30" Pompeii in Minneapolis

[gastagg]

there might be other cracks in places you can't see

Randy

Randy, uncovered yesterday and examined more thoroughly....there are quite a few cracks along brick and mortar.

[gastagg]

The pics are a little dark. All the breaks are along seams. I didn't mortar in those landing bricks...which was another problem.

[deejayoh]

The way the arch split I am betting the mortar was never very well bonded in the first place. Look how the entryway brick split broke the brick, the other one broke at the seam.

[gastagg]

Very cool Russell! Thanks for the pic and the advice. You're right in the lack of vertical wall support, which I thought would be a concern. There was no damage prior to first thaw. I actually checked it after the first freeze and it had happened way back in Nov. What happened is that the tarp I had covering was not completely waterproof. Water dripped down the chimney hole (chimney removed for winter) and into the landing bricks. Water seeped down, got a piece of the CalSil board wet. The water between the bricks and the water in the CalSil board frozed, expanded, and pushed the landing bricks apart and up along the middle. The "up" was not the problem, but the "out" was as it pushed my poorly reinforced walls out, creating a space for the arch to drop. Now, I can push the upper part of the arch back and forth as there are two breaks in the arch support.

I think I could make a repair, but I'm still going to deal with water issues with bricks in the opening. I'm already working on a plan for the cast landing and entry arch. I think it will greatly reduce my worry.

Thanks!

[UtahBeehiver]

George,

Your friend can't say "I built it myself" though.

Looking at the pics closer, I am not sure it is winter damage, could be, but thinking it may be more due to a semi arch with vertical walls that have no additional reinforcement for the lateral horizontal loads of this type of arch. A full arch transfers the load down. Semi archs loads are down and out. That said, the small masonry chimney vent and SS chimney is not a huge amount to support.. If is possible to do a repair but add some reinforcement to the vertical walls. Here is a picture I took in Athens a week or so ago that I wanted to show how the real Old timers built arches. Notice the vertical wall reinforcement.

[gastagg]

Thanks Randy. Good to hear from you. I was jealous reading your posts of cooking over the winter. I spent a few hours looking at Iron Pony and purplehaze last night and determined that a cast entryway would be the best too. Then I started wishing that I had made the whole thing cast...but that was fruitless. I've always liked the stucco look and not been so keen on the enclosures, but I could have spent some more time planning and designing to come up with an enclosure plan that would have fit and looked good.

I made a new friend over the winter who just installed a cast FB oven into a back yard patio project and stuccoed the entire thing top to bottom of stand. It looks very nice. He hired it done .

[RandyJ]

Hey George sorry to see that you got some damage from the winter. I am no expert but I would say your #2 idea is the best and longest lasting. I would worry that there might be other cracks in places you can't see, so fixing this one is not a good idea. I would also worry it if you rebuilt it the same you might have the same problem again. That is my thoughts.

Randy

[gastagg]

Uncovered my oven today for the first time since November...have damage from freeze/thaw cycles. I think I need to rebuild my entrance. See the pics. I can move the arch and it is visibly separated in one spot and when I push on the top of the arch, I can see where it is separated from the right arch support.

Some ideas:

1) completely rebuild entry with brick, cover whole thing with stucco, which I should have originally done.
2) completely rebuild entry using cast refractory concrete and then cover with stucco (this is my preference)
3) repair and strengthen current entry arch, and cover with stucco

Thoughts, opinions, wise cracks?

[gastagg]

If you want to get exactly what you want in the quantities you want, call earlier in the week 3-4 days in advance. They occasionally have stuff on hand, but not always.

[RandyJ]

Wow that is not a ad deal. I might have to look in to that. I don't mind making the dough but sometimes I don't have the time to do it and that would help. I use the neo neopolitan recipe from American Pie. It stretches very nicely and has a very nice mix of soft but chewy. Do you have to call ahead or can you just show up and get the dough from them?

Randy

[gastagg]

Randy, they have 5oz or 6oz balls for 10"-12" pizzas (and larger too...) and they charge $1 per ball. I think 6 is the minimum order. I've ordered 12 and 24 at a time so far. And let me tell you, this stuff is so easy to make a crust with. They have proofing instructions and instructions on how to press out and make a pizza crust. We made a batch of homemade dough for 24 balls using the Pizza Quest recipe last week to try it, and honestly, there is no comparison in ease of use, taste, etc...these frozen balls are superior. They use Caputo flour and the texture is great. I've done 2 parties of 20+ pizzas so far, and these dough balls have really performed well. Take them out of freezer into fridge 2 days in advance. Take from fridge to counter 2 hours before using. They also sell 2# and 5# sauce buckets for cheap, and it's great sauce.

[RandyJ]

I have not ever had good luck with my own frozen dough, but I am sure if you use the right kind of yeast it is not a issue. Do you pick them up at there location, and how many do you have to buy at a time? Also if you don't mind how much are they? Could be nice if you were going to have a big party.

Randy

[gastagg]

More pizzas today...

I have been using premade frozen caputo dough balls from The Dough Shop, a supplier of pizza and bread dough to Twin Cities restaurants. We have made some home made dough, but we enjoy the frozen dough balls a lot more, and it is much easier . Anyone else have any luck with premade frozen dough?

[gastagg]

First pizzas today...only at 500-600ish degrees. Goal today was 700 degrees. The thermometer went past the 600degrees and if the indicator marks would keep going, it would have been 700ish. I'm measuring about 5" off the floor. I do know that the dome started to go white. It was a good fire.

[gastagg]

Five days in on curing fires...600ish degrees yesterday after several long days of 350-500ish degrees. Here is a summary:

• Insulation: Am getting virtually no heat transfer through the dome. I have 3" of ceramic blanket for insulation. Stucco is hotter from the direct sun than from the firing. However, the center-bottom of the hearth slab has been getting warm directly under the fire. I can touch it and keep my hand there with no problem. It's not "hot." Just warm. 2" of CalSil. Would probably do 3" next time.
• Dome vent: Glad this was mentioned to me by forum guys, and glad I added it. Steam has been exiting the dome from this vent from day 2 on.
• Cracking. Have one hairline crack along 5 courses to inner arch. See pic. If this is the only crack I get, I'll be pleased. It's hardly noticeable and not concerned of any gases leaving through that crack.
• Cooking: Cooked some bread on day 3 (400ish degrees). Needed to have let the bread rise a bit more after pulling dough from freezer/fridge. 4 of the 6 loaves were great.
• Door: Built a temporary blast shield door with vents for intake and exhaust. Has helped control flame and keep heat in. Am waiting for the stainless insulated door to get finished, but will probably get a door made with permanent vents that will last.
• Curing fires: Used a charcoal chimney for first two days. Let day 2 get away from me for a bit and the jet flame coming out of the chimney was super hot right on the dome ceiling. Pulled it out immediately to let the coals burn down more. The crack appeared then. I probably would not use the chimney again. Couldn't seem to get enough heat from charcoal to sustain the heat. The wood fires seem to work better. I read through the whole curing fire thread under "Oven Management," and that was helpful. The initial post should be updated to reflect the more effective curing fire schedule.
• Stucco Finish: This morning I noticed short hairline cracks showing up in the finish layer of the stucco. Didn't upset me too much. I decided last week to coat the dome and the nasty caulk with this elastomeric stucco finish from Behr. It will provide several things: 1) a greater degree of water proofing and breathability, 2) color that I have been wanting to match the house trim, and 3) hide/fill in the small cracks. If I ever do this again, I will cure the dome after the insulation, but before the stucco application.