Idaho 36" Build

[AJH]

Hi There! I'm AJ and it looks like my build is finally starting =)

I'm going to be building a 36" WFO on a 12'x24' pad that's being poured this week. The oven is going to be closer to the fence with a metal roof pergola above to keep me from turning full lobster while cooking stuff. The other half of the pad will have a nice big 10' table that you can barely see in one of the pictures. I think we will also get some shade sail triangles to span the space between the house and the pergola to keep guests cooler. Also, some string lights for when the sun goes down.

I've been scouring the forums and making mental notes on what to try and remember to do each step along the way. I haven't really looked into where I'm going to be sourcing everything, Basalite is located in town for all my bricks/blocks, but I'm not sure where to find the CaSil boards or Foamglas (if I decide to use it). Anyone have a good source that doesn't double the cost for shipping? I'm also torn between what saw to use for cutting the firebricks. I have a tile saw but the blade is too small to go all the way through a brick, I have a Craftsman sliding compound miter saw that I don't want to destroy..., an angle grinder, and a Ryobi circular saw. Leaning towards mocking up something with the Ryobi but may have to go get a cheap Harbor Freight special and abuse it =)

How long did you all wait after pouring the foundation to start setting blocks on it?

I'll be posting pics along the way and any questions I come up with while building. I don't really have a timeline to follow, just plan on building it when I have the time and it's not 100+ degrees F outside.

[Giovanni Rossi]

Welcome AJ!

If you saw my build, you read of the challenges I had with FOAMGLAS. I wanted 2 x 2" layers but only had enough usable for 1 layer. All in all I'm glad I used it, but it was a pricey 2" of insulation.

I had the luxury of time and gave my slab 28 days of wet cure. There are Forum members with a lot more experience who may comment. You can walk on it after 48 hours but I believe most will wait at least 7-10 days before adding significant weight. Check with your concrete supplier for recommendations bc the water content of the mix and the weather conditions post pour are important considerations.

[AJH]

Haven't had a lot of progress, working on figuring out the height that I want it. I was going to do 4 rows of CMU blocks, but that only gets me to about 40 inches for floor height. Adding another block brings it up to 48, which might be a little on the high side. Might toss a layer of red clay bricks under the Cal-Sil board to split the difference... My other issue to deal with is the slope on the pad. It's about a 2 inch difference from front CMU block to the back one. I'm most likely going to have to mortar the bottom row to level it out and then dry stack on that. Also want to add in some weep holes in the back so that water doesn't pool inside the block stand. Other than that, I started in on framing the covered structure. It's about 12' by 12' and the pizza oven will go in the back corner giving me plenty of room for wood storage, a prep table, and a place to hide from the sun. Here's what it looks like so far.

[david s]

Half height blocks are available, but you will probably need to go to a block manufacturer to get them. That way you can go four and a half blocks high.

[AJH]

Yeah, my girlfriend said the same thing. I'm going to look into that when I go to Basalite for supplies after getting the pergola built.

[MarkJerling]

I think 48" is a nice height. When you're standing in front of your oven, you want a nice relaxed arm position and an upright position, as being bent over is no fun for the back.

[AJH]

Well, the Pergola is finally done so that I can start building the oven without the sun beating me into submission.

Question for the group: Harbor Freight has a 10 inch wet tile saw for like $500 or a 12 inch miter saw for about $160. Which would you get if you were to make another oven today?

I read in some builds that people use a miter saw and soak the bricks for a while before cutting and it greatly reduces the dust. I feel like the 12 inch blade would let me do more bevels without having to flip and adjust the blade but I'm worried that I'll need to figure out a way to hold the brick in place while cutting so that I keep all my fingers... The 10 inch tile saw would probably work for like 90% of the cuts and only annoy me on a few, but the price tag is a little high for something that I will never need after the oven is done... The miter saw would at least get used for random projects around the house until all the brick grit destroys the motor =)

[fhausback]

I bought the 10” HF saw when I started. I’d say it’s well worth the money, and I buy it again starting over. I do use only fresh water and don’t recirc water from the pan. I’m Not sure if that has made a difference or not.

A good segmented diamond blade is worth it too. The one that comes with the HF saw is not the best.

the no limitation 20% coupons work for it. If they show up at the right time.

I plan to keep mine for tile. If I wasn’t, n my area, I could prob get 100-200 whenever I’m done with it, minimizing the expense.

[UtahBeehiver]

Wet saw is the best tool for the job. A miter saw, no matter how much would soak the bricks with not be nearly as effective as wet saw and dust will be a health issue.. Look around for a used one. Plus one on using fresh water vs recycled pan water. All you have to do is run the supply line to a homer bucket and keep filling the bucket as you need. This saves the pump on the saw.

[JRPizza]

+1 for the wet saw - I bought one and was glad I did. I have 3 high speed saws (table, chop, circular) that I am pretty handy with but would not want to try cutting bricks with one of them. I never felt in danger of losing any fingers or otherwise hurting myself with the tile saw due to the slower rotational speed. I had told myself I would sell it when I was done but I'm lazy so it gets used occasionally for the odd tile or cinder block job.

[Pizzarotic]

Yeah, my girlfriend said the same thing. I'm going to look into that when I go to Basalite for supplies after getting the pergola built.

My girlfriend said 4 1/2 wasn't enough so just beware.

[david s]

Even with a 10” you only get about 4” of penetration.
If you can get your hands on a 2nd hand one, you should be able to get your money back when you’re finished.

[MarkJerling]

My girlfriend said 4 1/2 wasn't enough so just beware.

Are we still talking ovens? LOL

[mongota]

Well, the Pergola is finally done so that I can start building the oven without the sun beating me into submission.

Question for the group: Harbor Freight has a 10 inch wet tile saw for like $500 or a 12 inch miter saw for about $160. Which would you get if you were to make another oven today?

Nice job on the Pergola!

A wet saw is highly advantageous and I highly recommend. If you can pick one up second-hand, true it up, use it, and then resell when you are done and you can essentially use it for no cost.
You can use a saw with less depth of cut. Cut, flip the brick, and cut the remainder. Or cut partial depth and snap. Keep the snap edges on the exterior of your dome where they will be covered by insulation. There are negatives to every method except cutting with a full thickness wet saw, but they can be overcome with some compromise and ingenuity. Your skill level and confidence in your ability to think outside the box will help guide you on your path, though (hint) a wet saw that can cut full depth is easiest.

I used a wet saw on my build, I had one from when I built the house. I also used a diamond blade on an angle grinder to shape some of the curves in the bricks that make up my flue opening. I don't advise it for the uninitiated, but I also use 7-1/4" and 10" diamond blades on my large angle grinder, though for the WFO I only used a 4-1/2" diamond blade on one of my regular angle grinders. I prefer continuous rim blades on my angle grinders to eliminate the possibility of the edge of a blade segment catching the work and causing the grinder to jump in my hands. On my wet saw (Felker 150) I use continuous rim or segmented blades. For cutting the firebrick for the WFO I used a continuous rim.

[david s]

Are we still talking ovens? LOL

Well, there's usually an abundance of second hand girlfriends.