Swampys Refractory cast oven

[Swampy]

Time to start my journal.
I have based my plans largely on joeys refractory oven with a few changes so first up a big thanks to him for the inspiration.
Ok,the first thing I have done is router two circles into my wood top.The inside one is 80cm(32")and the outside one is 92cm.I am using zincalume tin for the frames,cut and wraped around inside the routerd circles.Next i will add some blocks for reinforcment then add a raised floor in the middle and plaster the dome.The inside wall is 27cm high so i will make the top of the inside dome 43cm,giving me the 63% ratio of door to dome.

[roobqn]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

I am going to subscribe to this thread as well. Thanks for giving the measurements of the mould.
Did you router the wood platform simply to give the mould a place to sit? I am assuming you accounted for that depth in your measurements for the door height.
Good luck and keep the build going and posted.

[Swampy]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Hi Roobqn.
Yes,the routering is just to give the tin a nice perfect circle.wthout the routered guide it would have been a nightmare to get the tin round.I also added an extra 6mm to account for the hight.Going to place in the supports and add the raised floor today.
cheers.

[KraemerBAC]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Looks interesting...Can't wait to see more..

Peter

[Swampy]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

I have added all the supporting posts and lined the tin with a liner that is very slippery so the concrete shouldn't stick to the moulds.The raised floor is on and everything just needs siliconing in and that part is done.next up is the opening and moulding the dome.

[djag12]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Swampy, hi. Good luck with your build. I also followed Joeys build and it was a great help. The only thing I would like to offer to you at this stage is to make sure your outside wall support post have no play. I did mine similar to your and when I vibrated the refractory it compacted it so much it started pushing the supports out.

[Swampy]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

will do.I plan to have some strapping around the outside before i start the pour.
just waiting on some prices then i can start the hard graft.

[Kiwi Pyro]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Hi Swampy, I am looking at doing something pretty similar, what castable refractory are you using?

[Swampy]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Probably a refractory concrete from shinagawa in huntly.placemakers sell it for around $55 for a 25kg bag but im trying to get it a bit cheaper from another supplier.the stuff is expensive here,so are fire bricks,looks like i found heap of second hand ones for $2.50 each.

[Kiwi Pyro]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Cheers Swampy, on an earlier post from Wemme (also here in NZ) he says he has found it for $25.00 per bag!!! I have asked him where from.
On another topic has anyone found a suitable equivalent to the FB insulating board here in NZ?

[wemme]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Hey guys,
That price of $25 that kiwipyro is quoting was and old price in equivalent Australian dollars(AU$). Swampy have you got a price from shinagawa??. and which material are you getting?
Regards
Bart

[Swampy]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

I payed a visit to shinagawa today and was informed that they no longer sell to the public and that placemakers huntly now sold their firebricks($6.45 each)and refractory cement($57 per 25kg bag).I cant remember the name of the concrete,castable something.I found a place down the road that sells fire bricks for $1.50 each.they are a little smaller and I think are made from fireclay and they have holes through them.dont know how good they are so I may stick to the shinagawa bricks.I think it may be cheaper to make the whole thing out of bricks now, but im still waiting on some price from another supplier.

this is the brick i picked up.

[wemme]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Bugger... its a pitty they stopped. for my bulk load from invercargil I worked out i needed to spend about $3500+gst to get the stock and then hock it off to friends and family etc... a bit out of order for something to do the odd pizza and loaf in....

[david s]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

swampy,
That brick does not look like any firebrick that I've seen. Generally they are quite pale, usually yellow in colour. The red indicates the presence of iron, undesirable in fire bricks. All firebricks I've ever seen are solid, no holes. You want density not holes.

[dmun]

Re: Swampys Refractory cast oven

Yeah, that's some kind of house brick. I don't think that vendor is being straight with you, or he just doesn't know, either of which in less than ideal.

On the other hand, someone up top was asking about a business plan. Here's one; if you can sell ordinary bricks for a buck and a half on the bottom of the world, that's a better business than selling bridges.