewhere between 1.2 and 1.4 mtrs.(4' and 4'8")

also i am doing a 200mm (8") Thick slab which will be level with my paving slabe and 20mm (3/4 Inch) tiles will go on top of this. and as it going to be in a corner and incorporate the retaining wall, and the post for my pergola structure in the corner (or maybe the sides?) i would like to know what i need to allow for as i am planning a 42" oven.

i was thinking of a slab dimension from the wall of 2050mm (80 and 3/4 Inches) across the back and 1320mm (52 inches) to the front as per the attached drawing; i would like to allow for cladding the oven in stone etc.

Am i leaving enough space for the oven and post.

any help would be appreciated

Cheers

[SableSprings]

George, optimum working height is a personal thing, but you don't want to have to bend over too far to see (and do peel work) deep into the oven and you don't want to lift up into the oven. Most of us have settled with a cooking floor height of about elbow height or slightly above (when standing). Try holding a peel (or just a stick) and imagine the motion of picking up the pizza and putting it into the oven. Your arms will "tell" you what feels like the right height. If you really want to get visual, cut a piece of cardboard out with what you are planning for your oven opening. Have someone hold it at various heights and again think about looking into the oven and placing the pizza onto the cooking floor using the cardboard mock-up.

Be aware that if you make it perfect height for yourself, your significant other or one of your friends might find it too tall or too low. It's important to make sure you add all the vertical components together to come up to the height you decide on--blocks, base slab, moisture barrier, insulation, sand/fireclay floor set, and the cooking floor itself. If you mortar instead of dry stack the blocks, it adds 1/4" for each joint...mortar 4 blocks on top of each other and to the foundation and it's an extra inch to your final height...

As to your total dimensions for a 42" oven using half firebricks (4.5") and say 4" of dome insulation, it would be 42+(4.5x2)+(4x2) = 59" without any outside stone cladding. Add an inch or so for a cladding base and 2" for the stone cladding and you are looking at 59 + 2 + 4 = 65" diameter of your finished dome. But of course you will need to have some additional working space outside of that to get between the oven and the pergola post. So, your projected 52" to the front might be too tight (although I might be reading your drawing incorrectly). I hope that helps at least to give you some basic thoughts/guide on the placement.

[shelbyright]

so here are some pics of the build. all finished.

[shelbyright]

here are some more