Has this been done before??

[PizzaPolice]

Howdy:

This oven came out of a restaurant. It's a MAM 505, wood only. The owner said they couldn't figure it out so they burned wood in it for ambiance and used gas ovens for pizza. What a travesty! SOooo... My neighbor lugged this heavy 2500 pound monster home for me. He named it the BFO.
Another neighbor dug the foundation and layed the pad and block. Still another neighbor (Did I mention I live in a great neighborhood?) used his excavator to lift the BFO on the blocks. The wheels are welded and will be blocked in place.
The idea is to enclose the indoor oven with brick, block or frame. I know this is odd but here it is and it ain't goin' back.

Any ideas?

Thank you very much.

[christo]

closing in the oven

Wow all I can say is LUCKY!!!

If you haven't already been, you might try:

http://www.fornobravo.com/pizza_oven...gn_styles.html

James has put together a nice collection of oven styles.

It's a good place to get some ideas.

[PizzaPolice]

Thanks Christo.

I've looked at so many pictures that my eyes are bleeding.

Well, so far, we've decided on clinker brick and either slate or some sort of standing seam roof.

I'll post more pics as it progresses if you like.

[christo]

Please keep us posted

Please post more pics.

I like the clinkers and standing seam roofs. I can bet the more you read and poke around this site the more your plans will evolve. I know that's how it's been with me.

Fio used to sign off with "If I had a firebrick for every time I've modified my oven plans, I could build an oven the size of an Egyptian pyramid." That is rapidly becoming my experience as well.

Seems like this is one of the experiences in life where the journey and the journeys end are both very satisfying. Building and using the ovens seem to be equally enjoyed by many here.

Christo

[james]

Pizzapolice,
I know that oven. I've seen a number of them, eaten pizza made in them, and a number of the photos in the commercial photo journal are that oven.

I think you really scored on that one. The oven will cook well, and last a long time. Basically with the metal stand ovens encased with a steel enclosure, your job is to build partition walls and make it look nice. You get a brick arch and a clean design slate on which to draw. Have fun.

On thing to think about then it comes time to start firing the oven and cooking, it is a commercial oven that is much heavier than either the Forno Bravo residential ovens or the ovens Pompeii builders are making. You will need to allow more time to really fire the oven and drive enough BTUs into the refactory so that it will cook correctly. Of course once it's fired, it will cook all night, and hold heat into the next day. Basically, it was designed to be fired 12 hours a day, 365 days per year and never really cool down.

I'm pretty sure the cooking floor is 55", so you can cook 8+ pizzas at a time.

Fire the heck out of the oven, and throw big parties!

We're looking forward to seeing how it comes out -- send photos.
James

[jengineer]

Mam 505

big score indeed.

MAM ovens are constructed with Cement Fondu La Farge which has an alumina content of approximately 40%. This mix is then vibrated into molds creating a refractory lining, which resists temperatures up to 1350 degrees Celsius or 2462 degrees Fahrenheit.

A layer of compressed rock wool is placed over the oven bed followed by a 6cm layer of insulation consisting of expanded clay and 25% Cement Fondu Lafarge. The oven pieces are then assembled on this insulation bed. The sides and dome are then covered with a layer of rock wool and the expanded insulation. The steel panels are then attached to the oven bed and the open spaces are packed with loose rock wool. A panel of compressed rock wool is layered over the top of the completed oven.

The oven enclosure is constructed of 15/10 steel bottom pan, 20/10 steel side panels. Ovens are supplied with 30x30x3 CM Tubular Frame for ease of transportation.

their web site has been down for a while and was last updated back in early 2005

Last info found TMR Inc 2129 harrison St, Sna Francisco 94110
415.6211171 or 800.5522114 email info@tmr9.com

I was able to pull an installation recommendation page off an archive if you are interested...

they say this beast will eat 12 logs a day

[jengineer]

snippet ofrom the instruction sheet

Dude - as James alluded to this is a commercial oven.

here are the firing instructions

[PizzaPolice]

Whew!!

I was starting to feel a little freakish here... Like... Am I the only one trying this stunt??
Thanks so much, Christo, James & Jengineer.

After watching the 1932 movie "FREAKS", ( A circus freak movie) I feel so much better. I'm in a forum of freaks...just like me!
I can't believe it started out so innocently. Hmmm! I wonder how they make that?

Well, I found the place where this particular oven was purchased. It was from TMR in California. The website is down and this guy - Emilio - is selling them on eBay. Tmrnet is his screen name. I phoned him and tried to get some information from him. He wasn't all that forthcoming with information after I told him I bought the oven from someone he originally sold it. He did assure me that if I built it a nice little house outside, it would be okay. I asked if additional insulation should be added. He said no, unless I intended to fire it each day. He had no answer when asked about a door for the oven mouth. I want to have one fabricated but I'm not sure if it should be set at the edge or further in past the flue vent. ????

He was getting a little annoyed answering questions with no hope of profit in sight. I asked him one more about ventilation. This oven didn't come with any accessories, so I asked about flue pipes. He said just go to any place that sells fireplaces and get it from them. Emilio said "I will tell you this one thing about the pipes." Include two 45 degree sections in the assembly. I asked why this was necessary. He said "I will tell you, experience." I thanked him for that and he was gone.
Anyone hear of that? I've built oil-fired Weil-McClain boilers in my youth... we used straight pipes and had excellent draft.

Well, the clinker bricks arrived, today. I can't wait to get under roof.

Oh yeah... since I have an audience. My tape measure from the back to the hearth edge is 5'3. A brick facade will increase that somewhat. James, Do you have tools long enough to reach that far?

I haven't had a full nights sleep since the BFO arrived. (Kinda like a toe twinkling - Is Santa coming thing)

Again, thanks so much,

Danny

[james]

Hey Danny,

I know a lot about this situation and the oven, and everything you have said sounds right to me. Basically, you are in great shape.

On the details:

1. Yes, we provide commerical length tools. Our premium tool line has 59" handles, and there are placing peels, turning peels, a brush, rake and shovel. You're lucky, the tools that come with the oven when you buy it new are really cruddy, so you'll be in better shape. Our tool producer is the biggest in Italy.

2. You don't need to insulate the oven. It's done. If you were to cook really hard with it commerically, you might get some heat in the enclosure -- which is what Peter in LA is seeing with his Italian made (different company) oven. He has beefed up the insulation using Insulfrax and SuperIsol from us. But for you home, you're done.

3. You can get a metal door fabricated easily. Sheet metal face and handle (and perhaps a wood cover on the handle). The handle can stand the door up.

4. I have never attached a chimney to that oven. It has a 20cm round opening -- which is slightly thinner than 8". You should try to attach a Duravent chimney system -- double wall UL103 insluated stainless steel. I would try to stick to the 8" pipe for draw. The largest angle that UL allows is 30 degrees, you are limited to two angles (back and up) and a 24" run between the angles (you can download the DuraTech installation guide at http://fornobravo.com/installation-e...essories.html).

That said, the spec is based on UL certification for wood burning appliances, including fireplaces, which put out a lot more smoke than a pizza oven. I have been pizza oven installations with 90 degree angles that work just fine. Draw typically is not a big issue -- I think it is nature's way of saying that pizza ovens are a good thing.I can't imagine why two 45s would help the oven draw better. Does anybody have a theory on that?

You don't need to go very high to get a good draw, and you want/need a spark arrestor and cap to keep out water.

Let us know how you hook the chimney up.
Have fun!
Jame

[PizzaPolice]

Slow goin'

First, it was weeks of rain then a cold, freakish snowstorm. I was hoping to be closer by this time. Oh well, the clinker brick wood box is forming up very nicely.
I'll post more as it progresses.

[james]

Hey Pizza Police,

You gotta love this. I had dinner in great restaurant this evening that has your oven. The pizza was excellent, and I had grilled fish cooked in the oven. All wood burning, and all excellent. I'm going to post more on the restaurant, but thought you would enjoy hearing about "your" oven.
James

[PizzaPolice]

Wow!

James:

I wish you got a picture of the oven. Where was this place?
The weather is starting to get a little better so more bricks are going up. Here's a picture from today.
Thanks.

[james]

In this case, the picture wouldn't help. It was a free-standing oven in a commercial kitchen setting and the original metal enclosure was left exposed. There are other photos of that oven set behind a partition wall on the Forno Bravo Photos site.

The restauarant is called San Martino. It's in Impruneta, just south of Florence, and right where Drake was staying on vacation. I say this all the time (and I'm sure lots of you are getting tired or hearing it), but brick ovens are so common in Italy that I am always bumping into restaurants that use one of the ovens that Forno Bravo sells, or I see the pizza chef using the pizza peels that we sell. It's a lot of fun.

Keep up the good work.
James

[PizzaPolice]

Gettin' there.

Still a crisp 45 degrees over here. It's starting to look like something.

[maver]

side counter?

Looks great - are those loose brick ties on the side to allow addition of a counter?