Help Please - about to start work!!

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

One step ahead of you James .... it seemed a waste of a perfectly good fire so tried grilling some steaks over the embers -and very tasty they were too. I've got my first pizza party pencilled in for the 20th!

[james]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

I just learned that Stockport is close to Manchester -- where my DW (dear wife) went to university. Which football team do you follow? And I have to ask -- does it bother you that the percent of British players in the Premier league is going down? I'm still thinking about that one.

James

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Yep, I’m literally a stones throw (or gun shot ) away from Manchester (depending on which part of Manchester you’re talking about). Both myself and my wife were at university in Manchester too.

Never been into football really. My wife’s a city supporter of sorts ( i.e. from Stockport originally and not a Man U fan). So I’m guessing that makes me a city fan by default. Even though I watch more United matches than City ones and my “Home” team would be one from the eastern (or right) side of the pennines - Sheffield Wednesday.

The only thing that bothers me about the lack of British players is the reason behind it – the ridiculously high wages. Other sports don’t attract the say pay scale – seems like it’s the fans that are loosing out with the ever increasing ticket prices for matches.

Adam

[mmmhumous]

Door Design

Finally got round to thinking about the door. I'll be using this once the embers have been raked out so that I can use the oven for bread etc.

I'm hoping to use a pane of glass (see picture below) obtained from the door of a domestic oven. The plan is to frame it in copper piping using L and T-peices where necessary with a pair of handles/rests on the front (might use some wood on the handles to reduce the risk of burnt hands) .

Any ideas on how to fix the glass into the piping? (I have two ideas so far: 1. sandwich the glass with fire rope and crimp the copper onto the rope. 2. seal the glass in using fire cement Fire Repair & Installtion : Fireplace Care or glue).

Can anyone see an issues??

[dmun]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Heat resistant lid lifters are a frequently offered item on eBay.



You can use a "nibbler" to cut the glass slots in the tubing easily:



I'd just soft solder the thing together, like plumbing, but there might be some risk of glass cracking. If you heated the whole assembled door in the oven you could get it up to solder flow temperatures without the uneven heating that would endanger the glass.

[Les]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Glass doors have been mentioned a few times. I see the benefit but wouldn't there be an issue with them cracking from getting wet? (when they are up to temp). A couple of years ago my wife had the oven door open and she was wiping down the cooking surface (let's not go there ) Some water dripped off the edge and cracked the glass. With the rain, snow and summertime thunder storms - it seems like it might be a bad thing to have.

[gjbingham]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

JCG/Jim did a really nice tempered glass door for his oven. Here's the thread:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/glass-door-view-5169.html

[dougrappe]

Re: Door Design

This is a great idea, I have been hanging on to our old built in oven, thinking I might salvage some parts for something. If the glass panel can survive "self-cleaning" it should be fine for retained heat baking. OK, lots of work to do before I even need a door, look forward to seeing your progress on this one. This forum is great. Thanks!

Doug

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Thanks guys.

Dmun

- great call on the "nibbler" - I'd been scratching my head on how I was going to (safely) cut he groove in the piping.

- had thought of something similar for the handles (for those in th UK) - a chipping hammer from screw fix might come in useful - Chipping Hammer - Screwfix.com, Where the Trade Buys

- by soldering are you taking about plumber's flux, or electrical solder (I'm not sure if there's a difference) as I had tought about soldering but wasn't sure if it would adhere to the glass or if it would stand the temperature.

Les/GJBingham

-Jim's door was the main inspiration for my idea (well that and my oven broke so I had the glass knocking around).

- I tried it out laast weekend with the fire in and it seemed to be OK - there was plenty of condensation running down the glass (first firing of the year)... although I was slightly sceptical (I was a good 6ft away with safety goggles on).

- Hopefully (touch wood) as I only intend to use door while baking etc, cracking shattering shouldn't be an issue as I'm not taking it much higher than the opperating temperature of the oven it came from.

dougrappe

-I'll keep you posted on how it goes

[Frances]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

although I was slightly sceptical (I was a good 6ft away with safety goggles on).

Now there's an image that made me smile... Very glad to hear the door didn't explode in your face.

I think you should be fine though. I never use the door at high temps - its rarely above 300 C when the door goes on and that should be well within the temperature range of a conventional oven.

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Finally got around to adding barge boards and an end cap to the font of the oven and gave it a good going over with some brick acid. So here's a quick photo update of the finished* oven.

*Well I say finished ..... There are still a few bits that need tweaking: ....... a door to add, mortar to re-point, a matching tandoor to build..... (VillaGok tandoor oven) lol

[Frances]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

That looks very nice... you're sure nothing is going to burn down though, this time?

The Tandoor looks pretty cool, too

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

That looks very nice... you're sure nothing is going to burn down though, this time?

Hopefully not. The replacement for the offending rafter has been moved away from the chimney and had 50mm of insulation squeezed between it and the chimney.

Also not planning to see how hot I can the oven again. 500?C/932?F is plenty hot enough. and even then, the temperature at the top of the chimney is in the 90-200?C (194-392?F) range.

I've already had three lots of pizza through it this year. I've given up counting, but I've used ~18kg of Caputo flour and a few Kg of normal flour to date so probalbly done well over 200 pizzas in the first year!

[egalecki]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

I want a tandoor too. I just can't figure out where to put it unless I "disappear" the gas grill.... which hasn't been used in months.

[mmmhumous]

Re: Help Please - about to start work!!

Some snow pictures.