Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

[vtsteve]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Soapstone often contains veins of all-natural asbestos.
Edit: Apparently it's not an issue, unless you mine your own!

I know it only matters if it's friable, but still...

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Its now been over fifteen years since virtually-undetectable levels of asbestos in talc in soapstone were deemed safe (extensive study by insurance companies) and a non-factor for students to carve figurines out of.

[deejayoh]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

I have soapstone in my entry. I did it for appearance reasons. I haven't had any scratching issues. It does get grease stains, but they're easy to clean up with a bit of kitty litter.

edit: I will say it cleans up a LOT better than firebrick! Can't really get that clean w/o a hot fire.

As for it being a heat sink - not sure. I built a heat break between the entry and the oven. And it's not such a big piece of stone. So I haven't really ever thought it was an issue. It never seems warm the day after I fire the oven - which you'd think it would if it was leeching heat.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

The primary issue with soapstone for a cooking surface for pizza or bread is it's high thermal conductivity, (same as using medium or heavy duty firebrick). To get an even bake, the surface in direct contact with the food should have a low thermal conductivity.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Thanks for the chart, Tom. These numbers explain why it's essential to remove bread from a cast iron combo-cooker to eliminate scorching the bottom of the loaf.

Any idea what the floor is made of and thermal conductivity in TxCraig's 47" (Acunto?) oven?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Neapolitan biscotti, it is about the same as low duty firebrick in density and thermal conductivity and a tad bit softer.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

The stainless is a great idea. I could incorporate it in my entry with no real mods required

Glad to help, where I can, Les. If I (in my dreams) built ten more ovens I'd put stainless in all ten of 'em. The surface withstands everything I throw at it (including the soot I periodically scrape out of my flue) and wipes clean like it was new. Surprisingly, because the airflow into the oven sort of shields it from oven heat, the surface remains relatively cool. Just don't install something too thin. (I was warned it will warp like a 'potato chip') Mine is 3/16" 304 and IIRC, cost about $75, including the cut into a trapezoid.

[1812]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Thanks everyone for the help and opinion. We have made a decision, and are going to use the wg light duty bricks on top of 3" of the insulation layer. Have not got as far ahead yet as the entryway, so I am sure we will come back to that. Planning to get started on Saturday, at least for the first couple of rows, until we figure out how to make an indispensible tool or similar. Should be fun...

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

That's great news, 1812.

Before you get much further, if you haven't already, you may want to put your your arch shapes and entryway/vent configuration to paper (or PC). A great many builders try to figure this out as they go and run into challenges.

Good luck.

[1812]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

That's great news, 1812.

Before you get much further, if you haven't already, you may want to put your your arch shapes and entryway/vent configuration to paper (or PC). A great many builders try to figure this out as they go and run into challenges.

Good luck.

Good point.. thanks. I guess we will probably refer to the FB plans and see what they recommend, unless anyone has a better idea? We will probably do a mock up with the bricks too, to see if we can spot faults in the plan. I know we will struggle a bit with the chimney/vent part too, we will probably plan to buy a duravent chimney system and plan for that.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Mock up is good. There are improvements over the FB plans, which were left basic on purpose. A large number of these are not difficult, some are time consuming, but largely translate to a more efficient, higher-performing oven. Here's a list of some of the more comprehensive, leading-edge builds:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/n...res-15133.html

John

[1812]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

Thanks, we will look at that. it looks like on the original plans that you need to leave/build 6" out from the dome for the vent, and then set that back 12" from the front of your stand. Would that be correct? We may have made the stand too big, well at least it looks huge now..we did follow the plans though.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

There is no right or wrong way, only better ways.

The most common error in building a vent is a shortage of entryway depth to accommodate the proper size flue and it's supporting brickwork. Since this (vent) flue gallery space takes up the majority of an entryway and its arches, you have plenty of room to work with. If you want a heatbreak between entryway and oven, you'll have to work that in.

[sharptailhunter]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

The most common error in building a vent is a shortage of entryway depth to accommodate the proper size flue and it's supporting brickwork. Since this (vent) flue gallery space takes up the majority of an entryway and its arches, you have plenty of room to work with. If you want a heatbreak between entryway and oven, you'll have to work that in.

I don't mean to hijack this thread but you hit on a question I've had that's similar to what 1812 asked. Specifically, I'm getting ready to build a 42" and it seemed to me that the plans ask for a rather short entry way, 8" I believe. I had planned on using an 8" diameter flue. So, what depth of entryway would you suggest? And thanks for the stainless steel entry floor idea, might have to go that route.

[Laurentius]

Re: Oven floor, brick or soapstone?

I don't mean to hijack this thread but you hit on a question I've had that's similar to what 1812 asked. Specifically, I'm getting ready to build a 42" and it seemed to me that the plans ask for a rather short entry way, 8" I believe. I had planned on using an 8" diameter flue. So, what depth of entryway would you suggest? And thanks for the stainless steel entry floor idea, might have to go that route.

Its easier to manage your cooking with a shorter entryway depth, and especially when building your fire, unless you have exceptionally long arms.