Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

[schallert]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino! YOU ROCK! Thank you so much. I am going to use your method. I have the chimney now and dry fit it. WOW, I am so stoked now for test fires.

Dan

PS. Pics to come soon.

[eprante]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
You are spending too much time on your starter. Yeast is a simple beast- if there is one of them left alive and you feed it it will replenish itself. I keep about 2 1/2 cups of starter in my crock. If I don't use it, I throw 1 cup away, add a cup of flour and a cup of water, stir, let it sit out for a couple of hours and put it back into the fridge. Keeping it cold slows down the activity so you don't have to feed it too often. Don't worry about it so much, it eats until all the food is gone, then it hibernates until you feed it again. You have to seriously neglect it to kill it.

I think I have figured out my keystone, either a sandwich like you did laying the brick on its wide side, or side by side on the thin side. Pictures to follow once I figure it out.
Keep up the good stone work
Eric

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I'm impressed at your prodigious baking schedule Eric. My problem lately is I've let the starter go to long, then I really take it down to 1/2 cup, start feeding, re-feeding for about 4 days getting it active and healthy again with plans on baking the weekend. Then I get distracted with nice weather and drive to Paso or Los Olivos for a wine tasting event instead . Like I said, easily distracted.

Dan, I was ready to make the anchor plate holes bigger and use washers b/c I was so concerned about metal expanding, wrinkling then cracking the brick. I was also concerned about drilling the fire brick and cracking it too. But in the end, I made sure the plate had a half inch on all 4 sides to expand into, even though it would and probably did crack the mortar going out into the sides when the flat part expanded. If it did that, it's of no concern b/c the upside-down "L" shaped bricks mortared over (also a 1/2" away from the flat part of the plat) still holds the whole thing down and it's impossible for smoke to get between the plate and mortar, make a hairpin turn and somehow get out.

Here's a pdf of what I did. After placing the bricks in trial, it seemed to not need the screws so I left them out. It also did not seem to need any insulation sandwiched anywhere although I know others have done that. Can't wait to see what you decide to do, Dan.
-Dino

[eprante]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

dino,
if you aren't making bread, you can go 2 weeks between feedings of the starter( I have gone 3, but I don't recommend it). I usually bake bread every weekend so feeding the starter isn't an issue. I have been using the Caputo I bought (Greg has a source for 25kg bags here in SD), it makes great bread-my family likes it better than the KA.

Eric

[schallert]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, I absolutely love the stone work. Works so well with your surroundings. Daren (dbhansen), used insulation and screws to secure his anchor plate... If I use your technique where you mortar the plate to the bricks, I feel that it does not allow for expansion as the plate heats up. Thoughts?

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Eric, I don't know what I'll do after the oven is all finished. I was taking it slow to see YOU finish and maybe get a clue as to what life after the wfo build is suppose to be . Can't wait to see your 1st pizzas. Looks like it'll be soon.

I haven't baked bread since January and my dough starter just keeps eating up expensive KA flour to stay alive. The stone facade is more work than I thought but very satisfying too. I can only go so long before I have to make pizza and that time is coming up again.

Thanks Mike, Your stone work on your oven is top-notch. I was checking out your pics for help and hints and I've decided we need your wife to come over to help. She seems to have a good eye for picking out the right stone pieces .
Thanks, Dino

[mfiore]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Great work on the stone facing, Dino. That area along the roof line can be a real bear! It looks like your doing great. Enjoy!

[eprante]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
your enclosure is really coming together nicely. Looks like it is going to be beautiful. I am jealous that you have been cooking for so long, and still get to work on the oven. What are you going to do with your time when its done?
Eric

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Eric. They're chunks of granite and they don't cut at all like firebrick on the HF wet-saw. But fortunately, I only had a few to cut .

I got some my facade stone on the oven enclosure. I'm working on the edges and harder areas 1st, but it's all tough work and I'm too sore keep on it today although it looks so good, I can't wait to finish. 1 pic are how I lay out the stone so I can see what puzzle pieces I have to work with.

Thanks, Dino

[eprante]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
Very nice work on the entry arch cobblestones. Looks great.
Eric

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey Dan, I did not put insulation in my-between bricks in my anchor plate. It was the plan originally, but after looking at it...it didn't seem to need it. The 1st pic shows what I did. I just used the mortar to sandwich it in between brick. Notice that the top bricks are "L" shaped and mortar over it. There are NO screws in my anchor. Is that what you were asking? Or are you asking about anchors for the steel studs in the bottom plate?
IMHO (and I do mean humble) I see no reason to ever screw the plate into fire brick. I think if you do it like my picture, and give it some room to expand in the "L" shaped bricks that lock it in on top, it does just fine.

Also, here is the finished entry arch with the red granite cobblestones. They are quite rustic, but that's the look I want. I really won't know how the whole thing will be until I'm done.

[schallert]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Dino! Did you sandwich a piece between the anchor plate? Also, what size concrete screws did you use? 1/4" x 2-1/4? other? Wish I could find a local source for the blankets, the FB shipping to Madison is killin me.

Dan

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dan,
Glad to hear you'll be starting up again soon! I'll be looking forward to pics.

I bought 3 rolls. I used 2.5 rolls of FB blanket on the oven: 3-4 layers on top, 2 layers around the sides, some was also wrapped around the base of the vent and I used it to pack in the 1" gap where my vent went thru the roof to keep the heat off the plywood roof base. I have a few feet left over, just enough to stuff it into 2 oven doors (ya, right ) at some time in the future. 2 rolls would have made me have to think about what I'm covering and be careful about it. Having 3 rolls made it easy.

[schallert]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dino! Did you use 3 rolls of FB insulation? I have a 36" and was wondering if I could get away with 2. Thoughts? I will build an enclosure as well. Can't wait to start back again in a few weeks.

Dan

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Neil and Greg. It has been a lot of fun documenting the oven.

Greg: I was afraid the spreadsheet might scare potential oven builders but it's always good to be prepared and know where you need to spend your money. And even though you'll have a mason do the actual work, it's a lot of fun to plan, prep and watch. Not to mention the best part: lighting a fire and cooking in it .

I'm going to sneak out of work early today and see how much decorative arch I can mortar with the longer daylight.

Thanks again, Dino