Announcement

**lwood** · 05-05-2010, 08:31 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Ours was an Aquascape also, definitely a bottom drain.

**trockyh** · 05-06-2010, 07:20 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Love it Dino! I'd put yours in the top 3 of all the ovens I've seen on the forum! You should be very proud.

Cheers,
Tom

**DaveW** · 05-06-2010, 07:21 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Looks like we have hijacked Dino's pizza thread.

I am putting in our first pond (around 1000 gal) and do not have a bottom drain. Couldn't I just toss in a solids handling pump to drain from the bottom now and then? We are planning goldfish rather than Koi so our biggest hurdle will be keeping the Labrador Retriever out of the pond.

Dave

**Dino_Pizza** · 05-06-2010, 08:27 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Tom and Tscarborough. I am proud of the wfo and couldn't/wouldn't have done it with this forum.

My pond is 100 gallons now and I'd like to go about 800. I've got a flat yard too so I don't want a large falls that seems to rise out of nowhere. I think landscaping it with local natives and making it look natural will be half the fun.

I like your river too Tscarborough. Maybe I should concentrate on that over a large falls. Drake: your pond is beautiful. But really, what do you think about leaving out a bottom drain?

. I spend 1 day a year barefoot in underwear, feeling for muck with my toes, pointing the wet vaccum down there while Mike turns the big shop-vac on and off to clean the bottom of it. I think a bottom drain is an excellent idea!

I would think a solids handling pump would work Dave. If not, youu can borrow my shop-vac. Use your own toes though

.

**DaveW** · 05-06-2010, 09:31 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Originally posted by Dino_Pizza View Post

I would think a solids handling pump would work Dave. If not, youu can borrow my shop-vac. Use your own toes though

.

Thanks Dino,
I wouldn't want to set a bad example by wadding through the pond in front of Espresso the killer water dog. I did however set up a few places to sit and put toes in the water while enjoying a glass of wine. Although our pond is not complete we have been enjoying the sound of the falls...that is until the bull frogs discovered it. Holy cow! Don't those Frogs ever sleep???!!!

Dave

**ckdickerson** · 05-06-2010, 08:06 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, I know this is off subject but I just had to comment on your vent. Amazing work!! I've been looking at different designs and I think I might use yours if you don't mind.

**Dino_Pizza** · 05-07-2010, 08:15 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks ckdickerson, you've actually brought my thread BACK ON SUBJECT

.

Please go ahead and copy any part of the design. My vent works particularly well so I can recommend it to anyone.

Happy oven building, Dino

**GianniFocaccia** · 05-07-2010, 10:25 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Wow, Dino! Your attention to detail really came through in the finish of your oven! Excellent job!

**Dino_Pizza** · 05-07-2010, 03:16 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks John, I appreciate the compliment. I think the last 2 final details will make really nice.

I've bought my grout bag and I'm going to fill the joints flush but if I under or over do a tiny bit, I'll leave it. it should soften the whole look. I'm still toying with the eave color, though, bought some "umber" to mix in and see what'll happen.

I'm so ready to drip red wine and melted pizza cheese on that concrete counter! I can barely stand it

. Thanks again John, Cheers, Dino

**DrakeRemoray** · 05-08-2010, 05:33 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, for 800 gallons, you can get away without a bottom drain. I think you could stick and extra pump down in there a few times a year, but once the lilys are in full pad and bloom it is a little challenging. We just finished our yearly cleanout, and it was not that bad. We sure love the pond and we also have about 25 feet of stream.
Drake

**gdest** · 05-18-2010, 12:45 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Ok I need more advise here. Going to work on my second course this weekend. I will be cutting the brick(s) at least in half at an angle as measued with the indespensable tool. Now here is the question.
My shoulder course has the angle cut on the top so that the next course brick should be able to sit flat on the face. If I do that then I would have to cut the top of my brick to the correct angle for the 2nd chain. If I don't cut it I will have to shim up the brick to get the correct angle.
If I cut then I will be getting tighter joints and use less mortar. Is it worth the effort?

**bbell** · 05-18-2010, 01:39 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dino, sorry for the delayed response. I just caught your question (pre-pond!)

As is usually the case, I got the design idea from others in the form. You might take a look at this thread:
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/oven-door-6581.html

and look at the posting from jcg31 (4-18-09). I actually bought the insulated tape from him as he had and probably still has quite a bit of excess. I sandwiched some of the leftover pieces of ceramic board between two sheets of stainless steel and wrapped the edges with the tape. I used hi-heat sealant often used with furnace gaskets, etc.There's a bit of a taper so it really does snug into the opening. I also made sure the wood never rests on any of the brick or it would torch. It certainly hold heat. Usually at around 550 the morning after baking pizza. 375 - 400 the following.

Let me know if you have questions and great work on your oven.

I'll attach a picture

**Dino_Pizza** · 05-18-2010, 04:29 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Bill,
It looks like you used 2 sheets of steel and the 2" of FB board between it. Jim had 1" insul boards so he had 3 sheets and used the middle sheet as a heat sink to keep the wood door isolated from the interior screws. But you don't have any issues with that? I guess not with those nice temps you're getting the next morning. So the only thing between the raw cut edges of the insulation board and the heat tape is the gasket sealant? It protects it enough I take it?
I think I'll try to copy both of yours ideas. Thanks !

Hey GDEST: I definetly had some rows (it may have started with my 2nd -or even 1st row after the "shoulder") that required no tappering cut on top but just a little thicker mortar in the back than the front. I may have started the side tapers to reduce the inverted V but I'm not sure if that started in row 3 when the dome got tighter.

Is it worth the effort to tapper your 2nd row you ask? I would say no unless the mortar in the back exceeds 1/4" (I know...I know...many of you -me too somewhere in my build but I'm denying it

- went 1/4" regularly and it works out fine. I did it now and then but attempted a "tighter" dome...on the whole)
If I had it to do all over, I would have been a bit less tight and used more mortar but would use 1/4" as a max, then tapper. At some points in the dome, you HAVE to tapper a lot to get the dome "over" into your half sphere or squished sphere. Good luck this weekend. Post some pics if you can. Let me know if this answered your questions or if you get any new ones,
-Dino

**bbell** · 05-18-2010, 07:15 PM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, yes. Only ceramic board (2") between. I thought I'd skip the heat sink idea and rout out the back of the wood a little around the bolt heads. No problems yet. I do remember now that i used aluminum tape around the edge and adhered the fire ribbon/tape on top of that per his directions.

I also have a simple plywood door that I wrapped with the excessive AL tape and a shelf support bracket as a handle and support. Used for sealing the oven in between fires and for creating a draft when lighting. Often hear the wood smoldering beneath the tape....

Cheers!

**gdest** · 05-19-2010, 10:55 AM

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino

Thanks for the reply and yes that did help a bit. I think it just confirmed what I was thinking and that is cutting provides a tighter fit and probably adds to the construction time but the mortar works amost as well and would shorten some of the construction. What to do? What to do?

And to address your comment on the photos, I have been posting photos of my build under the following thread:

Getting Started-One small step for pizza

Comments are not only welcomed but encouraged!

One last item, I am having a little difficulty trying to see how the opening and dome should come together on my oven. You can see, maybe, what I am planning if you look at my photos.