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Refractory Confusion
Hey everybody, sorry for the list of questions, but I am at my wits end.
I am having some trouble down here in Guatemala locating the right parts for my oven, we intend to fire every day and supply the local area with bread, and cook pizza in the evening so I am looking for Refractory concrete.
I want to build an oven with thicker cladding and made out of refractory concrete, but so far I have only found 2 distributors who sell applicable refractory concrete in Guatemala, one is premixed, very expensive and the other has a Aluminium content of 50%
Now I understand that the Alu content should be 35-45% so is that other 5% really that much of a danger? Can I use that and avoid cracking.
Also I understand that you should not use rebar in the Refractory concrete, so where would by 5/8 Rebar for the hearth slab go, if it was made from refractory concrete, also the mesh in the dome cladding again, refractory concrete.
And if the concrete has a Temperature range up to 1250 Degrees, does that mean I have to fire to that temp so the concrete sets.
The major problem I am finding is that most of the refractory products are made locally and therfore I have to deal with representatives in Spanish, not such a bad thing but when you explain it is for a traditional oven they glaze over a bit and contradict what is said in The Bread Builders book.
The insulation slab and the hearth slab should be poured on the same day to help them bond, but refractory products and portland could cause Flash setting of the concrete, no? so I can't mix them either, right?
I cannot get Vermiculite or Pearlite except shipping it from the USA. I was informed that I can use Volcanic ash, about the size of a pea or bigger for my insulation, is this true?, I hope so, lots of volcanoes round here!
I am having some trouble down here in Guatemala locating the right parts for my oven, we intend to fire every day and supply the local area with bread, and cook pizza in the evening so I am looking for Refractory concrete.
I want to build an oven with thicker cladding and made out of refractory concrete, but so far I have only found 2 distributors who sell applicable refractory concrete in Guatemala, one is premixed, very expensive and the other has a Aluminium content of 50%
Now I understand that the Alu content should be 35-45% so is that other 5% really that much of a danger? Can I use that and avoid cracking.
Also I understand that you should not use rebar in the Refractory concrete, so where would by 5/8 Rebar for the hearth slab go, if it was made from refractory concrete, also the mesh in the dome cladding again, refractory concrete.
And if the concrete has a Temperature range up to 1250 Degrees, does that mean I have to fire to that temp so the concrete sets.
The major problem I am finding is that most of the refractory products are made locally and therfore I have to deal with representatives in Spanish, not such a bad thing but when you explain it is for a traditional oven they glaze over a bit and contradict what is said in The Bread Builders book.
The insulation slab and the hearth slab should be poured on the same day to help them bond, but refractory products and portland could cause Flash setting of the concrete, no? so I can't mix them either, right?
I cannot get Vermiculite or Pearlite except shipping it from the USA. I was informed that I can use Volcanic ash, about the size of a pea or bigger for my insulation, is this true?, I hope so, lots of volcanoes round here!
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