My Cast Refractory Oven Build

[JoeyVelderrain]

Having read many posts and seen really cool oven builds here I decided to build my first oven I decided to use a castable refractory call Tex Kast from Wesco Refractories in Mansfiel Texas.
here is the skinny on tex kast:
Tex Kast

anyhow here are some pictures detailing my build thus far.

I started out with a routered osb sheet...
and then the inner and outer liners...


and then a sub floor to save on sand...


and now the sand dome (it took 350 lbs of sand)...



and finally the stack...


I am going 18" high and 37" diameter inside measurement on the dome and my door opening is 9.5" high and 18" wide, does anyone see a problem with this hole opening or anything else before I mix up concrete??

[david s]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

Your door opening should be 63% of the internal height of the dome. This would mean that your opening is a little too low as presently designed. Interestingly 63% is very close to the Golden Ratio of 1:1.618 which I think is the ideal, however it wouldn't matter if you departed from this a little either higher or lower.

[david s]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

It would be a good idea to create a rebate for your door to sit against at the entry.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

Hey Joey, Love the Idea looks cool,,
are you going to pour it in place ?
That thing is gonna be heavy ?
also will you be using stainless needles ?
Will your forms seperate or are you banding them inside ?
Your forms do look good though
Mark

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

David,
I plan on making a relief of 1/2" on each side for a door.

Mark,
I am pouring the concrete right where it sits, I am using a jitterbug sander to vibrate the mold to settle the concrete down. it is definetely going to be heavy but I plan on pouring the walls first and letting dry overnight and then pouring the dome and top of the vent part later, this way I will have two sections weighing about the same and easier to move it to the back yard, at least that is the idea...
thanks for the input,
cross your fingers for me

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

oh, and no stainless needles, i explained to the guy at wesco what i was building and he said this stuff would be fine by itself...

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

I do wish you luck as well as maybe a forklift or a few good strong friends,,,,

Enjoy

Mark

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

ok, finished pouring the concrete, twelve 50lb bags, 600lbs of refractory concrete! here is what it looks like...

first half...



and 24hrs later the dome section...


here is the opening for the stack..kinda hard to see but it has a lip where the stack sits on.


now i let it sit a day and then remove the outer liner.
then let it sit another day and then the inner liner comes out...

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

very nice.... looks good

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

so far so good, i removed the outer liner and i am satisfied with the results thus far...




this evening i will see if i can start to remove the inner liner.
right now the top of the dome is still warm. i misted it down so it doesn't crack if it dries out too fast.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

very cool....

[Mitchamus]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

awesome! great work.

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

okay, finally removed the inner lining of the mould and letting it air dry on the inside. I also have one of those hot work lights warming up the inside to speed it along.

$347 US Dollars of materials, three days of labor intensive work later and I have a dome oven...well the main part anyway


from the door opening looking towards the back. I borrowed the newspaper idea from someone else on the forum thanks! it worked great!


and from the back looking towards the door opening.


now I have to work on my stand to set it up on.

does sand work well as a thermal mass? I have 350lbs of it that I want to put to good use.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

wow,,, very impressive,, The sand is a poor insulator, but not very effective,, The vermiculite is much higher up on the list..

Mark

[JoeyVelderrain]

Re: My Cast Refractory Oven Build

what is a good height for the oven? i guess it depends on the user's height...i am 5'10, is chest high about right?