FB Oven Plans

[Unofornaio]

OK I poured over the plans for the first time last night and it might very well be me but I cannot find anywhere it addresses the layout of the opening. Yes, it gives the box with the dimensions (also very confusing) but in the "first course" section it mentions NOTHING about placing the opening bricks on this course and their importance as a start and stop point of the first few chains. I may very well have missed it because they seem to jump around a bit.

As to the Oven opening Dimensions box (pg31):
Interior Diameter, self explanatory
Interior height, of? dome or top of opening brick?
Opening Width, self explanatory
Opening Height, from hearth to bottom of angel Iron? To middle of center arch brick?
Its numbers also do not correspond to the scale drawings of the ovens on page 15, the oven sizes drawn are 31, 39, 35 and 43.

Starting the dome is #6
Building the dome is #7
Building the opening is #8

You cant build the dome without the opening first, I mean you can but if you build the opening first you have something definitive to start your first couple of chains next to and stop against. Actually building the whole opening first would be the way to go.
Please no offense to James and whom ever wrote the plans/instructions but after reading them for the first time I think they could be made more simple.
Those of you that have built from them what are your thoughts?
I will read them extensively tonight and see if I have put my foot in my mouth or not...

[El Puaco]

Re: FB Oven Plans

James has a nice description of the openings in a post from 6/7/06. Paraphrasing it, it says 19-20" wide and 12-13" high for a 42" oven. I have a 19" opening at the dome with an arch that is 9"+/- at the sides and 13" at the center. I left a 1/2" reveal at the sides to seat a door for baking. I'm struggling with how high to make the opening at the outboard area.

Good questions. Lots of resource material here. Hard for me to make sure I've done all my research before I start asking questions.

[Dutchoven]

Re: FB Oven Plans

Everything I have ever read has shown that door height is a function of dome height so as to make sure the oven is efficient. In general the ration I have seen most often is 5 to 8 door to dome. Another re-occurring figure is that door height should be between 57 and 63 percent of the total height of the dome. I do not know if this is more often for barrel vaulted, predominantly bread ovens but it seems to be the best ratio to balance gas exhaust and heat retention and convection.
Hope this helps!
Dutch