Low dome build

[Ganlet]

Atak, how big is your oven going to be? A 9" opening will be fine for pizza peel access, but the larger your oven the more difficult it becomes to reach and work areas farther back. Remember that no matter what you think now, you will want to use the oven for cooking and baking after making pizza. So access (and visibility) is important (as well as being able to fit a roasting pan or sheet pan through the opening width). I don't remember exactly who, but there is a low dome build on the forum where the surrounding bands of steel connected to steel vertical posts embedded in the hearth on either side of the door. That way the bands did not cross the opening of the oven. My opening is just under 12" high for my 39" diameter Pompeii/beavertail shaped oven and I can be limited in working the back of the oven over items closer to the front (having a load of bread in the oven for instance).

Note that the video says the bricks used are made on site...so they may not be cutting as many bricks, but they are being sized in the process somewhere. You will have to cut bricks in this build, so just be prepared with a few extra "test" bricks. Also take note on the laying of bricks on that upper ring of the video that they do NOT put mortar between the steel and bricks. The metal expands more and more quickly than the brick, so any mortar "bond" between them is broken as soon as the curing process begins. Those bricks simply rest on the angle iron and mortaring there would be simply a waste of time and material.

Hope this helps...

A question from an old thread I happened to find.

I've been sketching in a design similar to Acunto's with the internal steel ring and is pretty much ready to start the build any day now. But as I see it in the video as they are filling the space between the brick and ring with mortar?

My plan is to do the same, and I believe also the bond will loosen from the ring but hopefully stick to the brick and therefore create an edge to catch it from slipping if joints on other sides fails.

Only have newly find theoretical knowledge in this whole field, so feel free to give input.

[atak]

This is the metal band, the other metal parts hanging from the door are to fasten steel wire to hold the metal net covering the blanket.

[atak]

Small update.
I made the roof the Italian way so I am sorry now perfect roof but one that works is fine for me.
I put some self-made heat-resistant mortar over the top and around the steel wheel.
I now have to cure the oven I have red but wait a little for the mortar to harden good.
I want to make it like this http://www.fornino.nl/media/Bouwvers...anoFornino.jpg

Ad

[SableSprings]

Looking good Ad, this has been a fun build to watch. I'm going to be very interested to see how the smoke chamber/hood connection to your chimney works.

[atak]

[atak]

[atak]

The steel band is placed, the door is secure, the steel wheel is laid in a bed of mortar.
I also have formed the inside of the door with duck tape and put vermiculite and refractory mortar in it so close it and have some insulation.

[atak]

With what do you close the gap from metal bottom to pizza floor? and with what can I close the gap that will exist outside from the metal wheel ? Can I make a mixture from refractory and vermiculli from 5:1 to embed the door? and can I close this gap from the wheel with fireclay and sand and refractorie mixture?

I have made the metal band and fastened the metal wheel. Next is forming the sand and than making the dome. These guys know how to do it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnNOl7fTmIg

Thanks for the answers, Ad.

[atak]

No Mike, the bolt holes are for the chimney, I am going to bolt that to the door and maybe use one stand at the end. Some guy in N-Z did that and I liked it.
I will put some insulation blanked between the wall and the metal and vermecrete to hold it in place but the ring by the door will be in the heat I suppose. The band will come at the hight of 2/3 of the standing brick.
Thanks for the comment and thinking along. Goodnight, Ad.

[SableSprings]

First, nice looking metal work Ad! In answer to your question...Don't weld the top steel ring to the door. When the metal heats up it will expand. If at all possible, you really should leave a gap between them to allow for this expansion (and so it doesn't push out on your door structure every firing) . Remember, that's also why you are not going to mortar the bricks that sit in the ring to the metal...just mortar in the brick to brick spaces.

Also be aware that the metal/oven chamber entry connection you have built will conduct a lot of heat to the outside plates, so the entire opening/face plate structure will get pretty hot when you fire up the oven. For that reason, you will want allow for expansion space all around the metal insert.

It would be great if you could somehow create a heat break between the metal and the fire bricks...just a thought. I see the bolt holes in your door structure for the steel band(s) to be placed around the lower wall section...glad to see that to help keep the lower bricks from being pushed out by the top dome.

[atak]

the door

[atak]

This is how far I am now.
Question: is it a good idea to weld the steel ring to the door?
next is making the sand form. Hight will be about 14.5 "
by Ad.

[SableSprings]

Looks good Ad. You'll be fine with the opening you've planned. I just wanted to make sure you'd be able to see into the oven and work pizza towards the back. If you have already purchased a pizza peel, try using it to place and work imaginary pizzas to the middle, sides, and further back.

My humble opinion here is that I think you'll find that making focaccia or roasted vegetables on a sheet pan and other main course items in your dutch oven the day after a pizza party will be quite rewarding (and popular ). Also putting some damp apple or cherry wood chips in a covered tray in your oven with some of that beautiful pork you can get in Europe, will create a pretty special meal that's very tasty (IMHO-the pork will be much more moist than from an open fire spit)...and as long as your oven is adequately insulated below and over the dome, it will retain pretty good heat for a couple days (assuming you build a well insulated door too ).

[atak]

I am making a 36" oven but my door is 9 inch high and 18 inch broad. But I can not go higher because the ring lays on the wall and there start the first ring.
As long as the oven gets enough air I am happy. We do not bake bread or so and for big roasts I have build a smoker and my neighbour has a spit with a standing fire.
But we do have a dutch oven and that just goes trough the door I am making from some scrap metal 0.2 "thick.


Ad

[SableSprings]

Atak, how big is your oven going to be? A 9" opening will be fine for pizza peel access, but the larger your oven the more difficult it becomes to reach and work areas farther back. Remember that no matter what you think now, you will want to use the oven for cooking and baking after making pizza. So access (and visibility) is important (as well as being able to fit a roasting pan or sheet pan through the opening width). I don't remember exactly who, but there is a low dome build on the forum where the surrounding bands of steel connected to steel vertical posts embedded in the hearth on either side of the door. That way the bands did not cross the opening of the oven. My opening is just under 12" high for my 39" diameter Pompeii/beavertail shaped oven and I can be limited in working the back of the oven over items closer to the front (having a load of bread in the oven for instance).

Note that the video says the bricks used are made on site...so they may not be cutting as many bricks, but they are being sized in the process somewhere. You will have to cut bricks in this build, so just be prepared with a few extra "test" bricks. Also take note on the laying of bricks on that upper ring of the video that they do NOT put mortar between the steel and bricks. The metal expands more and more quickly than the brick, so any mortar "bond" between them is broken as soon as the curing process begins. Those bricks simply rest on the angle iron and mortaring there would be simply a waste of time and material.

Hope this helps...