Frank's Build

[fhausback]

I've been lurking on this site for a couple years, and I'm finally ready to go. I was originally going to build a roofed house around a 42" oven, but am now leaning towards an igloo with top dead center flue.

Can anyone point me to larger than 42" oven builds? I'm debating up-sizing to a 50" oven.

Current Stats:
7'-2" square base slab, 6" thick
12" piers sunk past the frost line at corners. Likely overkill, but i figure i'm only doing this once.
Concrete used so far: 1 crapton
Arches on 2 sides of base for wood storage on front, and mower on the back.

Piers dug

Using a cheap bender to make rings for the pier reinforcing


cages in


apprentice mixing concrete


Tamped, rebar in, ready for pour.
The little chute i built did not work at all. The sonotube cardboard was not nearly slick enough. I ended up using a wheel barrow.

[fhausback]

Slab in. I sprayed the curing sealer too early on the right side, and it didn't work very well. I forgot until the last minute, but i did add an expansion joint between the new slab and the existing patio.


Block Stacked, and fill started. They are placed mostly square. 1/2 the cores are filled with excess gravel i was trying to get rid of. One core has a conduit stub for future power if ever needed.


Arch form, with rebar epoxied into the wall. I had to cutoff the bars i added to the slab for this, as i placed them in the wrong spot.


2nd use of the form had a couple blow outs, but i was able to chip them out. The form was destroyed ripping it out of here.


As it sits now. Hoping to pour the hearth slab this weekend.

[NCMan]

What's your reasoning for placing the chimney over the oven? Just curious....Also, are you going to be postings photos of your project?

[fhausback]

I mainly like the look of the top center chimney, and it will add a couple of feet distance between it and a future patio roof. I've seen some call it a squirrel tail flue on this forum.

Thanks for the note about the pics. They were showing up yesterday, i'll do some digging into how the forum prefers images hosted.

[fhausback]

i think i fixed all the pics. Let me know if they are not showing up.

[UtahBeehiver]

42" is really a big oven, the larger the oven the more fuel and time to saturate the oven walls. I have a 42" oven and it is really a party oven only. It is not effective for me to fire up the oven for 2-3 pizzas. But if that is what you want or larger. Go look at Karangi Dude's first oven (he is on number three now) it was a 48" dome oven.

[fhausback]

Thanks, i'll look at Kanangi's.

I have actually never used a WFO, so all my planning is theoretical. I'll likely never build another, so i want to be sure to cover my bases. Is there anything you guys haven't been able to do with a 42" oven?

[BeanAnimal]

I have never used one - and for years, dreamed of a 42" oven. Now that I am building it, it is HUGE and I would have likely been better off with a 36" for the reasons stated above. Ohh well

[NCMan]

I mainly like the look of the top center chimney, and it will add a couple of feet distance between it and a future patio roof. I've seen some call it a squirrel tail flue on this forum.

Thanks for the note about the pics. They were showing up yesterday, i'll do some digging into how the forum prefers images hosted.

Oh, ok. A squirrel tail. Now I see what you meant. Looking forward to seeing it as you go. I've often thought of doing one like that and I just may. I'm in the planning stages for my next one. I'll be watching your build.

[fhausback]

I spent a couple hours reading Karangi Dude's great build, it's pretty cool to see how things evolve over a decade on this site. My takeaway is that the difference in wood usage for a 42" and 48" oven is minimal if you insulate well. And i like the options that extra space gives for whole meal cooks.

[fhausback]

Got the rebar in for the suspended slab, and used some silicone to fill in the worst gaps in the form. Should be ready for the pour.

[JRPizza]

"Suspended slab"? Are you building an Alan Scott type of base?

[fhausback]

If i remember his book, he suspends slabs with rebar pins. But no, i'm not using his design and am probably using the wrong term.

My top/hearth slab will be cast directly on top of the block wall, and the concrete will key into the top of the block cells. The wall rebar is also bent over and welded to the top rebar grid.

[JRPizza]

Cool - when I saw suspended slab I thought of a Scott oven and the massive thermal load under the floor.

[fhausback]

Hearth slab in. From bag #1 to #38, it took 2 hours.

Sheen is from the curing sealer.