My 32" oven build has begun

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

A few more pics, the build has been a little slow with ups and downs but so far so good.

Below is the base of the oven, I have used Hebel blocks and silica board.
The blocks are 600mm long x 200m wide x 100mm thick and the silica board is 25mm thick. This should be more than enough insulation for the oven floor.



Now for the oven floor itself. It's as level as I can get it. I used fireclay mixed with sand spread out evenly and laid the bricks as level as I could.
The bricks have been cut using an angle grinder, bolster and hammer due to my drop saw blade going blunt after only two cuts. I wasn't prepared to pay big bucks for a decent 350mm blade so the angle grinder will be used to finish the oven.
It'll look rough but once finished everything is hidden so who cares.
I have mortared some of the sides as some of the cuts are small and this will help hold things together.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Oscar,

Great floor insulation config. Can't wait to see the dome build.

John

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

I'm on the second chain now.
It's fiddly and time consuming but rewarding when you see it start to take shape.

[bigred]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

I would recommend one thing....if you can still access the two side towers at the entrance I would remove the 90 degree angle that the two tower lower courses makes with the oven opening...make this follow the curvature of the inside of the oven. The reason being that it will allow the ashes to be removed easier if the towers are tappered at their bases to the opening. I think I may havea picture on my gallery of the way I did mine.

[bigred]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

here is the link

PhotoPlog - Vent and Chimney

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Thanks bigred, I see what you mean it will be easier to clean doing it your way. Unfortunately it'll be a bit of a pain to fix but doable. I'll grab a small hand broom and see if it's a pain cleaning the way it is now to see if it's worth the hassle of starting that part over again.

[bigred]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

just use a grinder if you have

[cobblerdave]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Dear OscarA
have been watching you progress with interest. Glad to see you going the bigger oven its.... floor space not oven height that you need.
Yep he's right about that lip one of my mistakes that one...biggest ash trap.. ..cut it of with the angle grinder.
By the way neat work for an angle grinder and brick bulster....went that way myself it hard dusty work but all the cuts are hidden.
Better add the word HOT to Hard and dusty...can't imagine myself doing that work in the middle of summer.
Don't forget though you don't need the insulation layer to get out the first pizza if the mortars cured flash it up and make a pizza. Sure the insulations important in the end for proper function but the satisfaction of making just one pizza is worth it.
Go Well
Cobbler Dave

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Hi Dave, thanks for the nice words.
Well what a day today has been I have finished the inner arch and the third chain while suffering a bad case of Hay fever. It's windy over here and everyone is cutting their lawns perfect conditions for hay fever. Well I got something done so I'm happy about that.
I thought about what you and Bigred said about grinding the bottom of the arch columns but decided against it.
I wasn't convinced I could grind it and give it a nice finish so the risk of an ugly finish compared to a few extra minutes of cleaning ash from around the corners made me think twice about doing it.

Need to know how long the arch supports needs to be on. Don't know if I did it wrong but couldn't see how else to do it so the bricks were mortared and placed into position on top of the support. It was easy to give the sides and top a nice mortar finish but the bottom is going to be rough obviously as the supports are in the way. I figured the bottom is finished of a few days later when the support is removed. AM I right?

[brickie in oz]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Ive taken the arch profile out the same day with some bricks it all depends on weather, porosity of bricks, etc.

24 hours should be plenty to let the bricks set.
Try the mortar between the arch bricks, does it seem hard enough?
If it is then you can remove the arch profile.

Dont be too bothered about ash corners, mine will have them, how much ash can they hold? Once full they are full.

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Thanks Brickie, I will test it tomorrow and finish it of.
I'm not much of a hany man type but I'm really enjoying this build and surprised myself with the arch. The arch was one of the areas I was dreading as it looks so hard but provided you do the forms right it's not to hard. laying the bricks dry to give you an idea on gap sizes and marking the gaps helps a lot.
If I can finish the outer arch as nice I'll be all smiles.

Yeah I'm not to concerned about the ash corners I had some mess around there (put it there deliberately) and got it out easily with a small hand brush. If I had thought about it before I would have cut the bricks to make it easier but when it's all said and done this oven wont be used daily, maybe weekly but realistically fortnightly if not monthly.

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Finally got the dome done, it's not as good as I hoped but the higher I got the harder it was.
I ended up using an exercise ball to finish the last 2 chains which worked but it was a bit fiddly.
I'm not looking forward to removing the ball as I can see it now, mortar everywhere, uneven brickwork and gaps galore.
I'll leave it two days before removing the ball, fingers crossed.

Here are a few pics.

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Hi Doug

I ended up removing the ball after saying I was going to wait a few days as I figured now that the dome is closed it's self supporting anyway. The brick work wasn't as bad as I thought but there are obvious gaps so as you say I will need to point them as best I can.
I used two standard bricks cut into half circles as the plug but what I wasn't thinking about before cutting them is the dome is 11cm thick (brick width) but the plug is brick thickness which is 7.5cm, lol. It's flush on the top of the dome but when looking in the dome the thickness or lack of is obvious. No biggy it wont have any effect on performance, strength or anything.
I am going to make an igloo style oven but will think about enclosing it down the track if I have water issues.
I didn't realise how much work will be involved with this oven and how much more still needs to be done.

[cobblerdave]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Dear OscarA
Looks great !!! That is good brickwork... neat arch work
I to was worried about the little gapes at the top of the dome and the brick work was less than perfect. Went on the forum found out the best way to repoint was to us a clip lock bag full of mix with a hole in the end like a piping bag...... guess what cooks so well that I haven't bothered to date and looks great when you see those bricks glow white when you've got it to the pizza heat anyway

Regards
Cobblerdave

[OscarA]

Re: My 32" oven build has begun

Hi Cobblerdave

I surprised myself with the arch and at one point in the build I was seriously thinking about making a flat entrance as I didn't think I couldn't do a nice looking arch. The dome brickwork started of easy and as we all know as it gets higher it gets harder. When I removed the ball I saw lots of gaps in the brickwork but most of the gaps weren't deep so all I had to do was get in as best I could (still have a sore neck) and filll them in. I ended up using my fingers as the gaps weren't deep I was confident there wouldn't be any serious air pockets.
I'll start the outer arch next week and hopefully I can do a half decent job at it.
I might even start cooking in a few weeks