39.3" round cooking surface oven Questions?

[southpaw]

I?m building a 39.3" round cooking surface oven, my questions are:

1. What should be the size of the Oven Opening?
18.86"W x 11.79."H ?
or 18.9"W x 12.6 "H ?
or 17.6"W x 9.8"H ?

2. What should be the ovens Interior height (Oven Dome)?

3. My plan is to build the oven on a portable stand made out of metal,and that means the hearth will be built on a metal tray! Would that work? I mean is it ok if the bottom of the hearth is covered by a layer of metal?

4.For the Hearth you have two layers to pour:

1st the 2" insulating layer which is basically a ratio of 6 parts vermiculite : 1 part Portland cement

2nd the 3 1/2" thermal layer which is basically standard concrete

? I only found Perlite, would it have the same effect of Vermiculite? And do I use the same ratio?

? Do both layers have to be that thick? Or is there any other way (other materials ? thickness) I could use and build the hearth with that would make it lighter and still give me the same result?

? Since am building the 39.3" round cooking surface oven on a moving stand, what should the exact size of the stand be? (don?t want any wasted space)

5. Oven Opening: Am planning to build a Curved arch made out of either steel or cast iron for the oven opening, but the question here is, how do I install it? (space between the arch and dome bricks?) Do I use the same refractory mortar used in building the oven dome?

6. Oven insulation = 1" ceramic insulation blanket (such as Insulfrax) and 4" of vermiculite or perlite.
Do I pour the 1" ceramic first, then Immediately pour the 4" perlite while the first layer is wet?
will that work if I want to finish the Oven with either the Igloo, or Gabled House? Is that the basic insulation? Are there any extra insulation I should add?

Jack

[james]

Thanks Southpaw

From one lefty to another.

1. Dimensions
Here are the dimension for the Casa100, which is considered a low vault (Volta Bassa) oven in the Naples style. It's walls are more vertical and the dome slope more pronounced. The Artigiano has the same height and a slightly smaller opening.

floor 39.3"
opening 18.9"W x 11.8"H
height 19.7" external, about 15.7" internal

2. Metal stand
One option is to build a metal stand by welding 4"x4" angle iron, where you fill the tray with hearth materials. The size of the stand depending on your landing design and insulation thickness. If you use more Insulfrax, your insulation space is less. Because the stand is structural, you can get by with a thinner hearth.

3. Vermiculite or Perlite
They work very similarly. I read once that Vermiculite is a little more efficient, but basically very close.

4. Opening
Has anyone had a cast iron or steel door opening made for them? Our Premio ovens have a nice cast iron door frame, with a hinged door (which is cool), but I don't know if anyone has had one custom built.

5. Insulation
Build the oven, lay the blanket, add either:
- more blankets
- castable Vermiculite/portland cement
- loose Vermiculite

Hope this is helpful.
James