36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

I'm pretty committed to the IT method. Seems more precise to me. With that said I also read that the sand method is the undisputed pro method.... Perhaps a combination on both using a plywood piece mounted to end of IT with sand for last few courses?

How many days do I need to wait for the hearth to cure before putting insulation in place?
It's been a day and I'm getting anxious to get it back underway!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

You can place the insulation the next day, if not the same, as soon as it doesn't fingerprint it is GTG (just don't stand on it or anything).

I have done neither, but I think it is easier to do a lower dome with sand. If it is hemispherical, I would think the tool would be faster.

[machonurin]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

If all else fails, get a ton of delivery pies, then burn the packaging in the WFO to camouflage its origins

[okn]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

How's the build progressing?

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

We got the dome done except for a few key stones. Was trying the X method of closing in the last course. We ran out of high heat morter in the kit, and also ran out of fire bricks to complete the arch... The Forno Bravo dealer in Barrie Ontario didn't have any more of either to complete the oven before I left for a trade show... Otherwise it would be done and curing now. Very disappointed in the Forno bravo kit, now that I'm having to procure more fire bricks and make my own morter to complet.
You might think I wasted morter or fire bricks, and while I did shave the bricks on three sides for the dome, if I hadn't shaved them I would have used plenty more morter, which I also ran out of morter, which I was also careful not to waste.

Now thinking I will have the flue laser cut from steel to hook into the Simpson dura tech stainless chimney... Just to save curing time

[WJW]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

Tick tock.

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

Indeed.
Happy to report a uneventfull move from the garage to the pad. I had a nightmare last week that the oven slid off the hearth and shatered in to 164pcs (thats my estimate)
here's a video of the move for anyone considering the garage build method Moving 36" Wood Fired Oven from Garage to pad - YouTube

Got the chimney anchor plate lag bolted (thanks Duratech/simpson for not including the 5/16" anchor bolts) and mortered on (for a nice seal) last night.

Endeed up bieng able to purchase the chimney parts from Energy Shop Green Bay WI, who had everything in stock (I was in Oshkosh last week for a tradeshow) total cost was about $300
6" anchor plate 9441 $60.23
Chimney Cap Spark Arrestor 9484 $84.46
SS Chimney tube insulated 36" 9406 $176.2

All the morter has been drying for a few days (except for the skim 'gasket' under the anchor plate.... but I figure that should dry out pretty quick. I think I might have been better off using a bit of insulation under the anchor plate though.... thoughts?

Pic of oven on pad waiting to start curing fires later this afternoon attached.

3 days at 250*
2 days at 350* (I'm making bread at this point)
then all the way up to temp?

[WJW]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

Congrats. on getting finished. Slap some blanket insulation on that baby if you've got some and you're ready to roll.

Maybe others with more expertise can chime in, but your mortar will be really wet in light of the speed of your build. And in light of the fact that it's a pompeii style, the joints are very wide in the dome. I realize you are on a deadline so it is what it is...but maybe you are better off just keeping it constantly hot right up until your event to drive out as much moisture as possible. Keep it around 250 for 60 hours and then bring it up to 350 and just keep it there until it's time to start bringing it all the way up to temp. You will obviously need to have blanket insulation on it to do this but it seems like with this high speed cure it might be the way to go.

I cured my oven really fast, too fast, but got away with it and have no more cracks than any of the other ovens I've seen (except maybe brikie-in-ox) . Basically I was over five hundred by day two and above eight hundred by day five. But...my oven took months to build so it was relatively dry everywhere except for the front arch by the time I lit my first fire...and it was a barrel vault so the joints are narrower. I got it hot on day one and I think I never let it drop below three hundred from the time of the first fire. (specifics are in my thread on "other oven types" if your interested.)

Either way, congrats.

Bill

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

I finished all but the 4 key stones and arch almost two weeks ago. Completed the rest of it a few days ago. Most of the morter has turned white, Im presuming that means it's mostly dry?

The bricks were mostly shaved on three or four sides, so not too much morter... but I still ran out of morter and fire bricks and had to have a bag fedex'd to me at great expense. Purchased the fire bricks locally.

I would highly recommend anyone getting the 36" Forno Bravo "Kit" to get an extra bag and an extra 18 fire bricks. They say there's enough for "both the arch and dome" but there isn't, no mater which way you slice it. Customer service told me the kit only supplies bricks and morter for the dome, the instructions say there should be enough for both. I'm still pissed off with them... though to their credit they gave me the morter for free, I had to pay the express shipping.

Ive been reading these two threads on curing...
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/16/m...g-17586-2.html
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/m...but-17901.html

Thinking of the propane burner method ( I have one handy), but still waiting on the laser temp thing to arrive in the mail. (should have thought abut that a few weeks ago).
Will probably leave it on low over night for a couple nights, at first with no insulation then with?

In your experience will the moisture escape through the insulation? I should put it on before first firing? Chicken wire and masonry screws/washers to hold it all down?

Thanks for your input, Bill.

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

BTW noted your thoughts on propane curing here:
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f16/...ure-18058.html

[Laku]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

It would be better to let it dry for at least a week. That might vary depending what mortar you used, so consult the bag/manufacturers website to see the instructions.

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

Used the Forno Bravo mortar.... It says to wait 24hrs if I recall. Not long enough?
It's curing in the hot sun now.... I was going to start some bread today (my recipe takes 3 days)

[Laku]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

24 hours sounds really short, but if that's what it says in the bag then I guess you're fine.

Anyone else have knownledge about fb mortar curing?

[WJW]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

If you are using ceramic fiber blanket insulation (and I assume you are) I would think that any moisture would have no problem moving through the blanket. As I think about it, I'd probably hold off on putting more than one layer of blanket for the curing fires. You will need one layer to effectively hold it at temp IMO. Maybe halfway through the cuing process put the remaining blanket layers on. But to be honest, the stuff seems like water would have no problem migrating through ...especially if the bricks underneath were hot....so you probably could just insulate it to the hilt. It would certainly make it easier to keep it at temp.

If it were me...I'd get that thing hot and keep it hot right up until the time of your event. Maybe spend twenty-five percent of your time around 200-250, fifty percent of the time around 300-350, and the remaining time around four hundred. Obviously not ideal, but if you have to get it done in four five days...that's how I'd approach it.

Bill

[coasterbuoy]

Re: 36"w/ Steel Stand, 2-3 Week Build

Mission accomplished! Thanks to everyone who offered advice.
Some complications to report... namely cracks in the oven. One of the stones in the front of the arch is loose Are the other minor cracks on the dome normal?
Baked baguette on day 4 of the curing fires (wood) I just kept a small fire going in it for about a week straight. Had no way of knowing what the temp was. Didn't get the infra thermometer until yesterday.

Burned the *&^*$ out of the first pizza's, the bottom started burning after 40 seconds, but the dough flavour fluffy/crispy etc was spectacular... I'm guessing the oven was somewhere in the 1100* + range, which was probably bad. Second try, also without the thermometer, the oven was too cold, took too long and the pizza was under cooked.
In a perfect situation I would have waited till the thermometer showed up... but what pizzaiolo can do that?

last night (the night before the wedding, which is today) the thermometer arrived, and almost perfect pizza was baked! (pic) average temp was 800ish, I think I'm going to take it to avg of 850 tonight.

Using a modified Peter R. transitional whole wheat crust....
Made my own peel and shovel from some off cut stainless at the metal supermarket barrie (thanks to Steve & Steve @ MSB) cost only about $30

Next, build enclosure....