42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

[WesinThailand]

A very nice build! Sure enjoyed seeing all your progress. On mine, I just kept on cooking after stucco . maybe one of these days I'll add some fancy enclosure - the important thing is the food!

[Gulf]

Darin,

Are you doing the Wok cooking in/on the entry landing? I've been using a skillet and a dutch oven there. I may have to buy a wok .

[RandyJ]

Novalso,

I love the way you oven turned out. It is amazing how many different ways there are to enclose the oven . All it takes is a little imagination and hard work. I see you said you had 4 to 5 days of heat retention. What kind of temps are you seeing at that point, and are you cooking on all those days too? I need to get better at using my retained heat. I have been doing some bread but that is about it so far, but I need to as it will take 10 days to cool down now that I have my door.

Randy

[Novaslo]

Wow!!!!Your wfo looks amazing, great job Novaslo. I like how you made the front hearth radius into/forward towards the entry. Wish I had seen your build earlier, I would have done mine this way.

Yes I was thinking that when I saw so many others that built it the other way. I knew that I would need to get as close as possible to get back into the very back. It turned out great.

As it stands I can't wait to get out there and cook. It has been a year and a half since I started cooking and I have not stopped.
Lately I have been Wok cooking. That is pretty cool.

[ivancito]

Wow!!!!Your wfo looks amazing, great job Novaslo. I like how you made the front hearth radius into/forward towards the entry. Wish I had seen your build earlier, I would have done mine this way.

[Novaslo]

Nearing completion,
After a long weekend on the wet saw, I am so happy with the results. After deciding to enclose the dome, the porch lights really set it off. Here are a few pictures of the final look. Day 3 of cooking and now all I want to do is come out in the evening and play in my back yard. Haha

[Novaslo]

I cut a lot of pavers for my design, check it out!
Oh and I cooked a pizza or two. Haha.

[Novaslo]

New Progress....Closing the dome.
After a lot of thought and planning, I decided to fully close the dome and not continue with the igloo plan. Using Hardibacker and aluminum 2X4's structure is made.

[Novaslo]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

In my case with 4 inches of fiber board in my door....it is extremely hot on the oven side and warm to the touch on the outerside where the handles are. It get's hot but bad at all.

I would say that with heat retention of 4-5 days, It is really effective.

Having worked with a heavy door and now using this much lighter version. The lighter the better.

[william]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

Hi
Had a long talk with a friend of mine about the aluminum, He told me that it is a very good conductor but that it will want to get rid of the heat just as much thru the back the sides that is why it is used so readily in electronics as heat sinks. I am thinking of going back to my brick idea but using 3/4" slices rather than splitting bricks to save some weight. will see how this works. Heading off to Thailand for a few weeks with the family so have to get into this when I get back.
Bill

[Greenman]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

I understand what you are thinking Bill. I just wanted something to use as a plug that sealed the entrance and kept the heat in. I have no experience of thick aluminium plate.

I hope it works for you.

[william]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

Hi Greenman
I didn't want to use the aluminum for insulation but as a heatsink just at the inner face of the door. my thought if 1/2" to 3/4" thick it would hold heat and radiate back into the oven for a more circular, for lack of a better word heating, In the case of baking bread or closed oven cooking, it would still be backed up with three to four inches of insulation, just used as something to hold heat in the door area.
Bill

[Greenman]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

The aluminium will not help with insulation given its conductive properties. I used thin aluminium sheet as the skin and stuffed it with scraps of ceramic blanket. It has worked for me and I have made a couple for other ovens. It has the advantage of being light and it does a good job of holding the heat in.

I have recently fabricated a small folding machine that can handle light steel and aluminium sheet and intend to have a crack at MK IV soon. Each iteration gets a little better than the last. With the material being offcuts sourced from metal shops bought on weight it is cheap as chips and the material costs for each is about $15.00.

[Novaslo]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

That would be interesting...to try.
I am not sure how much heat it can withstand. I don't think the door would ever be over 8-900 degrees

Not sure on that though.

[william]

Re: 42" Pompeii in Paso Robles Ca.

Hi
I agree with the weight issue, did a quick search for heat sinks and aluminum is use in many electrical applications, what about a thick piece instead of the brick.
Bill