52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

[windage]

I posted the progress of my first oven, an 81 inch ID, traditional brick oven that I built for my pizza shop 4 years ago and still going strong.

I have a new project underway, a mobile brick oven in a 48ft moving van, big event oriented. 52 inch interior diameter, 4 inch thick dome, perl-crete insulation built on a steel frame. Designed to be "modular", the oven, frame and all, can be picked up and moved out for replacement if necessary or to relocate to a fixed facility. Van is "double drop" with air ride, will house all water, generators, walk-in cooler, dough making capabilities along with pizza building area and wash area...good for days at a time away from home.

Yes, it looks like a baby grand piano...that may become it's new nickname..

BTW, thanks for the number of views for my 81 inch oven post....at over 44,000 views...it's one of the most looked-at brick oven posts on the web..see that thread in FornoBravo here;

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f37/...ost-11354.html

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

steel dome-girdle up and inner arch side pillars in. Arch will be cut to fit the dome bricks as I get there. Dome height (.46 x dia) from hearth floor; 24", arch height; 15", diameter; 52". Soldier course will be nicked for angle at top..
2 1/4 " of perlcrete under "brick on edge" hearth of 4-1/4 floor for heat retention. This oven is designed to bake only pizza, nothing else and bake at higher temps with fast firing and short bake times. Heat loss will be minimal due to 6 to 8 " of perlcrete cladding, but with the masonry dome limited to 4-1/4" it will not hold heat long after active firing (compared to the 13" masonry dome of my 81" oven).

[david s]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

Don't forget that the steel will get way hotter much faster than any refractory surrounding it. You should make allowance for this around your entry.

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

yep, will use plenty of fiber blanket "cushie" between brick and steel, thanks for watching!

[shuboyje]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

Years later and here we are still talking about pizza ovens.

If this was my oven I would do somethings differently, just though I would chime in and give you some food for thought. Obviously take it for whatever you think it's worth.

For a mobile oven that will be fire infrequently from cold I would lean more towards insulation, and less towards mass. 4 inches minimum of perlcrete bellow, probably more like 6. 2 inch floor. 3 inch dome. Dome insulated with some form of fiber insulation(mineral or ceramic). Lots of mass is an asset for your stationary oven. For this oven it is going to be a burden.

If you are planning to go to a hotter faster bake I would HIGHLY recommend you to use WG low duty fire bricks for your floor, and stay as far away from soapstone as possible. When you get to Neapolitan type temperatures a floor with too high of a thermal conductivity is a kiss of death. There are lots of ovens on the market with floors that have a thermal conductivity between 1.2-1.5 w/m/c and they struggle with neapolitan pizza. I would hate to see what would happen with a floor 30 times more conductive then THAT like soapstone. WG low duty fire bricks are the only material I know of on the US market with a thermal conductivity in the proper range for Neapolitan pizza, 0.6 w/m/c. Trust me I've tried to find something else, as have many others.

Good luck, however you decide to proceed!

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

right on with the mass vs speed concept...the big guy does a great job with the dough/toppings/moisture that we serve at the fixed location, but the mobile is heading a whole diff direction; faster, wetter, thinner...shooting for a thousand pies in a long shift, so deep mass on the floor and rapid transfer from dome; hence the low profile and lot's of insulation...keep watching!

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

entry box and brick retainer built today, skids on legs. Getting ready to lift into trailer, then "let the bricking begin".

[cannyfradock]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

Windage

I thoroughly enjoyed following your 81" oven thread.....from the start. I'm looking forward to following your 52" mobile oven thread. I would love to interact on your project but although I have a certain degree of knowledge and experience in building WFO's, it is small scale....and very limited.....especially compared to the more experienced "Guru's" who offer their advice on this forum.

One thought did come to mind when you said..."but with the masonry dome limited to 4-1/4" it will not hold heat long after active firing (compared to the 13" masonry dome of my 81" oven)."......was, a few designs that I've seen where the oven builder has incorporated a squirrel tail vent....i.e the oven is still vented outside the dome, but a series of rectangular clay sections (equivalent to square inch area needed for the vent) are taken from the vent aperture and laid directly on top of the dome fire-brick, then externally vented from the rear/back of the oven. This re-uses the spent air/heat from the oven and puts it back into the top of the dome......just a thought!

I wish you all the best in your new venture and if it's anything like your 81" oven, I'm sure it will be a resounding success.

Regards...

Terry

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

The big oven does have the "squirrel-tail" flue (see the build photos) and even though I buried temp sensors in that oven at many points, I could not tell you if; the oven heats the flue for more draw, or the flue heats the oven for more efficiency....? But this oven flue will exit straight up, directly over the arches...I am not looking for long term heat retention on this one, it's not about the efficiency as much as the through-put...remember this is a 1000 pie a day build...fuel costs not an issue, like at the home oven.

52 inch oven frame lifted into van today. Got out the old brick saw I built for the first oven and rounding up the "brick laying" tools. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Advice always read and considered..from those that build a lot of ovens for differing uses and even from you guys who have never cut the first brick, but comment a lot to drive your experience "rating" up, I read them all.

[tubehead]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

The start of the oven looked good the other night.

My mobile oven will still be warm 2 days after firing, not hot but warm. I'm very happy with the way the oven cooks. It's taken a beating over the last year and is holding up great.

See you soon buddy.

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

tubehead (left) and windage (right)

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

2-1/2 inches perlcrete laid for under floor bricks. Fluffy blend of 2pts water, 1pt CA, 10pts perlite

[deejayoh]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

Love the updates - but that's a might small trowel for a lot of perlite!

Also - looking at your picture of the frame in the corner - is the back of that van is going to get hot by the oven? thinking it may be a tough place to work.

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

deejayoh, the operator/pizzaiolo will stand on a platform outside the van body, under a shade awning...that was the only trowel I could find in a hurry...dang, lost all my trowels !

[windage]

Re: 52 inch mobile brick oven in moving van

blanket came in today..1/2 inch..24 inch by 50ft long, $170 delivered...eBay seller;
Kaowool Ceramic Fiber Insulating Blanket Roll 1/2"x 24"x 50' 8# -Morgan Thermal Ceramics

have enough to cover dome and wrap the flue too, I hope....