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Ever since stumbling across Forno Bravo (not really that hard to find when searching for WFO instructions!) I have fallen in love with the idea of building a WFO at home. Luckily for me, the Minister For Home Finances gave me a tick of approval - no questions asked! Whoo hoo.
My original plan was a 42" igloo on a concrete block stand with a stacked stone finish and maybe some mosaic on the rendered dome... until I saw Jamie Oliver's oven... and then Maburton's build.
There was just something about the curved lines, decorative brickwork and the stand being open at both ends that really appeals to me.
Unfortunately, Maburton's build log (also on FB) is a shade on the light-side of instructional photo's. There is enough to get the general idea of how he put it together.
So far, this is what I have gathered:
1. Square concrete stand (I'm planning to follow the general FB instructions for wire-mesh, rebar & 140mm (5 1/2?) concrete).
2. Double-height (???) curved bricks (from old textile factory chimney) laid in header orientation. I plan on using double-height straight brick 290x162x90mm laid in header orientation to form the curved sides.
3. Course of sill-bricks/ogee pattern. Austral Bowral special shapes has a few designs.
4. Four double-courses of standard bricks (these appear to be thin bricks???).
5. Course of bullnose stretcher bricks.
6. Concrete hearth (formed from recycled reinforced concrete sills) laid on angle iron supports (I plan on pouring a concrete hearth as per FB instructions).
7. 4? Perlite concrete on top of concrete base.
8. Ceramic board (insulation, insulation, insulation!!!).
9. Fire-brick floor then Tuscan dome (firebrick).
a) Although the finished WFO appears to be very low (similar to a Naples-style oven), one of Maburton's posts said the oven has a 21? internal height (therefore, Tuscan).
10. 1/2? fireclay mortar.
11. 4-5 layers of ceramic blanket (8?-thick).
12. Rebar hoops over the blanket ? I believe this is to support the squirrel-tail chimney piece/s.
13. 3? 10:1 pearlite concrete.
14. Steel wire laid over pearlite concrete.
15. 2? concrete (perhaps render???).
16. Squirrel tail chimney (STC).
17. Outer brick dome including highlights on both sides of brick laid in soldier orientation & centrally located chimney.
Note: I am not a builder, brick-layer or tradie of any sort. I really enjoy getting my hands dirty, learning new stuff and I'm always going way out of my comfort zone to make something really cool.
Ideas & Questions:
1. Based upon the double-sized bricks for the stand, it appears that after the sill / ogee course, the brickwork steps in by a little bit. From laying out brick samples on the ground, I figure there is approximately 130 ? 135mm (5 1/8? - 5 5/16?) of brickwork that is supporting the WFO. Is this sufficient for supporting the weight of a suspended slab hearth 90mm (3 1/2?), WFO oven et al?
2. I'm sure everyone has their own thoughts on the squirrel tailed chimney (STQ) design (30-degree angles etc.). I'm planning on following the FB instructions right up until section 10.2 for the vent. But from there until the top of the dome, I'm a little stuck. From reading through various threads on the squirrel-tailed design & looking at the MHA 2006 meet photographs, their STC has a brick channel following the curve of the WFO that is covered by a sheet of steel (???). My current plan of attack is to follow the same sort of design with a brick channel that follows the curve of oven to the top of the dome and then finish off the chimney in a similar style to Maburton's. Considering the heat and smoke travelling through the STC, should I use fire brick tiles, insulating tiles or regular bricks? In the case of regular bricks, the outer brick dome could form the cover for the chimney pipe channel.
The other alternative I was thinking of is to use a second-hand ceramic chimney liner that will run from the oven vent to the the top of the dome.
Note: the firebrick dome will be fully insulated and the STC will be laid over the top of the ceramic blanket, pearlite concrete & concrete/render.
3. Maburton's design has rebar hoops over the ceramic blanket. I think this is to help support the weight of the STC and the outer brick dome. Do you feel this is necessary? Would you recommend a different material or way to support this additional weight? Or should the outer brick dome be self-supporting?
Thanking-you in advance for your help.
Alex
Edit: reference photographs of Maburton's build
My original plan was a 42" igloo on a concrete block stand with a stacked stone finish and maybe some mosaic on the rendered dome... until I saw Jamie Oliver's oven... and then Maburton's build.
There was just something about the curved lines, decorative brickwork and the stand being open at both ends that really appeals to me.
Unfortunately, Maburton's build log (also on FB) is a shade on the light-side of instructional photo's. There is enough to get the general idea of how he put it together.
So far, this is what I have gathered:
1. Square concrete stand (I'm planning to follow the general FB instructions for wire-mesh, rebar & 140mm (5 1/2?) concrete).
2. Double-height (???) curved bricks (from old textile factory chimney) laid in header orientation. I plan on using double-height straight brick 290x162x90mm laid in header orientation to form the curved sides.
3. Course of sill-bricks/ogee pattern. Austral Bowral special shapes has a few designs.
4. Four double-courses of standard bricks (these appear to be thin bricks???).
5. Course of bullnose stretcher bricks.
6. Concrete hearth (formed from recycled reinforced concrete sills) laid on angle iron supports (I plan on pouring a concrete hearth as per FB instructions).
7. 4? Perlite concrete on top of concrete base.
8. Ceramic board (insulation, insulation, insulation!!!).
9. Fire-brick floor then Tuscan dome (firebrick).
a) Although the finished WFO appears to be very low (similar to a Naples-style oven), one of Maburton's posts said the oven has a 21? internal height (therefore, Tuscan).
10. 1/2? fireclay mortar.
11. 4-5 layers of ceramic blanket (8?-thick).
12. Rebar hoops over the blanket ? I believe this is to support the squirrel-tail chimney piece/s.
13. 3? 10:1 pearlite concrete.
14. Steel wire laid over pearlite concrete.
15. 2? concrete (perhaps render???).
16. Squirrel tail chimney (STC).
17. Outer brick dome including highlights on both sides of brick laid in soldier orientation & centrally located chimney.
Note: I am not a builder, brick-layer or tradie of any sort. I really enjoy getting my hands dirty, learning new stuff and I'm always going way out of my comfort zone to make something really cool.
Ideas & Questions:
1. Based upon the double-sized bricks for the stand, it appears that after the sill / ogee course, the brickwork steps in by a little bit. From laying out brick samples on the ground, I figure there is approximately 130 ? 135mm (5 1/8? - 5 5/16?) of brickwork that is supporting the WFO. Is this sufficient for supporting the weight of a suspended slab hearth 90mm (3 1/2?), WFO oven et al?
2. I'm sure everyone has their own thoughts on the squirrel tailed chimney (STQ) design (30-degree angles etc.). I'm planning on following the FB instructions right up until section 10.2 for the vent. But from there until the top of the dome, I'm a little stuck. From reading through various threads on the squirrel-tailed design & looking at the MHA 2006 meet photographs, their STC has a brick channel following the curve of the WFO that is covered by a sheet of steel (???). My current plan of attack is to follow the same sort of design with a brick channel that follows the curve of oven to the top of the dome and then finish off the chimney in a similar style to Maburton's. Considering the heat and smoke travelling through the STC, should I use fire brick tiles, insulating tiles or regular bricks? In the case of regular bricks, the outer brick dome could form the cover for the chimney pipe channel.
The other alternative I was thinking of is to use a second-hand ceramic chimney liner that will run from the oven vent to the the top of the dome.
Note: the firebrick dome will be fully insulated and the STC will be laid over the top of the ceramic blanket, pearlite concrete & concrete/render.
3. Maburton's design has rebar hoops over the ceramic blanket. I think this is to help support the weight of the STC and the outer brick dome. Do you feel this is necessary? Would you recommend a different material or way to support this additional weight? Or should the outer brick dome be self-supporting?
Thanking-you in advance for your help.
Alex
Edit: reference photographs of Maburton's build