Lip on dome bricks using a tramell

[TEDFB]

Hi Giovanni, good to hear from you, OK first I am situated in South Africa and most locals say the porcupine tastes like pork, but I would have to use a lot of imagination to agree.
To me it has a wild taste all on it's own, I think that there could be variables depending on what the local vegetation is. We find the same thing in sheep, which have different flavours from different parts of the country.
The condensation occurs when cooling, but the flue pipes are long, probably about 3 to 4 meters. I did this to take the starting up fire smoke away from the porch and windows that vent a few rooms.

[Giovanni Rossi]

Looking good! You must be happy to finally get to use your oven.

On occasion I comment about how I enjoy learning something new from this Forum. I've eaten different wild game and some exotic treats over the years, but never porcupine! Didn't even know that was a thing, so I did a little research and now I'm informed! When Americans describe eating an unusual meat there's a pretty common descriptor that's used, sometimes seriously and sometimes in jest. So, I have to ask...does it taste like chicken?

Lastly, about the condensation. Sounds like it is running down the inside of your flue, true? I don't recall other's describing this issue. Is it when you start firing or during cool down?

[TEDFB]

Sorry I sent the photo before writing under it.
This oven is only completed by the help of the experienced guidance I received from the the forum members.
Thank you all very much,
I will most likely be shortening the flue as I get a lot of condensation coming down and leaving black pools in the entrance

[TEDFB]

Hey guys, trusting that you are all doing great.
My son changed the launcher on my phone and my link to the group was swallowed up, but have eventually reverted to the old one and the link was still there
I have basically completed the oven and although we have not had any pizzas yet, we have had some amazingly good roasts, bread and a porcupine, which will no longer dig up the garden and chew the bark off the trees.
I am posting some photos of the final result with the outer door made from some old Origan pine.

[TEDFB]

A photo of the finish between the dome and the base

[TEDFB]

Thanks guys, noted about the high temp. silicone at the chimney connection, although I made one, the silicone sounds like a good idea. I don't think that the water problem is at the dome base as it is well sealed with no visible cracking, the plaster on the side is also angled down away from the dome. I don't also think that it would be soot stains as I sealed the inside well after completing the dome. My legs sticking out of the entrance. The gingers only appeared after the long period of heavy rain. I will see if I can get my photos together and make a post on show us your door

[JRPizza]

Hey TEDFB I have not been following too many threads due to life distractions, but just caught up on your build. I really like your door - did you build it yourself or did you hire it out? Do you have any pictures of the build process? If you do it would be great if you could post them on the show us your door thread. Even some close ups of the door from different angles and a description of materials and build sequence would be very helpful to future builders.

[JRPizza]

From the pictures it appears those "gingers" are aligned with the mortar joints in the flue bricks. Is it possible they are soot stains?

[david s]

Because you have such a tall flue pipe, a considerable amount will be running down the pipe and accumulating where the pipe meets the bricks. This could be your problem and may be where water is entering. I use high temperature silicone to seal this joint. Because the conductive steel pipe will expand way faster than the surrounding bricks, a flexible material is required at this point. Another entry point for rain is water running off the outside of the dome and accumulating at the base, so also check there for any cracks. Once the oven is quite dry the dome exterior can be sealed.

[TEDFB]

The chimney bricks after scrubbing with a steel brush

[TEDFB]

[TEDFB]

Damp"gingers" from chimney?

[TEDFB]

Thanks David
I was pretty sure that the oven was dry before the week or so of heavy rain. So I had tested it with a plastic sheet and it seemed fine, so I went ahead and sealed it with a Siloxane sealer, but not the chimney.
Since the rain there are dark "fingers" showing on the dome going back from the chimney. I will post a photo a bit later.
The efflorescence does not come off easily with a wire brush, someone suggested weak hydrochloric acid, then to neutralise it afterwards with baking soda???
I have not started using it yet as there is a delay in the granite slab I am wanting to lay in the front

[david s]

It sounds like you still have moisture in your oven. You can wire brush off the efflorescence, but it would be best not to seal the brick work yet. Avoid pizza temperature for now and just use the oven for roasting and baking. If there is a persistent black ring of carbon around the bottom of the inside of the dome, which I suspect you have, don’t have a raging fire or you can risk damage at this stage. To test if the oven is still purging itself of water, you can also throw some sheet plastic over it to see if moisture condenses under it. You can hurry up the drying process, but it will risk damage. You can’t go too slow and it’s far safer.Leave the sealing until you are perfectly sure the oven is dry.

[TEDFB]

Hi guys,
Trusting that you all are doing great, and those in the Northern Hemisphere are putting your ovens to good use.
I have made a mistake, I sealed my outside built oven but did not seal the chimney. We subsequently had a long period of lots of rain with the result that the bricks on the chimney have produced a lot of efflorescence.
I don't want to rush ahead and do something that will be harmful to the quality and appearance of the bricks.
Does anyone have sound advice on how to best clean them, as well as what to seal them with.
Would it be best to use a sealer with Silane/Siloxane in it, or a water based sealer.
Also it appears that the water has permeated into the surrounding dome bricks, would this mean that I must do another round of cool to hot fires to get the moisture out.
I would be glad to receive professional advise on this issue.
Have a great day and weekend.