Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I think I've cut all my vent transition bricks and stacked them to see how the anchor plate will work. In this pic, you can I'd like to cut an "L" shaped brick like some others have done.
If I do this all the way around:

1) Do need to use concrete bolts and screw in the 4 holes in the corners of the Simpson Anchor Plate? (I would like not to do that)

2) Can I just mortar the anchor plates flange, above and below it, and NOT put a layer of the FB insulation blanket between my anchor plates flat flange and the brick below it?

thanks, Dino

[mike744]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino,
Really great oven, geat pics from the construction process. Very similar to my 36" project last year. I see you tapered the bricks, I did so as well but just "winged it" as far as the angles. Is there any easy calculation to determine the amount to taper them?

THanks

Mike V
Houston

[Calabrese]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dino,
I tap-coned ( concrete screws ) and my bricks cracked even though I pre-drilled, so I had to replace them. The 2nd time I used high heat chaulking and that seemed to hold really well. After It hardened I parged the brick, insulation and connector plate only because I'd be able to see any cracks. I think the mortar in between will work to. Your pizza build has been great to follow and I'm sure your vent tranistion will turn out fine.

Regards Joe
Mississauga Canada

[bbell]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dino, not sure of the proper way but I just used mortar up and over the rim of the plate. I was very gentle when attaching the flue, spark arrester, etc. but it seems to be very solid.

[smuth10]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Dino, the oven looks great! Just an idea, but instead of using the L shaped bricks, could you just use thicker bricks on the top of the vent and cut a recess in them to drop the plate in and then fill with HS?

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Scott, I did have that same idea with a thicker brick and a slot thinking the metal flange could expand when hot and have some wiggle room. But ya know, I cut those 4 brick splits already with 1/4 circles and I literally have 1 full brick left. So I think I'll go Bill & Joes method (above posts) and mortar my L bricks in and set the metal flange on a bed of mortar too. But I'd love to see someone do the slot methode. Sounds like a great solution.

Mike (V from Huston): I did just "wing it", mostly. If you are talking about the bottom brick tapper, I drew that up in section in Autocad and shaved off specific angles from the bottom (5,6 degrees, 1 at 10 deg, others left whole) to get a pleasant dome curve, not a half sphere. BUT if you are talking about the side tapers to get the inverted V's out, I totally winged it. I used a piece of aluminum roof flashing to tilt most bricks & the upper rows needed my 1/8" thick paint stir stick. But PLEASE don't tell anyone else here on this forum I used these goofy methods, (too late) but they worked!

Thx Everyone, Dino

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

I've mortared my vent transition in. The left & right sides go up at an angle yet have a flat top that widens for the anchor plate to site on. I still have to mortar in the anchor plate and the quarter circle pieces that match the 8" hole in the anchor plate. I'm taking off early from work today to finish up tonight, can't wait.... Dino

[Ken524]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Nice Job Dino. It really looks great!

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Ken (and to Bill on his thread). I mortared in my duratech anchor plate last night. The 1st pick shows a water pan with my last 2 levels of bricks that I used to transfer my square opening into a round. The 6 bricks outside the water went on 1st, than a layer of mortar, then the anchor plate (I trimmed and ground out the round flange that drops down that shouldn't be there for our WFO use) then the "L" shaped bricks in the water locked it all in.

I'm going in 1 more time tonight, fill some joints on the arch facing into the oven, and re-mortar 2 entry bricks on the floor that came loose from me sliding in and out. Going to see if white vinegar removes the white powder on the bricks too. Ain't going in there with diluted pool acid any more. Then I'll let it dry a few days while I read all about curing fires. This is getting good!
I resized the attached pics, they'll open up fast. -Dino

[mluttropp]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Dino,

I hope you don’t mind a bunch of newbie questions, but so far the documentation of your build is second to none and hence I am using you as a go to source for all my questions before I start my build. I saw that your pad is 82” x 76” and you have 9 1/8” of room for insulation and finish material for your oven. Why did you make the pad and your floor slab so wide? In looking at the Pompeii oven plans they indicate 5” for vermiculite and another 2 inches for framing for a total of 7”. Granted it is just 4” but I wanted to make sure I am not missing something here.

My second question is how high off the ground is the floor of your oven? I stopped by a local pizza place that has a wood fired pizza oven (Pizza Antica in Lafayette) to see what they have (43”) and it felt ok but I was wondering what other builders have done.

I am really looking forward to seeing how your finish work progresses. Keep up the excellent work in documentation, some of us really need all the help we can get.

matt

[Les]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

they have (43?) and it felt ok but I was wondering what other builders have done.

matt

Don't mean to hi-jack, but it's a good subject. I came in around 41 inches and it would be a little better if it were higher (I'm 5'10"). I was hoping my wife would do a little more cooking I see you are in Walnut Creek - I grew up in the East Bay myself (W. Pittsburg/Bella Vista/ Bay Point - whatever they want to call it)

Les...

[mluttropp]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Les,

I am 6'2" so it sounds like 43" it is. By the way I have no dilusions that my wife will ever make a pizza. She does not even like to light the gas grill .

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Hi Matt,
Sorry I didn't get back you. I took the holiday weekend off to hike some Yosemite, see the falls (huge!) and check out the Dogwood blossoms. I thought I would let my oven sit a few days with a tarp on it while the mortar "cured" a bit around my vent anchor plate. I really did not want any cracks around there so I kept it moist and forced myself to leave before I start the curing fires.
My slab dimensions turned out 3" shorter in one directions and 3" longer in the other direction because I got stupid framing out the slab with the 2x8's. I wanted it 2" wider than the oven base but goofed it up a bit. But it doesn't matter, it all fits a 5 block deep (78") by 4 1/2 block wide (70.25") concrete oven base. Those are my oven bases final dimension is: 78 deep by 70.25 wide. You should make the slab bigger than this for the stone veneer or whatever you do for a finish and mine is about 2" too wide on each 'side' and I wish it where another 1" wider in front but I'll live with what I got.
These dimensions give me 9.25" on each side from the domes side quadrants and 8.25" on the rear quadrant. 2x4 steel studs are 3.5" wide. I bought 3 FB blankets so I hope to have 3" of insulation. There will be 1/2" cement board mounted against the steel studs and be flush with the concrete block base below. That equals 7" so I'm fine with my oven base dimensions (I'm not talking the concrete FOOTING base, but the oven block base) of 78"X70.25".
As far as the FB plans go, I'll have to check on my other computer but does it really say 2" for framing? I'm not using vermiculite insulation (just the 3" of FB blanket) but if you are not doing an exposed igloo, you would need at least: 1/2" for the cement board enclosure, 3.5" for framing studs (2x4's) 5" of vermic-conc insulation outside of your oven base and soldier course. That's 9" on the sides and back in your case, if you go with the 5" of vermic-conc insulation. My oven height is exactly 43". That's using 4 1/2 blocks (8" cmu of course), 4" concrete top-pour, 2" FB Board Rigid Insulation and the 2 1/2" oven floor bricks. Hope this is helpful, not just long-winded.

I've mortared in my front row of partial bricks on the oven landing today. This means I am officially OUT of my oven. I've got nothing left to mortar. Should I start my curing fires? My anchor plate area still has damp mortar, should I wait until it air dries naturally?
I'm looking forward to 1st fire!, Dino

[Bandrasco]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Nice work Dino. I've been on and off the forum the past few months and I've enjoyed your build.

This last weekend I did some cosmetic work on the exerior of mine and for the first time in a long time cooked in it. I made a large batch of smoked ribs...I get way too much credit for the food that comes out of this thing. It's just that easy to cook in. We've been under a total burn ban for some time now but 15" of rain later we're good.

Keep up the good work and documentation.

Bill

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Dino's 42" Pizza Oven Starts

Thanks Bill, hope to see some new pics from you on the oven, in use.

I just realized I INVERTED my length and width dimensions of my oven base in the above post. I've fixed it:
My oven base is 5 (16" CMU) deep and 4.5 (16" CMU) wide. Here is a pic of it.