Rustic Primitive Materials

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Could you do 2 layers of slate and not lap the joints?

[Laurentius]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Could you do 2 layers of slate and not lap the joints?

Would you recommend a thicker than normal layer of p/vcrete to protect the slate from the heat?

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Of all the stones you could use, I would assume slate to be the best able to take heat and not disintegrate because of it's makeup.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Not hot enough to worry about, I was answering it in the abstract.

[Laurentius]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Hi Annie,

My concern was, slate absorb moisture, which can wick up from the base and if heated high enough would crack or break. P/Certe doesn't have the insulating properties of ceramic fiber board, so my question was, should the inches of p/crete be increase for added protection?

[Gulf]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Heat shouldn't be a problem below the Pcrete/Vcrete if it is a minimum of 4" thick. But, moisture wicking could be easily stopped by a moisture barrier between the supporting base and the slate.

[Gulf]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Please, Don't burn the book. Just put in the library until you finish your oven . A moisture barrier can be just moisture resistant paint, a piece of plastic, or a scrap piece of vynil floor covering placed between your support stand and the hearth.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Your first mistake is the Alan Scott book. God rest his soul, he has been the cause of more ovens being built that are inappropriate for their intended use than anyone in the world.

Burn the book.

Lay some poly down, put down a mortared base, then 4" of perlcrete, then build your oven per FB specs, if not design. It ain't rocket science unless you are building a rocket.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Yikes now wicking issues...

Seems like I have a better chance of flying to the moon on gossamer wings than making the simple humble oven that I had naively envisioned in the beginning.

New plan... I am going to set fire to Alan Scott's book and roast a marshmallow in the flame.

Thanks everyone I now realize this is not for me!!

Cheers, Annie

Gudday Annie
Not a peep out of you for a bit now. I don't think however you have given up on an oven. Exactly the opposite ....you have a stand made....a stack of firebrick purchased.... a stack of information as well. Recon your planning finished and your building now.
Well good on you....Go Girl.
If you read this and you hav'nt broke the link, how about a couple of pics when your finished...no comments or explainations required.... though I recon a simple Yippee!!! would be appropriate.

Regards Dave

[Tscarborough]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

In all of your pictures, it always looks wet. Is it?

[Gulf]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Sounds like you got the consistency pretty close. If it had been a "pour" type of consistency the portland would have settled to the bottom. You might want to cover the slab for a few days to keep it from drying out to fast. That will give it some time to cure. If they are not in your way leave the forms in place as long as possible. A couple of weeks if they are in your way. I removed some bracing from mine after about a week. The actual form was left in place to protect the edges much longer.

[ATK406]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Happy New Year! So glad to hear that you are forging ahead. Yours is such a unique and all natural build, I look forward to seeing/hearing of your progress. I can't wait to see that gorgeous cast iron door on the front of your oven. I don't know how you plan to use it (it looks so heavy) but it looks just the thing for a "Rustic Primitive" oven.

Good Luck,
AT

[Laurentius]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Hi Annie,

Looking good. What size oven will it be?

[Laurentius]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

Be careful, the upper level will be hotter.

[david s]

Re: Rustic Primitive Materials

It will be a humble little 28" oven floor... enough for a nice pizza... but also I have an idea for a 'stone rack' so I can do different kinds of baking on 2 levels.

My oven is also small (21") so I tried cooking bread on two levels, using a metal rack for a second level. It simply didn't work. The upper level bread shielded the bread on the bottom. Remember that a WFO works by radiating heat unlike a conventional convection oven. By all means give it a go, but I won't be surprised if you end up with the same disappointing results that I got. If you use a refractory shelf it might work better, but firing up with it in place may be problematic.