What is wrong??

[boerwarrior]

Re: What is wrong??

when you say the fire is at 625C (1150F) where are you measuring that?

If you are pointing your heat gun at the coals then that is not a very hot fire. When my fire is burning I can get the roof of the dome up to 1100 degrees F and my heat gun (which maxes at 1400 degrees F) cannot measure the heat of the coals...

[thickstrings]

Re: What is wrong??

Don't know what kind of wood you are using, or how long the fire is burning, but, I use 7-8 pieces of dry oak,12-16", from wrist to bicept size and a handfull of kindling. It will take about 1-1 1/2 hrs to get to white in a 39" insulated oven..I think that you need more wood...if your dome is dry. I would insulate, soon. Really hot fire in a uninsulated dome will get the top hotter, much hotter than the rest....insulation will "temper" the heat and help to distribute, unifiy the heat minimizing temp. differences......and cracking... And what Stonecutter said above...it may still be wet....the insulation will help move the heat and drive out the moisture...

[stonecutter]

Re: What is wrong??

Ok, Curing fires are done. Are done. Its ten days since I closed my dome and I'd lit several small fires during the process, ALL WITHOUT INSULATION to check for cracks/leaks, etc.

So I had a fire going at 625C (1150F) today. Oven is not going white, and things aren't that hot. What I mean is I measured the temp of the bricks a foot away from the edge of the fire and they are only hitting 75C ! The wones 1/2 a foot away are hitting maybe 125C. Even the top of the dome is only 3-400C

So, whats up? Am I measuring the heat of the fire wrong? Cause it was not a scary fire as I've heard the term bantered about. I used the laser thermometer and got that temp from the center bottom of the burn.

Is the heat not spreading because of lack of insulation? Shouldn't be because I felt the outside of the dome with my hands, in many different spots and it wasn't hot or even warm an hour into the burn.

I'd about 3 logs going. What is wrong? I need to burn like 6 or 7 big pieces of wood or what?

Thanks all.

Frustrated Bob

How long was the fire going when you felt it with your hand? Is there cladding on the oven? Are you sure that it is cured? Is the oven protected by the weather?

If anything, insulation help distribute the heat within the masonry a lot faster. It sounds like you still have a wet oven .

[Filthymutt]

Ok, Curing fires are done. Are done. Its ten days since I closed my dome and I'd lit several small fires during the process, ALL WITHOUT INSULATION to check for cracks/leaks, etc.

So I had a fire going at 625C (1150F) today. Oven is not going white, and things aren't that hot. What I mean is I measured the temp of the bricks a foot away from the edge of the fire and they are only hitting 75C ! The wones 1/2 a foot away are hitting maybe 125C. Even the top of the dome is only 3-400C

So, whats up? Am I measuring the heat of the fire wrong? Cause it was not a scary fire as I've heard the term bantered about. I used the laser thermometer and got that temp from the center bottom of the burn.

Is the heat not spreading because of lack of insulation? Shouldn't be because I felt the outside of the dome with my hands, in many different spots and it wasn't hot or even warm an hour into the burn.

I'd about 3 logs going. What is wrong? I need to burn like 6 or 7 big pieces of wood or what?

Thanks all.

Frustrated Bob