Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

[david s]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

It was indeed Gaudi inspired following our trip to Barcelona last September; however it then got a bit 'free hand' as I'm easily distracted.

Part of the creative process.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

It was indeed Gaudi inspired following our trip to Barcelona last September; however it then got a bit 'free hand' as I'm easily distracted.

[david s]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Love your mosaic work. Looks just like the Gaudi stuff. We've just spent a week in Barcelona, his work is an inspiration.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

David, thanks for your comments and I do appreciate the guidance, but for my purposes I'm happy the door lets in a little air thus keeping the embers going as my (mobile) oven is not enclosed therefore loses heat relatively quickly. I can cook quite happily (bread & roast) the morning after a pizza 'run' and that suits me.

Anyway, have some more pictures

[david s]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Fired the oven on Saturday evening, got it to 'soot free' and put the door in place; the following morning it was still alight

if the door did not kill the fire it means it is not sealing properly and you will lose a considerable amount of heat. If it seals properly the fire will go out and any coals left will be unburnt, you can use them as fuel next time you fire the oven. Italians used to use wooden doors when baking or roasting and to seal the oven door often used damp newspaper stuffed around the door. It might look a bit rough but certainly works well.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Finally got around to a finish coat; decided to tile it which with hindsight was a bit of an error, because it took ages !

We live in a very temperate part of the UK, plenty of rain but never gets too cold so I used standard tiles and waterproof adhesive/grout. I've a cover to protect from the worst ravages but from now until late autumn it'll probably stay uncovered and I'll see how it gets on.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Fired the oven on Saturday evening, got it to 'soot free' and put the door in place; the following morning it was still alight ! Scraped out the embers and put in a piece of seasoned belly pork for a 30 min sizzle; that came out and in went the bread for 30 mins. I let it cool before replacing the pork for an extended slow roast. Delicious

[Greenman]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

You might try some ceramic tape or rope for a seal before the grinder option. Even some ceramic rope laid loosely under the gap at the front would make a big difference.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Looks tidy. Will it seal?

I know what you mean as I specced it with feet for stability and to protect the thermometer probe, but they do leave a 2mm gap; if the draft proves too much I can grind them off.

[Greenman]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Looks tidy. Will it seal?

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Got my oven door from the fabricator, half-round with a 25mm recess; added a couple of Aga handles and a short probe thermometer and then carved a piece of vermiculite board to fit in the recess. Bread baking here I come

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

All fired up and soon ready for pizza; not to mention a brisket joint that went in early the next morning

The tent is hopefully just a temporary measure as I hope to have it waterproof and tiled by the spring; in the meantime firing it up helps the render to set

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Thank you for the heads-up, but the bare oven has been in irregular use throughout the summer and fires up nicely; it's just the addition of the vent chamber, entry arch, insulation and render this time around

[david s]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

A large quantity of water goes into the build of a WFO. Winter in the UK won't dry it out much so that means you will have to do it with fire. As you've already completed the outer render then moisture deeper in will be even more difficult to remove. Read the curing thread under heat management to avoid damage.
Good luck.

[oblertone]

Re: Mobile Pompeii - Not for the purists

Left for a week, then the formers came out and it remained upright. Then it was time for the only job on this build I wasn't looking forward to, the application of the Ceramic Fibre insulation blanket. Ordinary roof insulation makes me itch beyond belief, and this stuff is much finer
So it was on with the surgical gloves and breathing mask for cutting the blanket, fixing the chicken wire and finally a coat of waterproof render. I did cheat a bit here and used ready mix waterproof tile adhesive as render.
As you can see, it was getting dark by the time I finished and as we are well into winter here I'm not sure how long the render will take to set; I might have to encourage it with a festive pizza session
The chimney is a length of twin wall left over from a friends stove installation and the anchor plate was free as the system is now discontinued.