Lilydale 42" build, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

[david s]

Re: Lilydale 42" build, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

Nice job, I bet you are enjoying working the oven with that nice shallow entry.

[camooch]

Re: Lilydale 42" build, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

Thanks folks for the positive feedback.
Today we attached the front door. Could not find nice hinges so went for some cheap galvanised Tee hinges with the tops hacksawed off to allow the door to be lifted on and off. Practical solution if a bit agricultural. Could not find a nice 'lift' latch so put a brass knob in lieu.
We are thinking of putting an adjustable vent in this front door to minimise 'smoking' on startup. In the meantime we can prop the door open a bit for the same effect.
Saturday we will begin another slow burn and build up for a week to the first pizza. Can't wait!

We did a slow burn for a week before the insulation was added building up sufficiently to cook a tray of delicious roast vegie. After the fire had been out for two days we had cause to drill a hole in the flue firebricks. Upon penetrating 2 cm with the masonry drill there was a big 'puff' and all the cuttings were blown out by pressure within the bricks. This was totally amazing and shows how easily bricks might be cracked by trapped air/moisture.

Stuart (and hello from Andrew too)

[camooch]

Re: Lilydale 42" build, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

We fired up the oven today with the aim of slowly working up to a bake later in the week.
But the bread was rising and the oven went all the way up to 300 deg C; so in it went.
No cracking in the oven at all; nothing; and the bread (natural leaven, macrobiotic wheat, home ground) is superb.

The front door is terrific for controlling smoking in the wind. Putting adjustable vents in the door was considered, but it would have spoiled the clean lines. Having the door slightly ajar works well and is quite satisfactory.

Looking forward to seeing how much heat is retained in the morning.
We will fire up for a pizza later in the week when some more conditioning has taken place.
This has been a good day!
Stuart & Andrew

[Gary Mots]

Re: Lilydale 42" build, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia

Andrew, absolutely a beautiful WFO. great job.