I Had an Idea

[Archena]

Okay, yeah, yeah, it's a rare event...

Anyway, I want to add a metal pull out tray which can angle down just under the hearth at the door opening. When ready to rake out the ashes you pull out the tray, angle it into the wheel barrow and rake the whole mess straight in using the tray as a large flat 'funnel'.

I added it to my design but I still haven't figured out how to post Google Sketches.

[Les]

Re: I Had an Idea

The door opening or the entry way opening?

Les...

[Archena]

Re: I Had an Idea

Um, there's a difference? I mean the big arch thingie you shove the wood through.

I confuse easily...

[dmun]

Re: I Had an Idea

For ash management I vote for the shovel



and rake



from FB

That way you aren't dragging the dirty ash (and hot live fire) out over your work area. You also need to invest in a small metal trash can with a close fitting lid.

[Bacterium]

Re: I Had an Idea

Archena has had an idea.....oooppsss I shall resist
jokes aside getting the coals out safely is a good point.

What about putting a hole in the landing (past the front of oven door/opening)and dropping the coals down underneath into a steel container etc. I've done this in mine, basically you rake the coals over to the slot. They drop down into a steel container below, where they can stay until cooled. Sure you need to seperate the space if you have wood stored below. The bonus with mine is the hole/slot is directly underneath the flue so any smoke goes straight up their. When not in use you can put a lid over the slot.The slot is not in the oven its out in the landing past the oven door

Here is a picture of my oven part way through build stage - note the red lines that show the ash path and where the bucket goes. You will also see the spot where the ash container sits is in a seperate section to the wood storage area. Bear in mind my oven has a fairly sort landing to most - but it all works well.


if that not an option....
I guess you need someone who is handy with sheetmetal work - or you source a piece of metal that is the right shape to funnel the coals into an external bucket.

[Archena]

Re: I Had an Idea

Actually, I have a lot of friends who do sheet metal stuff as part of our mutual hobby so getting help making it is easy. And yes, it would need lips on the outer edges. Sorry I can't show you what I mean right now - I'll do a screen shot of GS and post it later.

Um, how is using a shovel an improvement? Seriously, that strikes me as a heck of a lot more dangerous than my proposal - it's too easy to drop coals that way. Also, you still have to go over your entry way - it really makes no improvement that I can see and has a big detriment safety wise. The rake is, by the way, a given.


I like the slot idea, too. I mostly wanted something I could easily move out of the way and which would provide a continuous surface into whatever container rather than risk doing a lot of handling with shovels and the like. I'll have to think about the slot thing - it'll probably come down to how I decide to dispose of the ash/embers, or rather where - but it's a cool idea.

[Bacterium]

Re: I Had an Idea

Yeah the slot idea is the best I could come up with. It gives the continous surface from hearth to ash storage. Here is a closer up pic (sorry it a bit blurry) of the oven landing. The ash slot is well past the oven door (yes thats my "temporary door") but it is not past the front landing. So the coals can be raked out the door and straight into the slot(fallling down into the container below, instead of falling off the landing onto the operator). So you just use the ash rake - no secondardy handling or extra pieces, quite safe.

Its not made up yet - but a cover plate can sit over the slot (square red section) when its not in use. The drawback is if you put a lot of coals down the slot and into the bin, heat will rise - so if you put a cover plate on it may heat up(then agin it could be non conductive material). So potentially you might burn yourself when moving stuff in/out the oven. To get around this you can either pour some water down the slot (I use a watering can) which will put out the coals. The steam will go up the chimney (blue upward arrows) and because the watering can has a long nozzle you are back far enough to not get hit with the steam (which isn't a lot by the way, I've done this a few times).

If you want to reuse the coals later(instead of putting them out), you just remove the ash box below (with welding gloves of course). I've designed my removable ash container so that it fits into the oven opening - so if I need to refire the oven (same day) I can push the ash container into the oven (collapsable handle underneath for safe handling) and dump the coals back in there.

It wasn't too hard to incorporate it into the oven build because you make up a form work for the slot and everything gets built around it.........

[christo]

Re: I Had an Idea

I'm really surprised at how little ash is left after a spirited evening of pizza making.

I'm lucky if I remove ashes after every 3rd fire....

Christo

[Archena]

Re: I Had an Idea

Here's what I have in mind, drawn out on a BBQ for simplicities sake.



Hey, it's not easy drawing an oven in Sketch Up!