32 Inch (800mm) Homebrew WFO in NS

[Pizzarotic]

slainte , I am thinking of building a 32" oven as well and am wondering about casting the dome on top or around the brick floor as well.

Either method is fine, thought dome on top is much easier as the brick cuts don't need to be accurate and can be done with a hammer and chisel.

Also, how big did you end up making your gallery, another question I am thinking about

For a 32" oven, between 17" & 19" wide would be reasonable. What size pots & pans will you need to fit through the gallery? Smaller is better for performance, larger is more convenient. Depth of gallery should be the absolute minimum as a longer gallery reduces oven access.

[slainte]

Thought I would give an update. Used the oven a lot this fall right up until about Christmas. Haven't used it too much this lately, but really looking forward to firing it up a lot this spring.
Thanks for all the help to everyone on this site!

[david s]

That roof will keep the rain off the oven, so you are probably better off allowing the outer shell to breathe as sealing the outer surface also prevents moisture escaping. I really like your roof design, it allows plenty of breeze around the oven to keep both it and your wood dry, nice solution.

[MarkJerling]

That looks real good! Well done!

[slainte]

The outer layer has been placed, I also have a roof in place over the oven. I am looking into a concrete sealer or something to put over the outer layer. There are certainly some cracks in the interior of the oven, just hoping it still functions fine. I haven't fired it up to pizza temperatures yet, but will this week. Thanks for the help everyone! Now I have to learn how to use it!

[slainte]

Update on my build:
The insulation is in place, 2 inches of ceramic fiber blanket over the dome (1 over the gallery) and about 2 inches of perlite/vermiculite over that. I did not use chicken wire.
I cut some bricks in half and put 3 courses around the bottom so that the stucco/render layer over the perlite/vermiculite will have a better spherical shape.
I have started doing curing fires. Once I complete the curing fires I plan on placing a brick arch in the front, and placing the stucco layer.

[slainte]

I have fire clay, I’m near Chester, not sure where you are or if that would help, but if you need some, you could come and get some. Oven looks like it’s coming along great! Keep up the good work.

Thanks Mahone! Turns out I had just enough to do the gallery. I also realized that Shaw has other powdered clay, that is not "fire clay". They had some available in Lantz but I didn't end up needing it.

This is my gallery:



Some old rigid foam to make the form. I screwed up a bit early in my design process, I am pressing to hard to keep the gallery as short as possible, and now I won't have a full 6" opening for the flu... it will likely make more sense when I post some more photos later.

My plan is to let the dome/gallery sit covered for a week. Then add the CF blanket and start the process of adding the perlite/vermiculite layer, which I will do in lifts over a few days. Then after 2 weeks or so to start the slow firing process.

One question I have is about the outer stucco/render layer. I don't really have a good idea how thick it is supposed to be. Can anyone shed some light on that for me?

[Mahone]

I have fire clay, I’m near Chester, not sure where you are or if that would help, but if you need some, you could come and get some. Oven looks like it’s coming along great! Keep up the good work.

[david s]

Try a local potter or pottery supplier, but don't ask for fire clay as that is a highly refractory (over 1300C) clay, quite a different material than what is called "fire clay" in the mason's supplies. Ball clay which is about the cheapest potters clay would be the thing to ask for.

[slainte]

I am also in a bit of a bind! I have about 3L of fire clay left to do the gallery with, my supplier said they are out of fire clay and don't expect to get any anytime soon... eeek.
I have quite a few cut chunks of fire brick that I am considering trying to grind up to supplement my fire clay supply... otherwise I may have to get a shovel and start digging.

[slainte]

slainte , I am thinking of building a 32" oven as well and am wondering about casting the dome on top or around the brick floor as well.
What did you end up doing and how is the oven performing (I assume you finished it?)
Also, how big did you end up making your gallery, another question I am thinking about
Thanks

I also went with casting the dome on top of the fire brick floor, mostly because i was worried i wouldn't be able to cut the bricks in a smooth enough circle.

My oven isn't at all finished yet, I am working on my gallery form at the moment. The toughest part I have found was trying fit in the insulated chimney pipe without making the gallery too long. I will post some photos with what I come up with.

[david s]

slainte , I am thinking of building a 32" oven as well and am wondering about casting the dome on top or around the brick floor as well.
What did you end up doing and how is the oven performing (I assume you finished it?)
Also, how big did you end up making your gallery, another question I am thinking about
Thanks

Go to cast ovens in the Other Oven Types section. There are plenty of cast builds there. The dome can be either sitting on top of the floor or surrounding it. My preference is to build on top as the time involved outweighs the disadvantage IMHO. There are advantages and disadvantages of both ways.

[AndreasP]

slainte , I am thinking of building a 32" oven as well and am wondering about casting the dome on top or around the brick floor as well.
What did you end up doing and how is the oven performing (I assume you finished it?)
Also, how big did you end up making your gallery, another question I am thinking about
Thanks

[slainte]

My dome is cast, thanks David S for the response. I have covered the dome with a plastic sheet. I believe that I do not have to spray any water on the dome? The plastic sheet is full of condensation already, I am guessing that is sufficient?
I am hoping to remove the sand and patch any voids after 48 hours. I am then going to try to get a gallery form in place.

[david s]

4 or 5 days should be ok. But as you still need some moisture in the casting when filling the voids and the casting itself should be damp cured for at least a week, it would be wise to cover it.