Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

[Cyungle]

I make homemade pizza every weekend but my kitchen oven will never get that New York style Grimaldi's crust so I finally decided to build an oven. I wasn't sure how to start, considering the different designs and a lot of contradictory information. But, all of the discussion in this forum is an amazing wealth of information and I haven't found a more consistent supply of good ideas so here I go.

I actually started the foundation in June but as busy as I have been and as HOT as it has been here in the desert, it's hard to find time to work on it. I have attached a few photos of steps along the way so far.

[jbruning]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

You'll most likely forget about the 99 problems once you get the oven done and have the great pizza you are looking for

It's good to see your start and I look forward to following your build. What design have you decided on?

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

CY,

Welcome to the forum. I imagine it is hot in AZ. We are in the triple digits here in Ut so I suspect you are even hotter. Nice start, one comment, fairly small entry/access to your storage under the hearth. Maybe it is an optical illusion deal, would hate to have you lose all the space underneath. Looks like 3.5 CMUs on each side of entry, can you take out the 1/2 CMU on each side? It will give you more entry way space. Good luck.

[Gulf]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

CY,
Maybe it is an optical illusion deal, would hate to have you lose all the space underneath. Looks like 3.5 CMUs on each side of entry, can you take out the 1/2 CMU on each side? It will give you more entry way space. Good luck.

I love corner builds, though I did not build one. I agree with Russell. You might want to rethink that wood storage entry. Go back to Russell's build and see how he tackled that. We call it a"wood storage" area. I personally don't think that that area is ergonomically efficient for wood storage. At least in a corner build unless you divide it up into sections with mutiple entries. But, it is a great place to add a drawer for tools . I haven't finished my tool storage drawer yet, but that is what I will have in that space.

[Cyungle]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

I'm kind of making this up as I go along. Not the best way to plan something that isn't easy to change but I like the spontaneity.

About the size of the cavity under the hearth; I was concerned at first that it would be too small but I also thought about doing away with it completely. In Arizona, a woodpile is just a place for scorpions to hide. In the end, I settled with the narrower space and have already designed a fancy cradle that I'll fabricate later on that will fit in the cavity.

The next phase of construction is illustrated in the attached photos. The first photo is the disastrous result of a surprised dust storm that tore my shade canopy out of its footings and carried it across the yard.

In the others, I mortared in the block wall and fabricated a bridge over the cavity opening. I wanted to do something that I haven't ever seen done.

[Kurtloup]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

Nice job. I like it.

[stonecutter]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

I'm kind of making this up as I go along. Not the best way to plan something that isn't easy to change but I like the spontaneity.

Working organically can also result in a better end product.


Interesting way to span your base opening...I like the brickwork. Are you doing any kind of finish over the CMU or are you leaving it as is?

[Cyungle]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

I haven't quite decided what the finished product is going to look like. I like the stucco and tile work that I've seen others do but I have never done stucco or tile so I may have to experiment first. I know that I want to do something that I haven't seen done. I have a friend who is really good at gang tagging with spray paint (you may have seen some of his work on the sides of boxcars) and he volunteered his services but I don't want my WFO looking like an east LA liquor store. Still a few weeks of building before I decide.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

It looks good so far. We also have the scorpion/bug problem, so I built the wood storage space as a separate compartment from the underside of the oven.

[Cyungle]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

Next phase is complete! The forms for the hearth were a pain to build but I didn't want to risk any mishaps that would ruin the hearth slab.

For the base, I fabricated a frame that is supported by a column in the center and anchored in slots cut into the edges of the block wall. I've seen a lot of folks do the same with wood but I'm a better welder than carpenter and didn't want to risk leaving anything combustible that I would regret later. The floor substrate is just sheets of concrete board. I also welded in some 1/2 inch rebar that sticks up through holes in the Durock. I'm not worried about rust .. this is Arizona; nothing rusts. That's why the Defense Department parked all the decommissioned places in Tucson after WW2.

For the front radius, I built a rounded form with a couple of sheets of lexan attached.

[Laurentius]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

I haven't quite decided what the finished product is going to look like. I like the stucco and tile work that I've seen others do but I have never done stucco or tile so I may have to experiment first. I know that I want to do something that I haven't seen done. I have a friend who is really good at gang tagging with spray paint (you may have seen some of his work on the sides of boxcars) and he volunteered his services but I don't want my WFO looking like an east LA liquor store. Still a few weeks of building before I decide.

If he's talented and you're involved in project it could be a great project, but I'm an artist and I see the glass half full. Open your mind a bit and some of those East LA liquor stores, may say something to you? Remember, One man's ceiling can be another man's floor!

[GIANLUCA]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

Artistically Disguised Utility Boxes - A Waymarking.com Category

Try this where I live artist are allowed to paint utility boxes to disguise them I hope the link works

[jbruning]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

Your build is really shaping up. I like your stand design

[Cyungle]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

After two months of 100F+ days and monsoon humidity, the temperature has finally dropped below 100F and it's finally tolerable again to work outside. The hearth is 7 inches of reinforced concrete and a 3-inch void in the middle for the insulated vermiculite/cement mix. The slump for the concrete was a little chunky around the edges so I thinned the mix for the remainder to minimize voids.

The most surprising thing that I found during pouring of the insulated concrete phase was that the calculated volume of the void was about 3 cubic feet but it ended up requiring 6 cubic feet of vermiculite to complete the job. I could only conclude that if vermiculite is used for making insulated concrete, it compresses so you have to double the amount of vermiculite per calculated volume.

After a little over a week, the insulated concrete is firm enough to build on so hearth construction begins. The firebricks are laid out in a herringbone pattern over a very thin layer of fireclay and water mixture.

[Grtiz]

Re: Cyungle's 39'' Pompeii in Queen Creek, Arizona

This one sharp looking build so far. I really wish I had done my base similar to how you have. Get cracking while the weather is cool. I can tell you it was brutal doing the majority of my build in the heat of the Phoenix summer.