First Oven Build

[TapRackFire]

Great site with lots of information. I've poured my pad and plan on building a WFO using the steel dome technique I've seen on the forum. My big question deals with installing a fireplace beneath the dome.

Has anybody done this? Any problems you could comment on with a fireplace beneath the dome. There seems to be plenty of space between the cinder block walls for a fireplace. I've noticed most designs use this area beneath the WFO for storage, but I thought about setting a fireplace insert into this storage area instead. I would run the vent horizontally out of the fireplace insert, through cinder block wall, and then vertically opposite the WFO.

Thanks in advance,

Tap

[brickie in oz]

Re: First Oven Build

I would run the vent horizontally out of the fireplace insert,

It wont work, chimneys work on the heat creating an upward draft, not a sideways one.

[TapRackFire]

Re: First Oven Build

The horizontal run of the exhaust pipe would not be more than 12 inches before it turns and goes vertical. Would that create a huge issue? Surely the smoke and heat of the fire would travel through the exhaust pipe without too much trouble.

[brickie in oz]

Re: First Oven Build

Turns and sharp bends need to be avoided in a flue too, the smoke is not like water that is under pressure, the first thing to restrict or slow it will indeed stop it.

[david s]

Re: First Oven Build

Try to make the pathway 45 degrees rather than horizontal. Mydowndraft kiln I'm building will actually be pulling the flame down before it enters the flue at the bottom. I'm sure yours will work, but you may have to start with a tiny fire until the flue heats up. If the thing is outside it should not matter if it smokes a little at start up.

[Gulf]

Re: First Oven Build

I seriously thought about having a fireplace under my oven which is a masonry build. I gave up on the idea because it was too complicated to design and build. To semi-uncomplicated things I chose to have a larger flu chamber/fireplace in front of the oven.
About horizontal runs:
My grandpaw had a couple of potbellied stoves in his old country store with horizontal runs of 6" stove pipe. They seemed to work really well. They shared a common masonry flu built into a homemade block wall which separated the store from the living area. The masonry flu continued thru a flat roof where 6" black stove pipe rose about another 10'. The stack was anchored in place with guide wires like on an old TV antenna. The stove in the living area rose to a height of about 7' before elbowing over to the flu thimble horizontal for about 4'. I'm thinking that the ceiling height must have been about 10 to 11'. The stove in the store area was in the middle of the room. I guess about 16' from the flu thimble. He had bailing wire suspending each section of pipe from the ceiling. If the stoves were 3' in height that would make the vertical run about 4' before going horizontal. That may be the key to what made them work,(I hate to mention this on another thread) but, grandpaw did preheat a flu before lighting the fire in the stove

[brickie in oz]

Re: First Oven Build

A closed stove with a small air inlet would draw a lot differently to a wood oven that has a gaping hole at the front. Smoke will always find the easiest way out.

[david s]

Re: First Oven Build

Your Grandad's flue, being so tall, would have had lots of draw to overcome the horizontal section.

[TapRackFire]

Re: First Oven Build

Thanks for all the advice! I bought the insert today from a guy on Craigslist. I will try and post some pics.

[Gulf]

Re: First Oven Build

Here is a thread that I some how skipped. When I get time I will go back and read it all the way thru. You will probably find it to be interesting too.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/ja...tml#post125893

[buckeyebreadman]

Re: First Oven Build

I Really wish I could figure out how to post pics...........I'm building a Steel Dome WFO with a fireplace below.........the Fireplace chimney goes directly up into the entry of the WFO and on up to the chimney.......when the oven is in use, I can block off the fireplace chimney with a brick/granite block.....
otherwise I can use the inner door to the WFO in place and the outer door in place and utilize the between space for the chimney from the fireplace on out to the WFO chimney...
I'm sure this is totally confusing.......I'll try to get some help with pics to show you what I mean......
I think I may also be able to put a deflector in place to move the heat from the fireplace INTO the oven as a sort of white oven........low temps of course....
I know.........VERY confusing without the pics......

[TapRackFire]

Re: First Oven Build

Buckey, I would love to see some pics of your design. It may help me design a better mouse trap.

After looking at the pictures on this site I have realized I poured to small of a pad to start my oven (only 4' x 4'). I'm new to working with cinder block and am trying to figure out the right size of my forms so I don't waist time and money on my blocks.

I guess I could base everything off the fact the full size block is 16" and a half is 8". Then base the size of the form on mulitiples of 16 and 8.

[buckeyebreadman]

Re: First Oven Build

Well, it appears that I may have figured out how to post pics.....however, I'm at a standstill on the build till the weather and funds get a little bit better.....
I'll post pics at "Another Steel Dome Oven".....

[TapRackFire]

Re: First Oven Build

Here is what I have done so far. I have copied a version of a WFO I saw on this forum.

[TapRackFire]

Re: First Oven Build

I poured the floor of the heath. Do I need to support the floor of the hearth? I put 1/2" rebar on 8" centers (criss crossed) in 4"s of mud. The floor supported with 1/4" angle iron at the front and back with I-beams in the center. The angle iron and ibeams are sitting on the cinder block beneath the top brick.

I left an opening 8" square in the rear the hearth slab so I can route the flue from the fireplace insert I will have sitting beneath the WFO.

Have I missed anything? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Tap