James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

[Johnny the oven man]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Mitchamus, if you are in NSW try Field Furnace Refractories on 0297291799 or if in southern states try Refractory and Ceramics on 0395604477.

[Mitchamus]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

G'day James,
Just wondering where you ordered you bricks & blanket from?

Too bad that firebrick place in Newcastle shut in the 80's....

cheers,
Mitch.

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Managed to get a bit done this weekend.
Got my 3rd and 4th rows up as well as my arch mortared into place





It is great cause it is already curving in heaps. Biggest pain at the moment is the oven isn't really big enough to crouch inside the oven when cleaning the mortar joints and the roof is too low to stand up - makes my legs hurt just thinking about it.

The more I read and think about this oven the more excited about the retained heat cooking. I know the pizzas are going to be good but its the breads and roasts that is making my mouth water. So i figured I should learn how to make bread and followed the ciabatta recipee on this website and it turned out pretty well for a first go - all by hand too - no mixers or bread machine.



Cheers
James

[Mitchamus]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Looks good so far!

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Here are some pics of the 2nd row which I laid yesterday.




I got home from work late this arvo but managed to get the bricks cut for the sides of the entry, cut a template for the arch and did a bit of dry stacking to see how it all looks





Entry is going to be about 450mm (18inch) wide and 300mm (11.5inch) high which seems about right.

Hopefully I can get it all mortared into place before the weekend

Cheers
James

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

I'm guessing fireplace? I'll be curious to see if that works..

Yes it is for a fireplace. I think i will only need the one flue but i put 2 in cause it is easier then trying to put a 2nd one in later.
I am also curious to see if it works but i figure even if it doesn't then I can use the space for wood storage and pretend that i never tried :-)

[blacknoir]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

I'm guessing fireplace? I'll be curious to see if that works..

[Lars]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

James,
What is the ductwork for in your slab?

Lars.

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Got a bit done over the last few days but work keeps getting in the way - oh well I guess I really shouldn't complain about being busy in these economic times.

So far I have managed to build my jig. Made it all from bits I bought at Bunnings - steel tube, threaded rod which fits neatly inside steel tube, nuts and washers to fit threaded rod, angle bracket and a magnetic door stop.


First i cut the base off the magnetic door stop so it could fit up inside the steel tube - the ball bit centres itself in the tube with abit of a tap from a hammer.
I welded a nut to the back of the bracket and cut the threaded rod to size.
The threaded rod screws into the nut on the back of the bracket and a nut and washer on the other end act as a stopper/depth guide on the steel tube.


All i did then was screwed the other end of the magnetic door stopper onto a board and then centred it all on the oven floor.


I have got the soldier course up - I used full bricks and angled the tops of them so there ins't a massive mortar joint on the next course.


I also just finished the 2nd course and will post pics up soon.
Next on the list is to finish the arch and then continue the dome.

Cheers
James

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Here are a couple pics of the progress so far.
This is my brother in law and my nephew who helped pour the hearth slab. Also shows sort of how the chimneys for the fireplace sit

Because the front section of the slab is not supported by any concrete blocks - that is where the fireplace is going to be - I poured the slab a bit thicker to be safe and ended up at 140mm which i think is about 5-5.5 inches

Here is a bit of a shot of the reo bar. In every 2nd core there is 10mm reobar which is chemset into the bottom slab and bent at 90 degrees at the top to support the reo mesh at about 50mm above the bottom of the hearth slab. there is also some extra 12mm reobar in there for good measure.


Vermiculite at 5 or 6 to 1 cement down and the majority of the floor set in place ready for the soldier course




Cheers
James

[RES10CUE]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Excellent job James. Keep us posted with the photos. You have been officially bitten by the WFO BUG.

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

It's nice to see someone using a mason string. Primitive tools never seem to fail.

Enjoy the build while you can or you'll be begging your neighbors to build one just so you can help! (who me?)

I usually find it is the simple tools which are the most useful - good too cause there is less that can break or go wrong with them.

It is funny you should say about enjoying the build and building more cause i have a friend who wants to build one and i have told him to wait until i have finished mine and we can learn from any mistakes and make his better - secretly i just want to wait till i have fninished mine so i can help him build his.

Seem as though I only need to wait a few days on the vermicrete I am planning on havinf the floor down buy next weekend - 7days - and then I can start on the soldier course.

Man I am starting to get excited. I have been reading on the forums and looking at videos on youtube for the past 12 months or so working out exactly how I am going to do things and it is finally all coming together.

BIG THANKS to the fornobravo community for getting me this far

[james]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

From one James to another, you are doing great!

It was great seeing all the photos and the course of the project, from ground zero. Your vermiculite concrete should set in a day or two. It's odd stuff, but it will definitely set and support your oven.

Enjoy!
James

[Bandrasco]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Nice job so far James. It's nice to see someone using a mason string. Primitive tools never seem to fail.

Enjoy the build while you can or you'll be begging your neighbors to build one just so you can help! (who me?)

Be sure to post a lot of pics.

[bimbo]

Re: James' deck, fireplace and 36inch oven

Another step closer to some tastie woodfired pies. Today I poured the hearth slad and hoping tomorrow to pour the vermicrete for the base of the oven tomorrow.
To celebrate I made some pizzas using some pizza stones in the oven. Started off with a garlic and parmasen, then 2 with tomato base grilled eggplant capsicum and some feta cheese, a margaretta (my fav at the moment) and finished off with a strawberry and chocolate pizza with ice cream.

At the moment I am aiming for a pizza party for my birthday and hoping to have the oven operational by then so i have a month and a half.

Just wondering how long I should leave the vermicrete before i lay the bricks for the oven floor?

Cheers
James