New guy with smoke and heat question...

[WJW]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

As far as the door ratio...I 63% is supposed to be the magic number, but I think there is a great deal of wiggle room there. I would guess that anything between 55% and 75% would work fine. Sure it might not be perfect...but a far more important consideration IMO is having the proper amount of insulation.

Don...as far as the ridgid insulation. I have three inches of ridgid ceramic fiberboard (Insblock19) in my build. I placed the fire bricks directly on the insblock. No hardiboard, no sand, nothing. It works great. My hearth is composed of medium duty firebricks laying on their side...so 2.5 inches thick.

Bill

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Thnx to Mick for your response earlier

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

it has a 3" concrete floor slab as part of the kit. High heat resistant I'm told. it also comes with the appropriate fire bricks to place on top of this. The assembly plans are not 100% clear as a picture shows all of the concrete pieces mortared together PRIOR to installing the fire bricks, yet the drawing shows the bricks UNDER the walls of the oven (which would mean they are laid prior to fitting the arched dome (walls) on top. I will have to get clarification from manufacturer.

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

The one option I was attempting to convey was to substitute the conc floor slab for insulation covered with cement board. the bricks would go on top of this. this would not change any heights or ratios.

Responding to Micks post I checked the dome ratio and as it stands (as designed) is 0.58, which according to Mick's post, is too low. If I put the bricks inside the oven walls instead of under the walls the ratio would be much closer to ideal. From what I read, I just have to be sure this an expansion joint (or space) at the wall/brick to avoid complications with heat expansion.

I have lots to think about. I have to talk to some folks who have /operate one.

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Thnx Bill, I will consider these recommendations. I'm in process of checking with existing owners/users.

Question for you or others: The unit has a 3" high heat concrete floor slab. This was going to be placed over a 3.5 " concrete support slab. With all the insulation advice, I'm considering not using the 3" floor slab that comes with the kit and substituting 3" of rigid insulation under 3/8" cement board with refractory (the cooking surface) bricks over all.

I can't do both at this point as the surrounding structure is built & elevations are critical.

Thnx

Don

[WJW]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

I responded to your post on another board saying that I thought the oven was a joke. I didn't realize you had already purchased yours. Sorry for being so blunt. I agree with Mick that there is stuff you can do to improve it.

What I don't know however is whether or not the width to depth ratio is such a problem that it will never draw correctly. In looking at the plans, it appears that once constructed, the oven chamber will be 41 inches wide by about 36 inches deep. I have READ (no personal experience) that with the oven being wider than it is deep, can not be made to draw properly. I would do research to see if that aspect is as significant as I have heard it is.

Other than that, adding the insulation and plugging the existing chimney in favor of a proper flue chminey forward, will help.

I'd make sure I got the names of some existing customers and talk to them to see how it draws/works.

Bill

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Thnx.
My curiosity was getting the best of me. It looks like NYC couldn't get satisfaction from manufacturer or couldn't make his original oven work. I think I may have the same oven as his. I have not installed it yet but spent a great deal of effort making a structural support for it. I'm now nervous that I may be heading down a similar path (of disappointment). I'm hoping to get a bit more feedback prior to throwing in the towel on my current purchase.

Anybody with experience or knowledge of the Stone Age WFO I'd appreciate your input.

Thnx,
GWN

[Polo]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

I'm a new/firstimer - I've been reading your thread but see it is quite old. I was wondering how you resolved your problem. thnx, GWN

Here's the answer to your question.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/may-starting-my-42-pompeii-nyc-16513.html

[Great White North]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

I'm a new/firstimer - I've been reading your thread but see it is quite old. I was wondering how you resolved your problem. thnx, GWN

[Forno Gator]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Found a couple ways to reduce smoke. Biggest idea is start the fire slowly and build it up.... avoid using paper or cardboard... use kindling at first. Use the door on an angle with the opening being about 3 to 4 inches to allow draw and force smoke up the chimney without suffocating the fire. Preheating the flue helps at first as well.
A good hardwood like fruit wood (we use apple/cherry and apricot) helps allot.... no green wood and avoid sappy woods. I increased the length of our chimney and that helps draw the smoke. Have seen indoor wood fired ovens with a vent placed in front of the opening to draw any smoke that escapes out of the oven. Would be a shame not to use the oven.

[NYC]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Believe me, those weren't my words. I find the level of knowledge and will to help here invaluable. I was less than happy to hear those remarks myself although sort of expected them. We're all human and make mistakes but it takes a big person to admit one and correct it and unfortunately, this manufacturer failed that test.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

And we tend to see that "authority" make these mistakes a lot, becuase they have not built them themselves, and in theory, it seems pretty simple. But some mistakes are impossible to correct...

[dmun]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

not to listen to a "bunch of Internet know it alls.

I'm not a know-it-all, but I know one thing: How to build an oven that fires up every time with a minimum of smoke leakage, that gets up to temperature on a couple of armfuls of wood, and that works every time, winter and summer, for years at a time. I know this one thing because I did it myself, and I've listened to hundreds of people show their own builds.

I also have a pretty good idea of how to build an oven that doesn't work well. That's because about one person a month comes through here with an oven problem. Improper venting, no insulation/wet insulation/bad insulation. We've heard it all. Saddest of all is when someone has paid a ton of money to an "authority" and still not gotten an oven that works. I wish your oven was the only example of this.

[NYC]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

Well, the manufacturer has been completely useless. When I pointed them here they said they know their product works and not to listen to a "bunch of Internet know it alls."

Needless to say I was less than impressed with the demeanor. They also said they would send someone to look at it and instead sent a long email asking for all this engineering and scientific data like wind direction etc. It is obvious they are dodging the real issue which is design flaw, lack of insulation, etc. I have not ruled out legal action.

The installer is still cummunicating and while I do not think it is right to have had 7 weeks pass since expressing concern and no one has given me any solutions or come here to see it, they say they will send someone this week. We shall see what happens.

[lwood]

Re: New guy with smoke and heat question...

NYC, what did you decide to do?