Alex’s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

I'm about to start the block work for the oven. I'm building a 1100mm internal diameter. So I was thinking a 1800 wide and 2000 deep. Will this be sufficient if I use the bricks from Field Furnace? Not sure about length of transition and arch

[Bacterium]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hi Bert,
My current build is 1150mm internal diameter, which is on a 1.8m by 2m base.
I'm figuring on a 2brick deep outer arch which will sit over inner and against dome but allowing a small thermal break.
Have 75mm of CalSil underneath and will wrap it in at least 75mm of fire blanket.
Think my build post has brick size, so you can check how that compares to the FF size units.

I can't see any issues with my base size it seems to all be fitting on/within this.

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hello Folks,

Yay!!

Finally after much time and effort and cost my hearth is complete. Had a big weekend on the tools and moved 3.5 tonne of cement mix up my very steep driveway with buckets. It was a glorious winters day, about 22 degrees in the sun...beats working in the heat of summer.

The hearth is incorporated into a retaining wall and is 120mm thick with N12 bar. The besa blocks are core filled and there is reo down 300mm every 200mm so this baby isn?t going anywhere. The hearth base is sitting on red ironstone. I used suspended metal sheeting for the base which worked out really well. My father in law had some lying around on his farm so when we were up at Taree he cut some down for me and I brought it home. The local metal supplier wanted 75 bucks per square meter so it was a handy saving and the first ?FREE? thing on the build.

It?s taken me a long time to build the retaining wall due to the steep driveway and getting everything moved up plus some sanity time to recover from knee and elbow strains.

The Mrs. laid the slab and I was the labourer. I am lucky she is a supporter of the project.

We hired a mixer as we also had to core fill the retaining wall?this took about 2.5 tonne I rekon?big big job.

I don?t think I have seen anyone using the metal slab, but it was easy as to form up and no requirements for propping up or supporting. Fingers crossed it will hold up ok. There are a few little hairline cracks at the front but they don?t appear to be right through. I think it may have dried out a little too quickly as we made quite a high MPA mix. I will keep it wet for a few days to assist with the curing.

Lots of photos to post when I get a mo.

Bert

[oasiscdm]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hello Folks,

The Mrs. laid the slab and I was the labourer. I am lucky she is a supporter of the project.


Bert

Cool I like that

[the_dr_masuess]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hey Bert Sounds like you have been busy moving a lot of dirt the past years. Good luck with the build. Keep up with the pictures

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Colin, yep hopefully she lets me help with the oven

Thanks Loren!

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia



Pic of oversite site

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia



Hearth formed up

[oasiscdm]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hey Bert

You previously mentioned putting photos into posts. My two bobs worth is it makes it very hard to follow a build, when thumbnails, you can see what you need to see and look at whichever you want to view by selecting, switching between text and viewing. I'm personally hoping you stick with the thumbnails as a viewer.

Looking forward too following your build btw beautiful setting for a WFO.

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hi Folks

I finally was able to afford buying the Insulation and Hearth bricks, but alas they didnt have enough stock so I've had to order some more of both. Blo+dy hell these things are expensive in comparison to the US.

Anyway its 3 years of information overload and I have got myself into a right state (second guessing the measurements etc) so I thought I'd seek the guidance of the forum.

I have a 1100 internal diameter oven.

Queries

* I was planning a 19 * 13 opening or ~500 * 330 opening. But I am confused about how wide/ high the Flue opening should be? 2 inch or 50mm wider than the internal arch?

* I plan on using a 230mm long FB brick for the transition or oven arch. Based on my calculations half will form the oven and half will be out allowing for the door recess (see mark up)?

* I estimate that I will have ~n 80mm or 3 inches of space before I hit the front of the oven. SI'm thinking of making it flush with the front but SWMBO wants it offset. The reason I don't want it offset is beacause I have ample room on the sides and I am concerned about not having the entrance too deep.

Any advice forthcoming would be greatly received.

Many thanks

Al

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Picture of the prepared hearth and oven measurements


[ATTACH][/ATTACH]

[brung99]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Beautiful setting!!

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

Hi WFO members,

OK, finally some movement at the station?

Pleeeease let this thing have a fire in it by the end of Winter.

My middle son wanted a pizza for his birthday on 3/6/2014, but alas work and life has gotten in the way!

See attached some pics of the first couple of courses.

I am pleased in general how it has turned out, I have tried to keep the lines as tight as I can and have been cleaning the brick as I go to avoid getting my tummy stuck later on.

I ended up buying refractory mortar at $46 a bag for 25 kilos?OUCH! Apart from the cost it is good to work with. I cannot believe how porous the bricks are.

The insulation brick were an absolute nightmare to work with and I ended up pretty much soaking the things in water in order to get the floor tiles levelled.

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

More shots...

[Bert]

Re: Alex?s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

I was like a brick laying Ninja this weekend past...I found my zone and smashed it out of the park...

Its all in the preparation as my dear Dad used to say.