81 Inch First Build (and first post)

[MAVANO]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

I'am looking forward to this oven wowww very nice thats my next project a large commercial oven ; LOVE YOUR SIDE ARM

[drogers]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

The photos with you in them makes me realize how large this oven will be. An impressive project.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Nice................

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

I got the idea of using the corner cut-offs in a meaningful way from looking at the geo-dome build of dmun's..thanks guy!

Here is my helper staying warm by the fire...it was cold that day..



the soldier/ skew cutting jig




hard "at it"


Roger

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

My wife was able to help over the weekend, tending bricks and cleaning up after me...as well as overall inspiration, thanks honey!

the first few soldiers ..the foreground is my center post and frame template....things changed when I lowered the dome height from 36" to 24"







several bricks drying out before going to the oven

Roger

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

got the saw working again and set up the jig to cut 90 bricks for the soldier course which will be 8.5 inches tall....using 10 inch brick and cutting the skew angle on the top end..

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Very interesting...and since my brick saw just quit tonight, I have a little more time to work that soldier course height out....ooops..thanks!
Roger

[shuboyje]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

I'll start with the info then get into my speculation. h=d/3.4 is a simple guideline that has been given to approximate the proper height for a pizza oven. It doesn't give you the shape of the ovens found in Naples which is fairly secret, but it gives you a height that is close to what would be found in one of their ovens. I've seen this posted a few times on line, and have been told it is in a few books of brick ovens in Italy. Now for my speculation. One day while researching arches I ran across a three centered arch. To me it looked like a dead ringer for the sketches I had seen of the cross section of a Naples built oven. On a hunch I opened up my cad software and laid one out. In this type of arch the height is dictated by the width. No matter how wide the arch I found h=d/3.4. This leads me to believe the ovens built in Naples use a specialized shape based on a three centered arch modified to make a soldier course work. They have hundred of years of experience building these ovens in Naples, so I am more then happy to go with what they do....

As for a soldier course I feel they are critical in a low dome oven burning efficiently. This is speculation mixed with the experience I have using my oven and some other feedback. Low dome ovens have much less volume over the door then the high dome ovens that are common here. The higher the soldier course the more volume above the door. I personally think the volume over the door forms a "air cushion" that holds heat in the oven and makes them more efficient. Just a theory...but it my mind atleast it has basis.

[dmun]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Yeah, I've never figured out what the soldier course is for. It's traditional, but to my mind it just makes it weaker. Your huge low dome is going to have a lot of side thrust, and putting it up on stilts is going to accentuate the problem.

[Les]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Roger,

I built a 42 inch and made it a true radius. My first brick off the deck is 2.5 inches. Granted, I can't push a large piece of burning wood to the edge, but it has never been a problem. I think with your size it would be a non issue.

Les...

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

shuboyje,
please elaborate on that d/3.4 guideline....give me some background on that..

Hey, everyone....what is the minimum wall height, ie; the soldier course upon which the skew and dome starts? Is 4 to 5 inches too short, or do I really need 8 to 9 inches (full bricks)? I want the shortest wall possible in order to create the highest degree of angle for my 24" dome. The lower I start on the outside rim, the greater the angle to the top. I figure it's just going to be where I push the coals and small wood..thoughts?
thanks
Roger

[shuboyje]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

81 and 24 is dead on the d/3.4 guidline for low domes. Forge ahead my friend!

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

Yep, 6 feet 9 inches. I going for a low oven and fast bake times for pizza by combining the best of the pompei with the barrel, I just hope my dome support is stong enough to hold the low roof....lower being harder to hold up. I will rely on the "belt" around the oven to help, ala the Peter Moore Campanola oven build.

I appreciate the observations and feedbacks, I really do. I am not experienced at this, but have a butt-load of confidence...which makes me forge ahead into unknown areas with a 80% success rate, but the 20% failures are real "crash and burn" ugly! haha

[kebwi]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

By diameter 6-9" do you mean 6'-9", as in six feet nine inches?

Okay, so 14" is reasonably close to 63% of 24" (a shave on the low side although I have no idea how sensitive these figures are). I guess you're just building a very low, flat oven relative to its diameter, good for pizza I suppose. I just would have expected such an enormous oven to have a fairly large entry way, but if it has a low dome, it should have a correspondingly low entry arch.

No, I'm not suggesting you did anything wrong. I am steadfast in my insistence that I have no authority on FB. I'm way too much of a novice to be telling other people what to do. I just thought it looked kinda low. Maybe it's fine for your design.

Thanks on the congrats. I'm so glad I got this far. It ain't done yet, but it was a huge milestone.

[windage]

Re: 81 Inch First Build (and first post)

The arch is 14" and the dome is 24" the dia 6-9", congrats on your first pizzas, btw. I was originally in the dark about the proper ratio of 63%, until one of my MIT friends, Thomas Massie, stopped by as I had the frames mocked up at 36". After a quick review of his Scott and Winger book, I lowered it to 24" dome height. Do you think this too low? Now is the time to change anything if I need to...going out tonight to start cutting the soldier course which will have the skew cut on the upper end.
Roger