Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Just want to chime in and say that your dome is looking great!!

Drake

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Fances, If you are worried about freezing temps before you cure, you could put a small lamp in the oven and a tarp over the whole thing. That should keep you above freezing at least...

Drake

[asudavew]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Fances, If you are worried about freezing temps before you cure, you could put a small lamp in the oven and a tarp over the whole thing. That should keep you above freezing at least...

Drake

Good idea!

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

yes, that is a good idea! I've got it covered in tarps of course, and the weather has turned slightly warmer again, but that can change at any time....

Uh, lamp? Were you thinking oil lamp, or would an electric bulb give off enough heat? Probably not, right?

[dmun]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

would an electric bulb give off enough heat? Probably not, right?

Absolutely. Even a fairly dim 40 watt incandescent bulb (are there watts in metric land?) will give off plenty of heat to keep your oven above freezing if it's covered with a tarp. Remember, you don't have to keep it hot, just above freezing.

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Yeah, we have watts I'll get a light rigged up tomorrow, so's to be ready if it gets a bit colder.

Today I did the 9th and 10th courses...! For the 9th I I went to thirds and shaped the bricks slightly, so the joints got really skinny again... well some of them were, in some places anyway.

However, for the 10th course I realised that this is not actually the most needed shape, so I tried to bevile them instead (um, cut into a trapeze shape, was that the right expresion?). I'm telling you, you start on this, you end up cutting every single brick: Just a little bit off this corner, and oh, yes a tad off there and streighten this out.... I'm glad I didn't start earlier.

And then I ran out of mortar...

Once I've got some more, I'm thinking of trying to finish the dome without support from below. Should work if I've got this far, yeah?

[asudavew]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

looking good!

I haven't got anything done this weekend.....

Maybe tonite

[Ken524]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Looking great Francis!
I've been thinking about your mortar questions and agree with the others. I think once it dries out and gets a few fires in it, you won't have a problem. Just keep the exterior dry with an enclosure of some sort.

The native Americans had (and still have!) clay and mud ovens that last for years and years. Theirs aren't nearly as nice looking as yours! Can't wait to hear how it heats up and cooks.

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Me too, believe me!

I'm seriously thinking that maybe I'll be able to do the Xmas turkey in the oven this year... Depends on the weather of course, but its starting to look like it might work out...!!!!

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Here is my oven with its little night-light... I felt like covering it with a fluffy blanket and reading it a good night story, too.

And another pic of the firebrick chimney pieces I got, when I went for more mortar. They're 33 cm long, rather heavy and they slot onto each other. Has anyone here used ones like this before?

[dmun]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Those flue tiles look really good:



I think one of the reason those crummy stainless chimney units are so popular here in the US is that our masonry chimney tiles are so bad and hard to use. They just stack up with mortar, there's not nice flanges to fit them together, they are thin and fragile, they are not particularly uniform in size or parallel at the ends. In addition they are supposed to stand free of the masonry enclosure, for no particular reason that I can understand, held only by the collar at the top.

The ones that you illustrate are clearly well fitted, self supporting, and I like that they are glazed on the inside, making them easy to clean.

I think they will be great. Good find.

[asudavew]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Here is my oven with its little night-light... I felt like covering it with a fluffy blanket and reading it a good night story, too.

Dr. Seuss? "One Brick, Two Brick, Red Brick, Blue Brick"

Good work!

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Good one Dave, I love it!

"Old brick, new brick, dome brick, flue brick...,
yes, some are good and some are bad, and this brick made me very mad"

Thanks Dmun, I'm glad you think my flue bricks will work out well. If you're interested in chimneys, maybe you'd like to have a look at this page: Konstruktiver Aufbau
Its in German, but they have some very sophisticated chimney systems...

[RTflorida]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

Nice, had something similar to those been available locally I would certainly have used them. For all of the reasons listed by dmun I opted for the simpson stainless steel. I would have prefered a more traditional look, but the fragile, ill-fitting U.S. flue tiles steered me to the stainless.

Can't wait to see these in place

[Frances]

Re: Pompeii oven in Switzerland: pics

WOOOOHOOOO!!!!
I'm lost for words, but here are the pics...