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i purchased a giardino oven dome from forno bravo. it had some small cracks on the outside of the dome to be safe i put a coat of refractory cement over it .i also put a coat of refractory cement under the floor. i the put the insulation on. i used a metal cover over all of this.i cannot get anything to light on the inside to help dry out the oven. i have been using two 100 watt bulbs to heat the dome. i am in ohio the weather is 32 to 38 degrees now. what steps should i take to cure this oven?
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Re: oven curing
Hey Zaman,
Not to be nit picky, the dome didn't have cracks -- the outer layer can flake a little (where do don't see it after installation). :-)
You should just be very careful and follow the curing instructions. You should start and maintain a low fire and keep the oven at 300F for 8 hours the first day and 350F for 8 hours the second day. If you don't get in all those hours, you can spread the low fires over multiple days. The bring the temperature up 50 - 100F per day until you get up to 600F.
Take your time!
James -
Re: oven curing
james, i know it was surface only ,i felt like it needed a layer to increase thermal mass. it was overkill ,now it is taking forever for the coating to dry. that and the cold weather is really slowing me down!!Comment
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Re: oven curing
Hey Zaman -- if you split your wood down to 1" kindling size and add newspaper, you can get a small fire that is just hot enough for curing. The extra mass is fine (even good); the fires are slow to catch because everything in the oven is still damp. It will be fine!
JamesComment
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Re: oven curing
At first it dosen't seem like anything is happening but as the oven cures you will see a sudden increase in obtained heat levels with the same amount of wood.Comment
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Re: oven curing
i cannot get a good fire in this oven everything smolders . there must be a lot of water in the ovenComment
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Re: oven curing
zaman,
is your wood dry,, can you burn some scap 2 x 4's which are sure to be dry to get a fire going ??Comment
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Re: oven curing
the wood seem to be dry, i have been using some pre-cut packaged wood. the weather here is cold and snowy the oven is under cover,but the dome was covered with a layer of refractory cement that is probably not dry. would that contribute to the wood not starting?? i will try some 2x4 scraps.Comment
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Re: oven curing
Hey Zaman,
The oven being wet shouldnt contribute to not being able to light a fire,, I would try some small 2 x 4 pieces It sounds like your wood hasnt been seasoned long enough.. once u get a small fire going with the 2 x 4 you should be able to put your other wood in and get it going,,,,, How thick is the wood your using,, Was it sold to you as seasoned firewood ?? I also use a small propane torch to get my fires going,, and i will split up a 2 x 4 into kindling to help it light easier.....Last edited by ThisOldGarageNJ; 08-16-2010, 05:53 PM.Comment
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Re: oven curing
yes, it was sold as seasoned. i also have some scraps from local cabinet makers oak,and maple. they seem to burn a little better. i am afraid to use to much paper to start the woods the heat will run up to high, damaging the dome.Comment
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Re: oven curing
I like using the propane torch... very controlled,, Just make yourself a bunch of kindling and light up some 2x4 then burn your scraps.. once you get it going pretty good, throw one of you logs on it and it should light up,,, If the wood wasnt seaoned it will hiss a lot as the moisture comes out.. sometimes you will even see sap coming out the ends..
Good Luck and keep us posted
MarkComment
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Re: oven curing
mark,
its up and burning vs smoking . thanks for your help looks like i will be cooking by the end of the week!!Comment
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Re: oven curing
Hey Zaman,,,
Glad it worked out for you... Congrats and enjoy your new oven...
Cheers
MarkComment
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Re: oven curing
Keep at it. You have to be patient during the curing process.Comment
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Re: oven curing
I made my first oven from scratch , a beautiful experience.
I can't stress patience enough.
You'll probly burn the bottom of the first pizza but the learning curve is short.
EnjoyComment
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