Oven Build in Spring

[cbailey]

By the way Mike, I really like your build. As I mentioned before, I want to use used brick for the landing area and decorative arch. After apply the stucco/render to the dome I want to use a used thin brick to cover. A little ironic to recreate the build now that it is covered up. The bull nose on your landing area looks great.

thanks for the ideas!

Cory

[david s]

The thermal expansion is around 1%. This is why it’s best to have a rebate that the door can sit against. For my first oven I had a tapered entry and the door was also tapered. If left in place the oven contracted hard against the door and made it really hard to get out, not a good plan.

[cbailey]

Thanks David! I have a 1.25 inch reveal, but the sides are straight. The 36 inch dome arch is the standard 12 inches high by 19 inches. So I would expect vertical expansion of approximately 1/8 inch and horizontally about 3/16th inch? To be safe 1/4 inch vertically and 3/8 inch horizontally should be good?

I fired the dome to 600f with peaks to 700. I haven't seen or heard any cracks yet. I'll target 700 tomorrow.

[david s]

That sounds about right. Even a slight crack around an oven door will leak a substantial amount of heat. Italians used to use some left over bread dough to jam around the usually wooden oven door that had been soaked in a bucket of water to reduce charring. Or alternatively screwed up wet newspaper. I use a similar principle for my kiln, but use a 50/50 mix of sand and clay to seal around the door. For my ovens I use a wooden door which I like the look of but it’s faced with a cast insulating panel to protect the timber and it sits nicely against the flat cast surface of the front of the flue gallery. I think there are a number of solutions, just do what works for you.

[terratree]

Hi Cory,

Your build post has helped me a lot, so thanks.

I'm a long way behind you but your pics/questions/solutions from the forum - have been very useful.

Very nice oven you have !

Cheers

Jay

[cbailey]

David - Again, thank you for your advice. My Italian in-laws are in town and are both fascinated and excited about what we can cook in the oven. They talk about a Tuscan style bread that is getting more difficult to find, even in Rome. It would be great if I could recreate their memories.

Jay - Thank you for the kind words. But, I have to admit, most of my ideas were unabashedly copied from others on this forum. There are too many to name, many who have helped me and posted on my thread, many threads I have followed without communicating with the builders. There are some very talented people here, all more than willing to help us Newbies.

I'll be following your build. Best of luck

Cory

[cbailey]

I had a target temperature last evening of 700f. I reached it over a 4 hour period with peaks of 800f. I looked a little silly sitting in front of the oven watching it intently as i was trying to control temperatures. But with a cigar and a little wine I decided I had watched less interesting shows on TV!

As I often do, I referred back to the original Pompeii Oven build instructions. In the "Curing" section it indicates you're basically done curing if you maintain temps of 500 degrees for 10 (hopefully cumulative) hours. If so, I should be safe in applying render over the blanketed dome. I'm anxious to crank up the temps to watch the dome clear, but i would like to get the dome sealed ASAP. It rains too often here.

I'll include a vent on the top of the dome to allow an avenue for moisture to escape.

[cbailey]

I have a quick question to the forum brain trust: UtahBeehiver, david s, SableSprings, JR Pizza, etc. I met with a fabricator to build a door. What is your recommendation for the gauge/thickness of steel? I don't want it too flimsy, then again I don't want it too heavy. Stainless is preferred, but might go with carbon steel.

Thanks in advance!

Cory

[JRPizza]

Did you read the door thread yet?
https://community.fornobravo.com/for...ur-door-thread

[UtahBeehiver]

SS is preferred due to the lower Thermal Conductivity factor (K), SS= 14, Carbon Steel - 54, Aluminum = 237, Wood < 1 (but you are limited to lower temperatures with this material). Heavier the gauge, the heavier the oven. I would chose the lightest gauge that can be welded without warping.

[cbailey]

JR, I hadn't read this thread. I searched the Forum for "door" and "oven door", but didn't get a result. I appreciate the help.

Russell, thanks for the help. I don't have a plasma cutter or welder, so buying those tools would end up right next to my biscuit cutter...not used and collecting dust. I like the idea of SS, but haven't decided yet.

What I get from the threads is that most have used 0.060" stock. So, about 1/16 inch.

Thanks!

[david s]

SS is preferred due to the lower Thermal Conductivity factor (K), SS= 14, Carbon Steel - 54, Aluminum = 237, Wood < 1 (but you are limited to lower temperatures with this material). Heavier the gauge, the heavier the oven. I would chose the lightest gauge that can be welded without warping.

Whilst SS is less thermally conductive it has a greater tendency to warp. Unfortunately a warping surface against the oven mouth interferes with decent sealing. This characteristic decreases the thicker it is, so if you if you increase thickness in an effort to decrease warping, you are also increasing a higher proportion of conductive thermal mass. Back to square one as well as increasing cost and weight. Having said that, if you want to go ahead with stainless I think you need to go to at least 0.90 or maybe 1.2 mm thick.

[JRPizza]

I used 16 gage (0.051) for the outer part and went down to 20 gage (.032) for the inner parts. Welded up it is a pretty stout assembly.
https://community.fornobravo.com/for...442#post393442

[cbailey]

I'm getting close.

I reasoned that I needed to complete the decorative landing area and arch so that I could pour a monolithic rendering of the dome and vent. The attached photos show my progress. I found some used brick (called Willer?) with a little more red in it than traditional old Chicago. I was hoping to find thin brick of the same look and color, but was unsuccessful. The result, I cut my own thin brick from the used brick. It wasn't that bad. Cutting approximately 1/2 inch slices I could get 4 thin bricks from a full size brick.

I made a form for a small pour to raise the landing area and completed with used brick. I am dry fitting the decorative arch bricks in hopes of completing the arch by this weekend and applying render to the dome. As luck has it (Murphy's Law) it's going to rain this weekend after a spectacular work week, weather wise.

[Denamontini]

I love this idea! It is beautiful!