Amount of Clay needed?

[Tboney]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice on the amount of clay i will need to build a 34 inch Diameter oven the clay soil i have is about 70% clay. I plant to build the internal layer about 3 inches thick and the external layer at 2 inches. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[david s]

Sounds like you are wanting to build a cob oven in which case you need a mix of 2 parts sand to one part soil by volume. Best ifthesoil is dryand pulverised,mixed well before adding enough water to make a workable mix.The formula for volume of a sphere is 4/3 x 3.142 x r x r x r. Don’t forget to halve it because it’s a hemisphere.n

[Tboney]

Hi I had to postpone building my oven last summer but I'm ready to start now as our weather is picking up now. I appreciate the help you have given but I'm really a beginner when it comes to any type of building especially ovens. When I work out the volume how will t that help me to know how much clay I need. I want to make a success of this project so I want to know I have enough materials before I start. I have a tonne of sand and I'm in the process of sorting my clay but I have no idea how much I'll need.

[david s]

Just use soil that has a high clay content.

[Tboney]

Ok thank you.