temporary dry-stacked WFO - square design

[TylerDavis]

Re: temporary dry-stacked WFO - square design

Using concrete pavers under the firebrick floor is a mistake IMO. I think it would be difficult to get the floor temp up and to hold high temps. Floor insulation would be my first amendment. Then some insulation on the sides and the top.The steel bracing with angle iron and threaded rod is standard kiln building method.

I'm not planning on using any concrete pavers. The BBQ stand is slump block, then I will put a single sheet of Durock board, then a layer of insulating firebricks, then a layer of refractory bricks for the actual cooking floor. I'm hoping this will be a good compromise for floor insulation

Glad to hear the kiln-building enthusiasts have been down this road before. I presume they have a continuous propane flame source, but still like to insulate to keep costs down?

[cobblerdave]

Re: temporary dry-stacked WFO - square design

Gudday
Found it and posted it to the top "Building the oven" by Tman in the other oven types section.
Makes a great read and if anything would give you a great amount of fun for a while , I'm a great recycler , so for my efforts I would put my time into something more permanent. But that's my opinion.
It's good that you considering using firebrick , they'll survive to be be useful.
Regards dave

[david s]

Re: temporary dry-stacked WFO - square design

Using concrete pavers under the firebrick floor is a mistake IMO. I think it would be difficult to get the floor temp up and to hold high temps. Floor insulation would be my first amendment. Then some insulation on the sides and the top.The steel bracing with angle iron and threaded rod is standard kiln building method.

[cobblerdave]

Re: temporary dry-stacked WFO - square design

Gudday
I've seen one of those ovens before. There are real eye opener and just go to prove that an ovens an oven that's an oven.
Tried to find a link to one in the other oven types section, but haven't found it yet.
Keep a post of your progress its should be an interesting build
Regards dave

[TylerDavis]

I am currently cooking pizza using upper and lower granite tiles on my propane grill. Works alright but I'm ready to take it to the next level. I have read the Pompeii oven instructions and have a spot picked out in my yard. However, before I take the plunge and invest all the time, labor, money and yard footprint for a permanent WFO, I would like the throw together a temporary dry-stacked oven for a season. I want to see how much we actually use it, with work, kids, hobbies, etc vying for our time.

I have seen this build
How to Build a Temporary Wood-fired Brick Pizza Oven with Cheap, Easy to Find Materials | DO IT: Projects, Plans and How-tos
but looking to go even simpler.

I have a built-in BBQ area with a decrepit charcoal grill that would provide the perfect base.

I'm thinking of buying a couple hundred refractory bricks (I can reuse them if I ever decide to build a full WFO)
Dry-stacking them with no mortar in a simple rectangular shape, 24"x24"x12" internal. I will hold it together with angle iron and threaded rod, and just try to be careful not to be too rough with cooking tools to knock it over. This is the same way I built a firepit using pavers and angle iron and that has held sturdy for 5 years now.

I will probably stack the bricks 2 deep, overlapping to minimize air gaps. Might put a short section of straight flue near the front. No door for now.
I realize that this design with minimal insulation and thermal mass will not heat as quickly and cool down faster than a built-in WFO. I'm OK with that, but it will give me some practice with cooking this way, to see if it will keep my interest in the long term.

Is there anything fundamentally flawed with a flat roof instead of a dome? I know the dome provides structural support but I am cheating by using angle iron instead of mortar and masonry techniques. I figure commercial deck ovens have flat roofs and they make good pizza.

Any other ways you could think to improve the basic design concept without adding a lot of labor and cost? I'm hoping I can get 700+ degrees cooking temperature with an afternoon of assembly. The 80% solution, if you will