Finally started my pizza oven!

[Les]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Joe, in regard to the joint lines - no worries. I think you nailed it, great job! If you cover it with the blanket, I see to harm to come. Also, don't diss your BBQ, looks like a good unit, and this world needs all types of fire.

Les...

[MAVANO]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

hi Joe what kind of mortar did you use, I like the performance of it you say it stuck the bricks like glue , I had a hell of a time with heat stop it needed bracing maybe I did not have the right consistency

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Hey, Mavano

The mortar is called Super # 3000 Monolithic Refractory Mix 26 made by Vesuvius in Canada. Im not sure if they have any US distributors But I'd google, you never know.


Regards Joe

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

I've decided to slow it down a bit and let the oven cure a week on it's own. I've spayed water on the dome about twice a day for about 4 to 5 days to slow down the cure and strengthen the mortar on the advice of a thread titled "Oven curing" started by James. Thanks, alot of great info on the subject. The one really important note that I got out of this thread is not to rush into your higher temps while curing. My first two firings I kept around 325 to 350 degrees for about 6hrs a day. So far so good, no cracks.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Joe, spraying water twice a day is impressive commitment to a project well done. I see you've enclosed the upper part of the hearth & dome and put up your counter. Looks really nice! It's a bit jarring to see the "dome" suddenly gone and to see a rectangular, flat sided structure in it's place. It looks really cool . I can't wait to see the finish on it. Cheers, Dino

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Hi Dino
I know, the wall looks vast compared to that small 12" x 20" opening. I'm going to miss seeing the outside of the dome, Anyway like I told my wife, I have a plan and I have vision, I just don't have the cash right now.
She told me if I had built the oven during the day instead of at night in the dark my " vision " might have looked better.
I said no way, I went to night school.

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

I noticed a couple of hair-line cracks on the outside of the dome after my fifth fire the other day. I think I had the temp at around 650 degrees. I didnt see any smoke coming from them but I am going to put on the insulating blanket to determine weather there is smoke or not and repair if need be. I also cooked my first pizza. It was exciting! we cooked 5 pizzas in total and they all came out great. While curing I started to do the finish to the front of the oven. It's a little different but I think it came out alright.
I've also been thinking about oven doors. I want to at least try to build them myself, I really like the glass door Jim built, that door looks great! I definately want one.
I know this might sound strange but has anyone ever used a 2" aluminium roasting pan to encase the FB board for thier door? I know there would be some Mcgivering but I think It would work. I was looking at them today and some of them even have a lip, that you can probably use to attach to the outside too. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Joe
Mississauga, Canada

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

The oven outside treatments look really nice Joe. That's good thinking about the 2" aluminum oven pan for a possible door. I've been wracking my brain on how to make on oven door without welding. I'm leaning toward using cement board, stuffing it with insulation but the aluminum pan door sounds interesting too. Let us know what you've done on it, Dino

[Bandrasco]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Nice work! I like the clean lines and detailed cuts.

After many months of cooking and probably well over 50 big fires I'd have to say that the only thing I wish I would have done would be to use an insulating board instead of the vermicucrete. Not that it has had a negative impact on my cooking, I've just noticed that the majority of my heat loss is through the floor. It still stays within cooking temps for many pizzas, coals for the next day of cooking, and then bread that night so I cannot complain but after taking thousands of readings with the infrared thermo I can see where the weak link is. Plus after we've received a week of solid rain the vermiculite absorbed some water which made the first fire up a bit slower. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing.

Keep up the good work,

Bill

[MAVANO]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

very nice Joe I like the finishing in front, as far as the door, as I found out later in the arch build to be more fluent with the curve I had to patch up mine so that the door would be cut with a nice fluent curve and have a nice and tight fit and not struggle to place it,I used a piece of SS sheet about 1/16 thick and attached a piece of 1" vermiculite board to fit the inside arch and ceramic fiber rope on the outer edge for a tight seal for baking, I drilled holes for 2 hickory branch handles used SS bolts and a copper pipe spacer between steel and wood handles, I would love to make one that you can see through, great aesthetics short on durability you put it on take it out type of procedure chance of breakage, or make it permanent mounted on hinges,hence a fluent curve on the arch , but must be able to seal the dome from the inner arch. I love the look of the finished front. regards Phil

[MAVANO]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

O.K. here are some pics of door

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Hi Guy's, sorry about the time in responding, but my D- link died and that took a couple of days to figure out and fix. I take no credit in the fix, I have to thank my beautiful wife (cumputer geek) to thank for that.
Anyways I'm back. I've sourced out some of the steel, glass and heat rope for the doors. I am so lucky when it comes to steel and welding because my dad is a retired welder and has been eager to put his stamp on things. He thought my idea about the 2" alminum oven pan as a possible door was rediculous. Alot of work to achieve a substandard product were his exact words. He volunteered to do both doors but to told me the glass outer door is completely unnecessary. He's 78yrs old and still as sharp as a razor.

Mavano Nice job on the doors.

Bill, I to was wondering about the heat loss through the slab, and I'm glad I used the vermiculite mixture and insulation board. I took a reading on the underside side of the slab the other day after holding temps of about 835 for 4 to 5hrs and I was so pleased to see a temp of 75degrees. It also had me thinking about increasing the mass on the dome by 3" and then adding the vermiculite and portland and then the insulating blanket this should get me all the benefits from the blanket that I require. I don't want to look back and think "shoulda coulda woulda " my wife and I are having so much fun cooking in this oven that I can definetly see us doing multiple bakes. Here are some pics of the porketta and potatoes we cooked today

Dino, I know from your pictures you had a great time building your oven, But cooking in it is a 1000x better.

[geisen]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Great looking roast.
Can we get a couple photos wide angle?
Would like to see what how the whole build is turning out.
regards
GG

[Frances]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

Can we get a couple photos wide angle?
Would like to see what how the whole build is turning out.

Yep, me too. That last picture looks great, with the reflecting black tiles and the shiny counter and all those shaped edges... and even some twirly bits. Very unusual and it all works really well together.

[Calabrese]

Re: Finally started my pizza oven!

I'm glad you think so, I thought the black granite tile would be to much but it was free, I had them left over from a renovation from our last house. I was determined to use them some where. I had them in the basement for the last 15yrs. The shelf brackets my wife found at a garage sale, I temporarily fastened them in to see how they would look. The shelf on top is to display a number of olive oil can dispensers that might look nice up there. The granite counter was a mistake I benefited from. The only thing I purchased was the porcelane tile that looks like stone. With everthing in I don't mind telling you I spent $150.00.