40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Thanks Tom!

I got a couple hours in this afternoon and completed Chains 2 and 3.

Next up will be putting the entry in and them taking it on up.

Pics below:

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Looking good. I use the same type of form, but do not anchor it, just use it to check as I go.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Okay. I have made some progress, even with the rain.

Got started 3 Saturdays ago laying out the dry stack block work. I filled every other core with concrete the following week. I also set the form for pouring the hearthe base slab during that week.

The next Saturday I was able to pour the concrete. During the following week, I was able to put down the Perlcrete, 6" with a 1" of Homebrew mix inset.

Rain screwed me for this past weekend but was able to cut some brick, lay out the door and install the first chain of brick.

Details:

40" inside diameter
Homebrew mix of 1 Lime-1Portland-1Clay-2 Coarse Grog-3 Fine Grog.
Dooe openning expected to be 11.5"X 19"
Dome height 19"

I am using an Old School Guide rigged with a hinge bolt that fits into a 2X4 inserted with a bushing to rotate the hinge around.

Here are a few pics of my progress:

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Totally agree on the AS Oven design for home use. That is why the introduction of the Pompeii has been so successful.

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

If you are looking for a straight pizza oven, I think there are quite a few improvements to the FB plans, which are for a general WFO, and there have been some refinements since the plans were published even for that.

The AS plans, I am sorry to say, God Rest His Soul, are a poor design for a residential oven, period. They work for a community oven or tiny volume bakery, but even then the design is not optimized.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Okay, we may have met at one time or other.

I grew up in the Masonary business in Austin. Started working for my Dad when I was 11 and stayed in it until my third year in College. Then, started to get back into the business around 2000. Mostly as a side business.

I met Dave after I built my first Allen Scott oven. Then after James started this site and introduced the Pompeii, I got Dave to build my first Pompeii for a Customer. He was the only person I could trust to do the job correctly.

Now, I am back building my own Oven and looking for any new ideas that I can gather.

I love this site and the progress made as a result of it.

Thank you James!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Not that is Tstalboerger. I do commercial sales and cat herding.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Tom, that worked at St. Elmo?

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

I have worked at MPI for the last 25 years, but I am not a mason.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

Scarbrough, are you a Mason?

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

And an all around good guy.

Absolutely!

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

And an all around good guy.

[Driftwood]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

He is looking for extra mass, David. That will work as a refractory concrete, Driftwood, even though it doesn't really need to be refractory in that position.

You have worked with Dave E.?

Thanks Tscar, My goal is to understand, as an option, if I could expect additional mass ( heat retention) by adding this Homebrew layer?

And yes. I introduced Dave to the Pompeii oven design and he got started building these ovens through our relationship. He also uses the design I developed for my smoker in his current builds.

Dave is one of the best I have come across.

Thanks

[Tscarborough]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

He is looking for extra mass, David. That will work as a refractory concrete, Driftwood, even though it doesn't really need to be refractory in that position.

You have worked with Dave E.?

[david s]

Re: 40" Driftwood,TX Pompeii

If you are laying a 5:1 vermicrete slab as under floor insulation, just trowel the surface fairly vigorously and it will bring the cement to the surface giving you a perfectly flat and strong enough surface to build directly on. If you want to add more mass then lay another layer as per your recipe, but remember that it will take extra energy (wood) and time to get the temp up there.