oven stand size

[thebigt]

I originally bought a foam form from brickwoodovens.com and didnt get a chance to build the oven and now im considering a Pompeii oven build. Heres my challenge, while I didnt build the oven I did build the base and oven stand. The oven stand is 52" deep and 50" wide. The base is 6 inches thing and is 4' ?4' and the stand is held up by 6 large cement pillars. Given these dimensions am I able to build either tbe 36" or 42" pompeii ovens? I dont need a landing as I have a table right next to my oven but id like at least 2" of ceramic fibre Insulation

[Gulf]

Re: oven stand size

If I understand your description of the oven stand. It sounds like you have a hearth slab cantilevered over the cement pillars. I think you are ok, width wise, for a 32" pompeii. The problem is that, depth wise, you will not have enough room for a flu entry. That's just my opinion.

You could cantilever another hearth slab over the existing one to get what ever size oven you really want. That would increase the finished floor heigth, though. If you stay with a 32", You could posibly just cantilever an extension to the front for the flu entry.

Are you building an enclosure or an Igloo?

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

Thanks for the response.... With the barrel style I was going to build I wasn't going to do any enclosure, wasn't sure with with the Pompeii as I just started looking at it but likely no enclosure.

Yes the top hearth slab is cantilevered on the pillars. They are easily removeable as I poured them in forms and lifted the 2 pieces up with my tractor. Would I be better to just make new a new hearth slab?

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

Here's a picture of my base with the pillars but no hearth slab Brick Oven Base Photo by tgelsinger | Photobucket

[Gulf]

Re: oven stand size

Thanks for the response.... With the barrel style I was going to build I wasn't going to do any enclosure, wasn't sure with with the Pompeii as I just started looking at it but likely no enclosure.

Yes the top hearth slab is cantilevered on the pillars. They are easily removeable as I poured them in forms and lifted the 2 pieces up with my tractor. Would I be better to just make new a new hearth slab?

Here's a picture of my base with the pillars but no hearth slab

Very nice pillars! Did you form them?

If the added heighth was not a problem I would form and pour a cantilever on top of the existing hearth slab. I would put a good moisture barrier between the two slabs. If I were building another igloo, I would make the form rounded (at least in the back) and to the exact size of the finished oven. That is one thing that I would do different from the one that I built. Great looking start .

EDIT: The moisture barrier between the two slabs may not be necessary. But, I feel that placing one between the finshed slab and the floor insulation, is. Also, You mentioned in your op that you wanted "at least 2" of ceramic fiber". Buy that, I take it that you would want more if you had the room.

[wotavidone]

Re: oven stand size

If I understand your description of the oven stand. It sounds like you have a hearth slab cantilevered over the cement pillars. I think you are ok, width wise, for a 32" pompeii. The problem is that, depth wise, you will not have enough room for a flu entry. That's just my opinion.

You could cantilever another hearth slab over the existing one to get what ever size oven you really want. That would increase the finished floor heigth, though. If you stay with a 32", You could posibly just cantilever an extension to the front for the flu entry.

Are you building an enclosure or an Igloo?

The centre of a 32 inch dome needs to be 16inches of radius, plus 4 inches of brick thickness + 2 inches of ceramic inculation + 1 inch of render from the back edge of the slab, i.e. 23 inches from the rear edge, leaving 29 inches for the front half of the oven.
Given that the inner arch slices a bit off the front of the circle, and you are happy to do without any sort of landing, I reckon you just have enough room for an entry arch on a 52 inch slab.

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

Very nice pillars! Did you form them?

If the added heighth was not a problem I would form and pour a cantilever on top of the existing hearth slab. I would put a good moisture barrier between the two slabs. If I were building another igloo, I would make the form rounded (at least in the back) and to the exact size of the finished oven. That is one thing that I would do different from the one that I built. Great looking start .

EDIT: The moisture barrier between the two slabs may not be necessary. But, I feel that placing one between the finshed slab and the floor insulation, is. Also, You mentioned in your op that you wanted "at least 2" of ceramic fiber". Buy that, I take it that you would want more if you had the room.

I didn't form the pillars myself, got them at an auction for about 17 bucks a piece. Added hight is no issue.

As for insulation I live up in Canada so our climate kids cold in winter. Other sure if I'd fire it up in the Winter or not but I'd rather have the option.

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

The centre of a 32 inch dome needs to be 16inches of radius, plus 4 inches of brick thickness + 2 inches of ceramic inculation + 1 inch of render from the back edge of the slab, i.e. 23 inches from the rear edge, leaving 29 inches for the front half of the oven.
Given that the inner arch slices a bit off the front of the circle, and you are happy to do without any sort of landing, I reckon you just have enough room for an entry arch on a 52 inch slab.

I guess I shouldn't dismiss a landing without getting the opionions of those who have them. Yes I do have a table nearby but would a landing be more practical?

Im Ok with having to pour a little more concrete if it means getting the oven right, as I don't think my wife will let me have another crack at it.

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

The centre of a 32 inch dome needs to be 16inches of radius, plus 4 inches of brick thickness + 2 inches of ceramic inculation + 1 inch of render from the back edge of the slab, i.e. 23 inches from the rear edge, leaving 29 inches for the front half of the oven.
Given that the inner arch slices a bit off the front of the circle, and you are happy to do without any sort of landing, I reckon you just have enough room for an entry arch on a 52 inch slab.

This is probably a dumb question but I'll ask anyways. This would give me 6" for the entry arch as well as the vent? Would my sides be ok as well given that it is only 50" wide?

Will I be disappointed that I didn't build a bigger oven?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: oven stand size

Will I be disappointed that I didn't build a bigger oven?

The mere fact that you asked means the answer is yes.

Before you move forward, consider the occasion (no. of mouths) and frequency of the use of your oven. If you will be doing any kind of roasting, slow-cooking, bread, etc in addition to pizza, a landing will prove essential.

Like me, if you live in a place with wind, you will want to accommodate a deeper vent. Since it snows, consider a small enclosure.

You are wise to switch to a real design and abandon your Brickwood Ovens idea. Those oven plans are saturated with fatal design flaws and are, frankly, a joke.

Keep us posted on your ideas and remember there is no such thing as a dumb question.

John

[wotavidone]

Re: oven stand size

Will I be disappointed that I didn't build a bigger oven?

Probably.
I built a 750mm/29.5 inch oven with 70mm/2.5 inch thick walls. Works fine, I've cooked lots of meals in it, and it doesn't take long to heat - well and truly white hot in under an hour.

Then I built an 850mm/33.5 inch oven with 4 inch thick walls for my mate.
Seriously, it was just as easy to build, and we insulated that one a lot better than mine (it's enclosed in a "blockhouse" made of 6 inch thick Hebel - autoclaved aerated concrete). End result, it doesn't take that much longer to heat than mine, despite the much higher thermal mass and 4 inches bigger diameter. And it is a whole lot roomier than mine, many comments from both of us as to how much difference that little bit more diameter makes.

Small ovens work fine, but if you find yourself short of room there is nothing you can do about it once it is built.

It's a bit like owning a 16 foot cuddy cab boat versus a 12 foot dinghy. My 16 footer can go nearly as many places in the shallows as a 12 foot tinny. So I can chase silver whiting, by myself if my fishing partner can't come, in the shallows reasonably well.
But there is no way I'd venture out to my favourite snapper drop in a 12 foot tinny.
A really big boat would be a pain for me to handle. Wouldn't be able to justify it.

Ovens is similar. You wouldn't build an 80 incher unless you were opening a restaurant. But a 36 incher is no harder to build and operate than a 30 incher, so why wouldn't you?
Especially since, about all you have to do is build a form on top of those columns and cast whatever size slab you want.

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

Thanks for the responses... I think it sounds like I will need a larger slab so I can build one to accommodate a small enclosure. Regarding being able to build the 36" oven I currently have only five 1'*3' pieces of insulating board, which gives me 15sq ft of hearth insulation and the oven spec calls for three 2'x3'pieces totaling 18sq ft. I can't source a single board and shipping is really expensive here, is there something that I can do to make what I have for hearth insulation work?

[thebigt]

Re: oven stand size

As for who am I cooking for it will mostly be my family and extended family so mostly 4-8 people but I'm sure in occasion I will cook for more. I will mostly do pizza but I want to be able to use the retained heat for cooking a few loaves of bread or some meat the next day.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: oven stand size

The big T,

Look at doing a vcrete or pcrete under your oven to supplement the ca si, very inexpensive although not as thermally effective. A little creative configuration of the Ca Si will get you close. Save the vent flue for last and concentrate under the floor first.

[Gulf]

Re: oven stand size

The big T,

Look at doing a vcrete or pcrete under you oven to supplement the ca si, very inexpensive although not a thermally effective. A little creative configuration of the Ca Si will get you close. Save the vent flue for last and concentrate under the floor first.

Great advice!

You have plenty of calsil for a 36" oven, and the flu entry too. But, insulating under the oven is the most important. You could even go a little bigger .

An enclosure will protect the oven. An enclosure with a projected roof will protect you and the oven. A "roof over" will protect the oven, you, and the perfect shape of a pompeii .

Now, is the time to decide what size of oven, and the style that you want to build.