Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

[Xene]

Now that I've finished the dome I have to plow further into unknown territory (the dome seemed like the easy part - easy to envision how to build it anyway) and I have to do the entry and chimney..and now I'm reading all these great threads trying to get a handle on how to proceed, and I'm intrigued with the ceramic insulating tape as a heatbreak.

So my first question is easy enough...how much insulation blanket should I order for a 46 inch oven? Any recommended sources?

Secondly, the flat ceramic insulating 'tape' that I've seen some use in their builds...Gulf comes to mind...I'd like my entry to be marble. Could I use that as a heatbreak between the oven floor and the marble where they would meet? Can I cut a narrow pocket out of the underside of my marble to place that ceramic tape and have only a thin section of the marble actually touching the fire brick floor or will that stress the marble too much with heat fluctuation? Is the best way to just seal the ceramic tape against that fire brick and set the marble against it so they do not contact?

Thirdly, if I want to build my entry and chimney with red brick and not fire brick, should I consider a heatbreak there too? If I build it with red brick, should I use homebrew mortar? I've been intrigued with line mortar and am considering going that route for the finish work.

Thanks!

[azatty]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

You'll probably need four rolls. Assuming that you have built the dome on the outside of your hearth, the circumference is about 14.5 feet. The rolls are 25 feet. You'll be short by a couple of feet each layer and will have to "patch" the insulation together. A 42 inch oven requires three rolls, and there isn't much left over. I ordered a fourth roll to insulate my vent transition and chimney chase.

FB has blanket and McGill's Warehouse carries it, too.

Concerning the facade, I bulit an enclosure from steel studs and backer board. There's little to no contact between the enclosure and entry, so there's a heat break. For the decorative arch, I framed a floating arch around the fire brick with steel, affixed backer board strips to it, cut the decorative brick into "L" shaped blocks, and mortared them with homebrew. I filled the gap between the decorative brick with homebrew, too. The only heat transfer will be along the homebrew, and at the fron of the oven, I expect it to be minimal.

You will need a gap between the flue liner and the brick chimney, So that's one kind of break in the chimney. For the facade bricks, a heat break won't hurt and it's easy to build in when you're making the exterior masonry.

[Xene]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Thanks azatty. Could I get by with three blankets do you think? I'm not planning to insulate the chimney (understanding I need that gap between flu and chimney brick though) - but maybe that is something I should reconsider?

I want to keep the igloo style enclosure, so I am hoping to keep the profile as streamlined as possible. Here is a sketch I put together to show the family what I have floating around in my head as far as this oven build and outdoor kitchen area will (hopefully) ultimately look like:



After I apply the blanket insulation, what is the best medium to cover it with if my intention is to tile the dome? I have beautiful old brick and when cut they are full of different colored rocks, different reds, yellows, and oranges. I'd love to cut my own tile from the brick and use them as a background between green stem and leaf tiles that vine all around the dome....at least that is the current fantasy finish.

All opinions most welcome!

[Laurentius]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Your plans are outstanding. Under you prep area, I would install some brackets for adjustable shelves, really will come in handy in keeping down the clutter.

[Xene]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Thanks! I'm thinking under the hearth will be for tool storage as that seems tight and odd shaped for wood. My brother-in-law wants to design the lower door and the oven door - he's a master woodworker (I am so lucky!) I'm currently considering now how I can pour that counter top with holes for restaurant style stainless bins to set in, stored inside, filled inside, but brought out for pizza making. Will need further concrete counter top research for sure.

So the front of that prep area will be for wood storage. It seems like the storage area should have a little set back for more rain protection. The opposite side of the prep counter would be walled in (with a setback for legs) because I've laid brick paver there for stools (2) so that people can sit there and talk to me (the most likely pizza maker) as I cook. I'm also considering how to make drink holders in the counter top too - I've read what a tragedy it is to knock over your beer with the peal! Mitigate drink spillage is a high priority too.

[Laurentius]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Hi Xene,

I wouldn't store wood under the prep area, the wood is a haven for critters and even dried, it create a humid environment which is great for mold, fungus and mildew. As for oven tools, I mounted slotted brackets to the side of my oven for pizza/bread peel, brush and broom, blowing tube, shovel.

[Laurentius]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Xene, this is the type of table that I built out of concrete.

Artefact Design and Salvage Tables

[deejayoh]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Very cool. What is a "turkish grill"? I searched for a description and came up with 9 pages of restaurants with that name, but nothing like your picture

[deejayoh]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Also - you can get ceramic fiber tape here

Ceramic Fiber Tape

[Xene]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Deejayoh - I'm probably not calling it by the proper name, as I'm sure there is an Arabic word for it...sajji perhaps? We want a grill area that is hot, where we can get the meat right on top of the coals, for shish-kabob and burgers, so I'm building it into one of the counters.

My plan is to make it sunken in, perhaps have it fabricated- it would be a shallow box with a hole to sweep out coal at one end - but just wide enough to lay skewers of meat across. When not in use I'm hoping to cover it with several large floor tiles so that the length of it can be used as counter space.

In comparison to this build, that seems easy.

Anyone else want to steer me away from storing wood under my prep area? Since my base is set at an angle that opening is only about 18 inches once I get it faced with granite block (today's task) so it is worthless as wood storage, way too tight.

Very cool table Laurentius! Casting the table top is a great idea, I'm imaging a similar project here now...this may never end!

[azatty]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

I think you're stuck with four rolls. But measure your dome and do the math (3.14 x diameter). Remember that you essentially expand the diameter by two inches for each layer of insulation, so successive layers are composed of longer pieces. Creative cutting and fitting could get you the extra insulation you need.

I don't have experience with finishng an igloo, so I'm useless there. Here's what I THINK could work, though: cut your marble so that it's a freestanding arch. Mortar it to the slab and the firebrick arch with homebrew. You could place dowels in the joint between the two arches and remove them after the mortar starts to firm up. That would give you something of a heat break while avoiding a completely detached decorative arch. But in all honesty, the early builders didn't use heat breaks and their ovens seem to be fine.

For the countertop, all you have to do is make boxes of the appropriate shape and size for the hotel pans out of 1x3 or 2x4 material, and then pour around them.

[Xene]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Maybe I'm over thinking the need for a heat break? The marble I'm thinking of using for the entry is flat, old counter top stolen from a house we lived in that was being torn down to put up condos. The entire bathroom was marble and I took it all (husband has complained about those boxes of marble with our every move - so now I want to put them to good use, show him it was worth it!)

This marble would butt right up to the threshold of the oven, can marble take that kind of heat? It is black marble when wet, grayish when dry. It has spent years just resting against the side of the house so the shiny finish has worn dull (which fits my aesthetic for this build.)

I have pieces of FB board left that I was going to use under the marble, but that edge that rests directly against the fire brick, which serves as the threshold under the door...that has me worried. It's a sentimental thing with this bigger chunk of marble, I'd feel bad if I broke it simply because I didn't use a heat break of some sort.

What are your recommendations?

I'm looking at this place for my blanket and tape (if I use it) as the husband says they have the best prices he's found so far: High Temperature Process Equipment Engineering and Consulting

[Neil2]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

If it is not too late, you may want to consider making your prep area the same height as your hearth. Also consider consider extending part of this surface up to the hearth such that you can slide a heavy hot pot in and out without lifting.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f39/...eck-17629.html


As for a landing/hearth heat break, simply set the landing back 1 inch or so. The gap will create no problems with respect to sliding things in or out or with using your peel. On my oven, this gap (which is the full width of the opening) communicates downward to a 4 inch diameter hole thru the slab and acts as a clean out.

[Xene]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

I like your cantilevered counter idea a lot, but I have a height deficit (5'2") and I wouldn't be able to work the dough on a higher surface, a standard counter top is actually too high for me. I'll probably need a stool to get any heavy pots in and out of there (that most likely will fall under 'husband duty'.)

Lovely work on the concrete! Any recommended resources you've read online that might direct me to how to gave it that nice surface? I've got some research to do in that area before I start pouring my counters. Luckily we have friends in the concrete business, I hope they can help too.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Insulation blanket, ceramic insulating tape?

Xene,

Might want to check McGills warehouse online. They are out of Calf. and their ceramic fiber blankets have good pricing. Not sure what shipping would be to IA.

Russell