The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

[n2iko]

Is there anybody here that is familiar with the book The Bread Ovens of Quebec, by Boily and Blanchette?

I would be interested to know if they give any dimensional ideas to the distance from
the center of the dome to the outer edge of the vent? In the several old etchings of European books I have seen they are somewhat pear shaped in cross sectional profile.
Also the model built by the MHA.org guys and gals is most definitely pear shaped also.
My take on this is that is helps smooth and regulate gas flow.

[Unofornaio]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

I have the book somewhere.....Are you interested in a Bread oven or a combo oven? Pizza/ bread? I have seen many designs and I believe the FB ovens are a very good dual purpose oven.
I will try to look for the book but I have been extremely busy so no promises. If I remember correctly upon receiving the book many,many years ago (8?) I was sadly disappointed with its contents. Perhaps since I was expecting something different.

[n2iko]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

I am going to build an oven as laid out in the Forno Bravo book. I just wish to elongate the area comming up to the vent area. I have heard some of these that sound like freight trains from the turbulance. The look would be sort of a pear laid on its side.

I did find a copy of that book but the guy selling it on Amazon wants $99US for it. It isn't worth anywhere near that to me. Looking over reviews it probably will be dissapointing in technical detail. More history an sociology than an oven treatise. I can wait as we are still in the planning stages and the patio must be built first. Now the locality wants it drawn to scale and the positions plotted on the site drawings.

[Unofornaio]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

I would pay .99C for that book let alone $99.00. I haven't even had a chance to look for it. Are you ready to build like NOW? if not I will try this weekend again. You know Norm at MHA is a pretty good guy he may just give you the specs via e-mail? Contact him @ mheat@mha-net.org
Good luck

[james]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

Hye N2iko,

Are you thinking of elongating the inside of the oven leading up to the opening, or the landing area outside?

There are definitely oval-shaped Italian ovens (hey, we sell three different models that are elongated), though they have a straight section in the middle, and standard, round back and front designs.

What are the advantages of the pear shape?
James

[n2iko]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

James;

I want to elongate the chamber to the vent.

A 6 inch or so vent landing looks good also.

I'm also going to cast the flue adapter section from refactory in at least 4 seperate pieces. Also have to think on a decent way to thermaly decouple the end of the vent landing from the facia.

[n2iko]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

I forgot to answer the last question.

I want some control over the exhaust gases. Slow them down a little to extract a fraction of that escaping heat.

[sarah h]

Re: The Bread Ovens of Quebec book question

No need for anyone to pay for the book as it is accessible on-line from the Canadian Museum of Civilization as a PFD download.
Hopefully, the following link will lead you right to it (if not, let me know).

Civilization.ca - Marius Barbeau - The Bread Ovens of Quebec

At the outset, I contemplated attempting to build one of these ovens since I live just on the border of Quebec and thought it would be an interesting 'Canadian heritage' type of thing, however, the Pompeii seemed as though it would be a bit easier.

I was quite fascinated by a number of things described in the book and asked a number of French people I work with if they knew if any of these ovens still exist in our area - no one did. Sadly, these ovens seem to have disappeared from the Quebecois culture.

Sarah