Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

[dinoforno]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,

Just curious your oven size seems to have shrunk from 42" to a roughly 38" is there a reason for the change? I am curious as to if there was just the way things flowed when you started building or if once you started building with the stand and all you just realized that it would fit with 38".

Dino from Rhode ISland

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I've had a really good weekend and pretty much finished the durock exterior of my WFO. It took a while to cut out the 2 holes for electrical plug and a switch to the lights and do some wiring. I also have an 18" square access panel in the back to look at...my...insulation I guess. Actually, it's where the Low Voltage Transformer will be for the lights. The front Durock is 1 piece. I used cardboard to trace the opening and transfer it and was pretty accurate.

I'm so happy to see it enclosed and taking shape. Dino

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

David, I've just made 20 pizza's on Saturday using the Caputo blue bag FB sells. The difference??? I've made pizza 5 times with the RED (loved it, soft supple dough) and now these 20 using the BLUE Caputo. I really looked for the differences and found...almost none. I'm not sure why but I think I actually like the BLUE better. I will make my next small batch of pizza's with the RED again for a comparison. However, the blue made a stronger dough (it didn't tear as easy yet was just as thin as the RED pizza) and with a 24 hour rise in the fridge, was wonderfully complex tasting.
BTW: I've made pesto-shrimp pizza now 3 times and it has been the favorite every time. If you use raw medium shrimp, cut in half lengthwise, they cook in the 2 minutes in the oven. Added a few sliced red onions and mozzarella too. This pesto was home made but Trader Joe's fresh packaged worked great too. Here's some pics:

[Gromit]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,

That Margarita+ looks simply amazing. Please keep posting pictures of your creations.

What is the purported difference between the red and blue Caputo? There is a local store that used to carry the 1KG bags of blue; now they carry the 1KG red.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

OK: here's what's going on. I truly thought I would be finished with my entire oven by now. But, since I've extended my "fun" building the oven for 7 months now, it has now run in to our annual "pool party extravangza-fandango-a-gogo" thing so my focus has been how to make pizza for 40 guests in an unfinished oven and all the other prep needed for hosting a summer swim party. The roof, durock enclosure and stone veneer is on hold for a couple of weeks.
I'm still baking though: last night we had some friends over to see how to make pizza bases outside, next to the oven & I think I've got it down. Here is a pic of the "appetizer" flat bread we've been making to start out with: its baked plain and fresh rosemary, fresh oregano and EVOO with black pepper is the only thing drizzled on it. Then the Margarita pizza with added zucchini blossoms from the garden before baking.

The oven was still 330 deg 24 hrs later tonight so I threw in a few logs this evening and baked chicken & potatoes for dinner and made 3 loaves of ciabata (Peter Reinhart's book). This was my 1st bread baking in the oven and words cannot explain how happy I am with the outcome. I used a poolish, fermented for 48 hours and just made loaves a few hours ago. The oven performed great.

OH! the last pic is the 50lb bag of "blue label" flour I got from FB's store and I'm storing it in my wine cellar. Can't wait to compare it to the 'red' label flour. Thanks, Dino

[mluttropp]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,

Thanks for the as built it helps to confirm the measurements that I have been using. Like Chris I finished cutting my insulation board and with any luck I will be able to play hooky from work and get bricks tomorrow so I can start building this weekend. Definitely looking forward to cutting some bricks.

[SCChris]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
I'll be putting down my insulating board and I hope to put in my soldiers this weekend. It doesn't look like you cut the sides of the soldier course? Is that correct? I know by reading through your build that you must have thought hard about it.


Chris

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Roadkyng: (and anyone else interested):

Attached is an "As-Built" drawing of my actual ovens floor plan with the dimensions noted. This is what I measured this morning and is accurate. If anyone wants to know exactly my floor, landing, opening dimensions, etc. I noted them on this plan but if you print it out, it is NOT to scale.
There is a Jpeg "picture" of an autocad which is kinda blury and the same thing in PDF which is sharper for printing out.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hey Everyone,
Just returned from a 12 day cruise in the Norwegian fiords & 3 days playing around in London. The nicest, sunniest days were north of the Arctic Circle! It was hard to leave the WFO with my durock and roofing laying around, begging to be installed. I feel like I've been ignoring my baby.

Matt: I'll measure tonight to get you those dimensions if I can stay awake. I want to post an "as-built" with all that info anyway. Let me know if there is anything else.

Christo is correct: there is no heat on 3" plus of insulation. So why the steal studs? Not sure but as Christo said, it WAS easy except for the learning curve. It DID make cutting the roof rafter angles incredibly easy and accurate. The double-walled/insulated DuraVent does get warm though with the hot smoke, but if I had wood studs around it, I would put insulation blanket between the wood studs and vent.

OK, jet lag's kicking in Dino

[Roadkyng]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
as I have said in an earlier post I am copying your oven as much as possible. Not due to laziness but rather expedience. Hope you don't mind!

I have a quesiton about your floor. You stated the distance from the door reveal to the front of the arch is approximately 14". What is the distance from the reveal to the outer circumference of the ring?

[christo]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I think we all run around our ovens during the first 10 to 15 firings to look for heat. I wish my wife took some video. I imagine I looked like Mr. Spock trying to comunicate with my oven.....

With the ceramic blanket and the vermiculite on top of that - I found my enclosure to be very cool to the touch. Had a scare during one of the first fires - it was a bit hot - but moisture was in the process of being driven out.

The metal studs are very easy to work with (compared to fire brick in my opinion).

Take care,

Christo

[mluttropp]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

We Dino,

I just finished pouring the hearth slab today and things are looking good. Next step is to move on to the oven construction.

Since I have started to think about the next steps I was wondering why everyone seems to be using metal studs for the enclosure walls. It would seem to me that with all the insulation the studs would not be exposed to heat that would be significant enough to be a problem. Have you touched the insulation on your oven when in use to see how hot it gets?

Thank You
matt

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Ya Bill, I ordered 2 lights at $34.50 each from

[url=http://www.homecenter.com

Type in "recessed lights" in the search in it's on the 2nd or 3rd page #9409-12. 2 others look similar but are not weather proof.

That should take you right to the fixture. Its listed for wet location, low voltage so I just used "malibu" cable I had laying around. They are still being shipped to me so when I get them I'll let you know how good this company is. I'm hoping it works out like other super small recessed lights I've installed my house, just drill a little hole, connect the LV cable and it clips into the raw drywall or plaster. Take care, Dino

[bbell]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, have you picked out your lights yet?

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Bill, Scott and Steve. Steve, I was just going over you web album earlier today and enjoyed your build. Scott, your rectangular lights in the soffit look great. I'm only installing 2 recessed, low voltage small can lights in the front. I'm just running the LV cable around the frame so it looks like they are in the rake eves but aren't.
Bill, I'm with you, can't wait to see how I do it either. The things you learn about building a WFO. Last year, I never would have thought I'd be reading and asking about everything I can find on Slate Roof Installation for covering what looks like a 50 square foot out-house.
Mike (mfiore) asked me about the twin ridges I have in my roof. Here is a pic of it, I'm pointing at 1 of them. Also, here is a pic of 2 roof trusses and what I've been told is the better way to make them: The cross beam should be as whole as possible, don't cut the sides and create dog-ears of flaps (if possible) so you keep the framing member. The cross beam can be screwed on the outside of the truss (upper example in the pic) since you don't see it on the roof and the outer truss can be cut into the frame (lower example).
Thanks again, Dino