Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

[jeff]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Asudavew used cardboard as a spacer: so did I, thinking that it would burn out. It didn't. Next time I'll be gross, and use corrugated cardboard; may help.
(btw, I've just stuck 3' of 5" flue on a 31" oven. 6" would have worked a treat, bugger! Just didn't have any lying around in the shed eh.)
Oven has morphed from a Sprightly Unit to a Big Fat Mumma--- no, enough; stuff yers. That is too good to waste on Serious Folk: refer to Newbies. Giggles eh'
Jeff.

[sam1900]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Nice to meet you guys. I am from India and we never use this because we live in the city and we dont have much surroundings to build one. Recently I bought a house in Munnar, Kerala where its very cold and I am planning to build one. I saw the pics of Mr.asudavew and its really amazing. Will upload my pics after building it. Thank You.

=====
sam

[jeff]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Sam 1900,
Munnar, Kerala? Where is that? When in west China, we saw cold places [strewth. Cold. Hell yes.Buildings went:- Animals ground floor, humans next,and hay stored up in the roof space. flamin' creosote-covered beams and ceilings]with few trees: is a wood fired oven a socially viable concept in your neck of the woods?

Mate I don't wish to come across as either smart-arse or elitist, especially in light of the current fuel prices, but how do you justify a WFO in Northern India?

In our place here,(Bundaberg, Australia) I take out the axe and wheel barrow, and bring back two small trees - both long dead, and damn good fuel. If I don't burn them, then the next bushfire will.
And so, having salvaged some stored solar energy, we have three days cooking available from a single firing.. Not so bad, I guess.

Sam, I just adore FornoBravo, and I wish well to all who touch the site.
I no longer visit the internet frequently, but please feel free to chuck me a curly whenever a problem arises. My only word of advice would be: INSULATE; and don't be afraid to use Al foil. Insulation below the slab is just as important as above.
Onya Sam. Bloody good.
Luddite Jeff.

[Ken524]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Jeff! Where have you been?! You married off your daughter and then disappeared on us. Stop by and say hello more often!

Glad to see you in Cyberspace again!

[jeff]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Thanks for saying g'day Ken: it means a lot.

Yes mate, both offspring of my Lady's loins (strewth, I hope I got that right.....Maybe from/of . Ahh, never mind.

Anyway, a 30 year marathon is run. Both kids are hitced up with good partners. So now the War of Attrition begins. Can they wear down our hard-won finances more rapidly than my Lady's soft heart?

Strewth, who cares? I love the Kids, Dog'n Missus. Life's good.

Proof required?

Mate, where else in the civilized world could one hope to post a WFO posing (I can't spell masquarading, eh), as a mutant mushroom? Most Ovens are respectful to their heritage, and while I respect their respectfulness, I reckon fukumeh, so we got the Swirls. (And she continues to bestow gifts of extraordinary texture/aroma /pure delight upon us eh)
So thanks to James: and I may offer a Turkish recipe down the track eh.

Thanks again Ken.
Stay safe eh.
Jeff the Absent.

Ken,
love FornoBravo, you Mongrels, and my Oven to bits. I don't know why I've gone quiet, but it's across the board, not just FB.

[asudavew]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

I agree with Ken! Good to hear from you Jeff.
I was just starting to decipher your lingo.. and you leave!
hahaha

Anyway. Glad life is treating you well.
Catch any of those prawns lately?
Man, those pics made me jealous!


Dave

[jeff]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Asudavew,
Strewth - where to start, Dave?
Mate I feel somewhat embarrassed that you mob even remember that I lived.

I have stolen so much from you bunch of mongrels @ FB.
BUT,
I do suspect that I've done good by James, the one true Guru of Great Oven Craft - free to all and sundry.
Without fail, the pizza from our oven is eaten with a certain reverence: not unlike the emotions visited upon those who've witnessed the birth of a Hippy Potamarse, (or a Pteridactylarse, even).

And when I tellum it costs four fifths of fukall to build, they tend to ignore my warning when, on day 3 after the Pizza night, they reach in to retrieve that cold little old pot of pea and ham soup. (Hahaha goose, Old Mate. hmm. i thought i said you might benefit friom welding gloves: are you blind and deaf, or just plain stupid?... )

Some of our guests have even been known to swear, tru!. (Shit; just can't take some bastards anywhere, eh. Treat 'em like royalty, and they swear and curse like bloody troopers: Upsets me dog big mobs, it does, dead set.)

Anyway Dave, I just LOVED your video. Thanks for that, Happy Man.
And what your stupid video did for me, I think (hope), my stupid oven will do for others.

May WFO's rule.
I stop.
Jeff.

[Ken524]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

May WFO's rule.

Amen! Don't be a stranger!

[james]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Life does not always treat you well -- but your wood oven will always be there for you.
James

[aureole]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Ken: I've just had *exactly* the same problem: I'm so sorry I didn't get to learn from your mistake - but at least if I'm going to make one, I'm glad it was the same as a much better builder than me . Ironically, it's been on a relatively dry day here, I was worried about my mortar drying too quickly so I spritzed it a litte too enthusiastically and soaked the boards -the side wall of the vent at the front started to go and it's gone all mushy/compressable. Nice, at least, to know it isn't fatal.

Incidentally, is the board insulating better now you've dried it out? As far as I can tell, the ceraboard I used is a mixture of fibres, so apart from the mushiness, I think it'll be fine once it's dried.

[Ken524]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Hi Matt,

Sorry to hear about your mushy insulation! Once everything cured and dried out, the board seemed to stabilize. I notice the underside of the concrete hearth doesn't get hot any more and I haven't seen any settling since the "big one".

I don't see how it could get wet again, so I think it will be fine from here on out.

[aureole]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Good to hear! I'm doing a flat cast vent, but if I have enough firebricks left at the end of the dome, I'll do a double-width vent entry instead. This build process is weird: I'm swinging from happy euphoria every time I tap in a keystone to paranoid worry every night!

[Ken524]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

I'm swinging from happy euphoria every time I tap in a keystone to paranoid worry every night!

I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've had worrying about my insulation board. To this day, I regret using that overpriced stuff.

[aureole]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've had worrying about my insulation board. To this day, I regret using that overpriced stuff.

Amen to that. Did the bracket solution work okay? I'm trying to decide whether to tear down and rebuild the vent walls.

On sleepless nights: I managed to worry myself into a tizz last night convincing myself I forgot to add fireclay to one of my mixes of mortar (it's pretty unlikely, but I was stressing it anyway).

Still, keystone today and maybe then I'll stop worrying. Yeah, right .

[Ken524]

Re: Curing, Cracks & Other Kentucky Conundrums

Amen to that. Did the bracket solution work okay?

The brackets are really there to contain a catastrophic failure. I hope I never find out if they work