Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

[caliking]

Hello all.

First thread here. I have been obsessed with homemade pizza this year. Although my rigged Weber kettle does ok, I need more!

We recently moved to a new house, and if I had known this bug would bite, I would have looked at nackyard space a little differently. Anyway, if you search the forums for "TimmyNY" you will find his thread about building an oven without mortar, using only cinderblocks, angle iron, pressed bricks, some firebrick and that's basically it. I like the small footprint (4'x4') of the oven and the fact that it takes only a few hours to build. This will be an experiment and if I change my mind later, I can easily dismantle it and build a more permanent structure.

I had a few questions:

1. Was planning on adding a metal flue with a flange of some sort. HD, etc have 4in vent pipes which would probably work. Does the height of the flue make any difference?

2. I was thinking of lining the inside of the roof with heavy duty foil to help seal in the heat and smoke a little. Will having a refleective surface on the inside of the roof help with cooking?

3. Alternatively, to improve heat retention I was thinking of adding ceramic blanket or board sandwiched between the layers of brick (sides, top, and bottom) for insulation. Good idea, bad idea, or not worth the investment?

4. Any recommendations for where to buy pizza making accessories would be appreciated (peels, brush, etc)

Thanks!

[echopark]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

Andre, you forgot about the fire – Michael O’ Malley | machine project

here's another one -- built on a steel sculpture table -- I've helped build this one twice. takes about an hour and a half, uses fireclay and sand to fill in the gaps on the vault, four angle irons, and four threaded rods.

[fxpose]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

echopark, will there be another 2 day pizza making class this summer? I missed last year's.

George

[echopark]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

I don't know. Something to ask MP. They usually do their food-related classes at the end of the summer.

[echopark]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

How to Build a Temporary Wood-fired Brick Pizza Oven with Cheap, Easy to Find Materials | DO IT: Projects, Plans and How-tos

better how-to pictures, though this mike helped build #2, he is not the originator

[caliking]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

Thanks for the info - I had seen the second build, but not the "Machine Project" build. What I liked about TimmyNY's build was that there was no mortar/fireclay etc involved. A hurricane could come through, and I could rebuild simply by stacking it back together. The house would be a wreck... but at elast I could have pizza

The current plan is to build the hearth and main chamber out of firebrick, wrap it all up with heavy duty foil and then add another layer of pressed bricks all around. Still pondering the idea of adding ceramic blanket between the outer layer of brick and the foil. Is ceramic blanket detsroyed if it gets wet in the rain? I imagine its insulating properties would be affected somehow.

Also, could I put blanket between the hearth and the pavers it would rest on, or would it become too compressed to be of any use? I think I have a source for ceramic board so I guess I could use that instead beneath the hearth.

[dmun]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

The current plan is to build the hearth and main chamber out of firebrick

All good so far, if you insulate under the hearth

wrap it all up with heavy duty foil

Do bad ideas never die? Foil is useless. It will prevent your oven from drying out, until it rots from exposure to the caustic portland products. Don't waste your time.

add another layer of pressed bricks all around.

What is this for? I assume it's not a decorative layer outside the insulation.

Is ceramic blanket detsroyed if it gets wet in the rain? I imagine its insulating properties would be affected somehow.

You are correct. Wet insulation is useless.

Also, could I put blanket between the hearth and the pavers it would rest on

No. Compressed blanket is as useless as wet blanket, and for the same reason.

[caliking]

Re: Stackable non-mortared brick WFO ala TimmyNY

Dmun: thanks for the info.

The pressed bricks will be used to add thermal mass cheaply (wrt money, time and effort. I'll ditch the foil-wrapping idea, if it will lead to oven rot. I thought it might help to keep smoke and some heat from leaking out from the gaps between the bricks.

I guess I was not clear re: the question about wet ceramic blanket - if the material gets wet it is useless, but does it regain its properties when it dries out?

Thanks!