40" WFO in the New Orleans

[PizzaIdiot]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Those little green aliens seek out pizza ovens that are easy to access (unfinished) and hospitable (not being used). All people considering fabrication of such dwellings should be aware of the consequences of inactivity.

Jeff

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Those little green aliens seek out pizza ovens that are easy to access (unfinished)

I'll second that. A few months back this little green alien started walking across the landing of my oven and when I said hello he stopped, turned my direction and walked up to me and climbed up my finger and then up my arm. After a few minutes of cleaning himself I let him back down and he made his way up the very smooth face of my inner arch where he suspended himself upside down and went to sleep.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

What's your oven-curing method going to be for drying it out?

Two weeks from now, I am planning the oven-curing process (oven crack party) with the following method:

Day 1 150 F
Day 2 250 F
Day 3 350 F
Day 4 450 F
Day 5 575 F
Day 6 700 F
Day 7 Max F

Open to suggestion if there is a better way.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

A few layers of aluminum foil, reinforcement wire mesh, and start of 2.5" of concrete cladding.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

There were plenty of scrap firebrick from the dome. I just broke them scrap into small chunk and used it as aggregate for the concrete cladding. I have about 50 lbs of ciment fondue left over and I also used those for the cladding for the top part of the dome.

[SCChris]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Banhxeo, Try the Worklight method before going moving to another method of heat. This will take your oven comfortably to the mid to high hundred temps without much management and clear much of the water from the bricks.

refer to the curing thread at

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f16/oven-curing-767.html

The whole thread is worth reviewing but look at the later posts to find more info on using a worklight.

The curing period is a time when many push too fast and suffer unnessisary oven cracking, some is likly to occur anyway, but slow and steady is what's best.


Chris

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

The rest of the concrete cladding. Now I will have to wait for 2 weeks to begin the oven-curing (crack) process. In the mean time, I need to collect some wood and and start my sour dough starter.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

A few layers of aluminum foil, reinforcement wire mesh, and start of 2.5" of concrete cladding.

banhxeo -

The oven looks great.

What's the purpose of the foil? Isn't it going to break down once the oven get to temperature? Just curious -

[Gulf]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Great looking job Tu,
Two and a half inches of cladding, wow!
You are one heck of a fast worker. I like the signature idea. It gave me the idea to affix some kind of cornerstone to mine.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

banhxeo -

What's the purpose of the foil? Isn't it going to break down once the oven get to temperature? Just curious -

The foil was supposed to allow the concrete cladding to "slip" and "slack" with the dome. In theory, the foil is going to break down over a period of time.

However, Mr. Alan Scott did with his barrel vault WFO builts over the years and I just want to honor him. $4 down the drain but it is worth of it.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

The curing period is a time when many push too fast and suffer unnessisary oven cracking, some is likly to occur anyway, but slow and steady is what's best.


Chris

Thanks for the information and the thread on curing. I will have to go really slow now.

[Cheesesteak]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

$4 down the drain but it is worth of it.

Yeah - lol - $$ down the drain. Had I thought about it - I would have sprinkled some Caputo 00 flour on the dome under the insulation to bless the oven. Oh well.

Good looking oven. Definitely take time with curing - but it will likely crack at some point. It's like a new car - eventually it gets a scratch - you get worked up about it for a bit and then learn to live with it.

[banhxeo76]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

I was just wondering if there a support group out there for WFO builders who were obsessed with the building of their WFOs and who were consumed their lives around building their WFOs. Just think about it….after this major project, I am sure that most of the builders go through withdrawal stage like those addicted drug users when there is nothing to work on the WFO anymore. I mean the cooking with the WFO will be fun but I can't see as fun as building one.
I am sitting here trying to design an insulated door for my WFO while waiting for the concrete cladding to air dry for the next 24 days but I looking down the road and realized this fun project will end eventually. I eventually have to return to my real life such as being a husband, a father of two kids, and an employee.

Well, I will go ahead and start this support group.... Hi, my name is Tu and I am addictive to building WFO.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Tu,

I think there are alot of us like you out there, myself included. Why else would I take so long to complete my oven? Funny thing is, I have already gotten buy-off from the wife to build a second, smaller oven dedicated to pizza only.
John

[Gulf]

Re: 40" WFO in the New Orleans

Tu,
Not knowing, since I haven't came to that crossroads, still have to rely on faith alone to think that there is a life after finishing the WFO. I can only hope that actually getting immersed in the actual cooking process will help fill that void. If not, once crossing over to that other side, I hope that there are similar experiences. Like maybe creating the world?s greatest outdoor kitchen to match the WFO , Yea, That's the ticket .