32 Inch Pompeii in Northern California

Like some others on this forum:

1) I knew absolutely nothing about pizza ovens a few months ago
2) I started out building a Vault type oven (based on a foam form) after I saw it at a building supplies store
3) I decided to change my design part way though building the base and had to make some significant modifications
4) I wish I had discovered this forum sooner!

I am now building a 32? Pompeii oven.

The base is almost complete ? pictures to follow. I originally started with a 36? wide base to accommodate the vault oven but I have now widened it to 53? ? which according to my calculations should accommodate a 32? oven plus 2? insulation plus an outer brick wall. (32+9+4+8=53) I know that 2? of insulation is barely enough ? so I will do 2? at the bottom but more than that as I get progressively higher.

I also had a front to back problem with the base size ? I originally only made it 50". I plan to address this in two ways:
1) I added 8? to the back of the base
2) I will make the front arch (in front of the chimney) flush with the front of the oven. That only gives me a tiny landing I know, but I have surface space on either side of the oven to ?stage? my pizzas.
The interior height of the oven will be 16?. I am planning to make the front opening 10? x 16? with a slight arch.

My first forum question is:

For a 32" Pompeii, what size do you recommend I make my chimney opening? I have read many threads on this topic and can?t seem to find a consensus. I need to decide this soon as it determines the placement of my oven on the base.

Thanks!
Neil

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