Door Construction

[bbell]

Re: Door Construction

I also found this prior thread with a pretty fancy glass door. Pretty good!

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/glass-door-view-5169.html

Bill

[SableSprings]

Re: Door Construction

When I got my oven completed I had a stainless steel door constructed with a hollow center. I filled the center with leftover perlite for insulation. The door worked great for heat management, but was far too heavy to lift with one hand while loading bread into the oven. I had a second, light working door made out of sheet steel. The handle was made out of an old coiled grip and welded to some round bar stock. The round stock is forked at the base to give the door stability. I can now lift the door with one hand while holding a loaded peel in the other. I can use the light door for pizza or bread bakes without having to use a glove. As you can see in the pictures, the light door steel is slightly "creased" to allow for heat expansion and then I simply painted it with high temp black spray paint.

I'm pretty happy with my two door system and it gives me a lot of options.
Mike

[C5dad]

Re: Door Construction

I may just do that - I will check with the guys in my shop as to when we can do the cutting and what not - got a HUGE shop at the mine/smelter with all the tools one would need. Unfortunately, work is the same - more than what the guys need.

[azatty]

Re: Door Construction

Chris, if you need another resource, shoot me a PM and I'll send you the contact information for my friend in Mesa who's fabricating a door for my oven. He's familiar with the brick oven application, and he does great work.

[david s]

Re: Door Construction

Speeding up the firing by using a draft door or forced air induction (hair dryer) has a drawback in that it creates a temp rise that is too fast for refractory materials to handle. It is the difference in temp and its consequential difference in expansion of the materials that is the problem. For safe practice the standard temp rise should be no greater than 100 C/Hr This is not practical for us but just bear in mind that sudden temp fluctuations damage the materials, it doesn't matter how good or how highly rated your refractory materials are if you subject them to major stress. In short I think it's better to give your oven more time rather than trying to achieve the big fire too fast. This technique also provides more drinking time.

[bbell]

Re: Door Construction

Les, that's a great idea! Would be helpful to have door ideas in one spot.

My first door was the only a piece of plywood wrapped in Aluminum tape with a shelf standard as a handle. If i use it when the oven is too hot I can hear the wood smoldering and popping.

Then made an insulated door that works well when I want to keep the oven temp up as long as possible.

Now thinking of a draft door to help speed up the lighting of the fire. I'll scout around and see what others have done.

[Les]

Re: Door Construction

If others can post pics of their doors, that would be great for all to see and get ideas!

I don't have a picture in the office, but here is a link to my page.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/les-build-4207-10.html

Many have posted pic's in the past, but it's been pretty scattered. It would be nice if all were in one location since everyone needs a door.

Les...

[Lburou]

Re: Door Construction

I'm so flexible, I don't need to procrastinate

Someday, I'll be making one of these doors....Is there any contraindication for the use of aluminum rivets, I have some of those in my tool box already

The black hi-temp paint looks good to me, like fxpose did.

[C5dad]

Re: Door Construction

Aww man, I like the flavor of Zinc that fumes from the galvanized metal. Just bummed they took the arsenic out - imparts a sweeter flavor

Seriously though, this is great advise from all so far. It is way cool to find out what everyone is doing for us greenhorns. I know others out there are probably thinking the same about how others are making their doors.

If others can post pics of their doors, that would be great for all to see and get ideas!

CW

p.s. I don't procrastinate, Its just better to put things off til tomorrow that I can do later today - gotta leave my options open.

[RTflorida]

Re: Door Construction

Geez, I thought my lightly sanded and high temp painted aluminum door came out pretty good (with stainless fasteners, or course)......and you guys are talking about anodizing and acid staining. I guess I am both cheap and easy, thanks for bursting my swelled head.

C5, staying in the research phase is a good thing once you reach the pizza making stage. Staying in the research phase during design and construction just gets you labeled as a procrastinator and a guy who starts projects, but does not complete them. I think I have been called both in the same sentence at least 100 times since being married. Shoot, probably within the past year.

RT

RT

[david s]

Re: Door Construction

Any bolts or screws you use in the door should be stainless, don't use galvanized or zinc plated it is poisonous.

[C5dad]

Re: Door Construction

That is right - dissertation and then to defend your thesis. UHG - too much thinking - I will permanently stay in the research phase - I like the results and can eat the mistakes.

As for anodizing, that is not really dying. It is more of a surface chemical reaction - worked for a division who plated and polished parts and anodizing was part - think of the MagLites that come out - except for it was jet engine parts! I hated dealing with the spent solutions - a real pita. One could do the waffle pattern on the plate then anodize to keep the matte finish.

As for the acid stain - it is usually a 2 to 3% hydrochloric acid solution with various metal salts dissolved in them and another compound (a mild oxidizer) used to stabilize the dissolved metals. Don't want to do that again - back breaking especially when cleaning the crap off the surface.

[Lburou]

Re: Door Construction

...snip... - Do I see my PhD thesis using a pizza oven?

Here in America, you might see a 'dissertation'...

I'm wondering about a concrete stain or acid stain of some kind....?

[dmun]

Re: Door Construction

Almost any city of any size will have a place that anodizes aluminum. This is actually a plating process, that produces a layer of abrasive hard crystals on the surface, which can immediately be died (or not). The places that do this will be able to bead blast the surface for a matte finish. Obviously you want to do this to aluminum only: you do this before you apply steel fasteners, or insulation.

[C5dad]

Re: Door Construction

Well, It looks to be aluminum and board/kaowool sandwich. I will have to figure out how to make it purdy - aluminum stays too shiney for me. We have a place downtown - Davis Salvage who sells all kinds of metallic goodies to fence builders and other rouges. I may be able to adapt some steel scrolls for feet and or handles.

I was thinking of an outer door as well - probably a 1/2 door so the smoke goes up, while the fresh air comes in. Just need to figure out the kinetics of pyrolysis of various carbonaceous materials in a hemispherical vessel - Do I see my PhD thesis using a pizza oven?