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Fio's 35" Oven

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  • #31
    Curing, Extra Bricks, Gaps

    Drake: I've already started curing it. I'm going to start a thread on the curing process.

    James: I've gotten rid of all the extra loose bricks of the floor. I didn't plan properly and in some places used full firebricks where I should have used half firebricks.

    Jim: I've already built seven fires in the oven. Is it too late to pack the gaps with mortar? Right now, part of the dome is burned clean from my last fire. I'd worry, packing dryish mortar in there, that it will just fall out. Did you do that?
    There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

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    • #32
      I patched the cracks with Rutland Furnace Cement

      I'm picking up where the curing thread leaves off.

      After building 10 or so progressively larger fires (the last few of which cooked a chicken and some pizzas), I decided to patch the cracks. I figured that the oven had reached its own level of equilibrium, and had developed its own natural fault lines.

      My brother Vito ("FioBro" on this forum) and I applied Rutland Cement. It's like cake frosting; you smear it in the cracks with your finger. Note: it cures with heat. That means if it dries without being heated, it will dissolve in water when it gets wet again. I built a small fire in the oven to heat it before I patched the cracks; that way, the dome was in its swollen state, and the cracks were wider and I could force more cement in there.

      You can see that the cracks naturally developed between courses of bricks. We signed our work.
      2 Photos
      There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

      Comment

      • #33
        Covering the dome with insulfrax

        When all the cracks had been patched, my brother Vito ("Fio Bro") and I covered it with Insulfrax. I used only one box. It went on easy and I didn't need all the hanger strap that I thought I'd use. You have to cut it to fit the curvature; this isn't hard; just look at the pictures.

        One box of insulfrax covered the entire oven, and in most places is two layers thick (but I have a small oven).

        Cutting it is challenging. I found the best thing was either a pair of LONG scissors (about 10" long) or better yet, a long, thin slicing knive. Be advised; you will need to sharpen or hone your knife; insulfrax dulls knives.
        5 Photos
        There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

        Comment

        • #34
          Next stop: Framing the beast.

          My base is SO SMALL that I had to crowd the edges in order to get a 35" inside diameter dome. That left me only about a 2" ledge on the edges for building the enclosure frame on top. Otherwise, my frame would have to be built from the ground up. I screwed down the channel to the base using a hammer drill and Tapcon screws.

          Luckily, I was able to use narrow (1.5" wide) steel studs as channels to hold the frame.

          Again, I used my cheap (but STILL RUNNING!) Harbor Freight chop saw, outfitted with a steel cutting blade, to cut the studs. I bought a decent pair of Wiss tin snips for cutting, and used a DeWalt impact driver with self-tapping sheet metal screws for Joinery. I cut tabs where possible, and employed Simpson strong-ties for the corners.

          Building the frame around the oven is a project in itself. It is every bit as complex and labor intensive as the masonry work to complete the dome. That is, of course, unless you are a professional carpenter, like my brother in law, who helped me extend the roof to project over the front.

          You should NOT underestimate the commitment in building the frame. It's very difficult to work with flimsy, flexy steel studs. The whole thing seems very wobbly until you add the one or two reinforcing members that seals it up tight.

          Building the roofline is another big challenge. There's no good way to do it. I kept my roof low, because I wanted the chimney to clear the roof. Luckily, my oven is small enough to make the project manageable.
          5 Photos
          There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

          Comment

          • #35
            Looks good!

            Are you going to put the cement board up this weekend?

            I did not add any strong ties for the corners, but if I knew they existed you can bet that I would have!!

            Almost done!

            Drake
            My Oven Thread:
            http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/d...-oven-633.html

            Comment

            • #36
              Originally posted by DrakeRemoray
              Looks good!

              Are you going to put the cement board up this weekend?

              I did not add any strong ties for the corners, but if I knew they existed you can bet that I would have!!

              Almost done!

              Drake
              Actually, I have added the cement board; pix are coming. The most important thing to do ASAP is seal up the gap on the roof ridgeline with mortar to keep water out. Then I can decorate, stucco, etc. at my leisure.
              There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

              Comment

              • #37
                In contrast to the framing, the cement board was easy

                I used "Rock On" self-tapping screws, with a good, powerful impact driver to put on the sheet rock. The hardest part was holding up the upper portions while driving in the screws.
                3 Photos
                There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

                Comment

                • #38
                  Chimney insulation

                  I have shrouded the chimney (flue liner) in a sleeve made of fiberfrax board, glued together with furnace cement. It slides right over the flue liner.
                  1 Photo
                  There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

                  Comment

                  • #39
                    When the Durock was done, I dumped in 3 bags of vermiculite

                    I have read that some people have to use as many as six bags of vermiculite to fill their ovens. Luckily, my enclosure is so small, It only took three, and I had some left over as well.
                    3 Photos
                    There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

                    Comment

                    • #40
                      captain

                      Fio this realy looks great i have looked closely at what you are doing as my oven is very similar and all your pictures where such a help, what material did you use for the door. Thank you for the great documentation. I am getting ready to start the dome will be cutting the bricks tonite, thanks again great job.

                      Comment

                      • #41
                        Originally posted by captain View Post
                        Fio this realy looks great i have looked closely at what you are doing as my oven is very similar and all your pictures where such a help, what material did you use for the door. Thank you for the great documentation. I am getting ready to start the dome will be cutting the bricks tonite, thanks again great job.
                        The outside door is just a big 3" thick hunk of wood that stands on edge with two handles.

                        The inside door - currently a temp - is a piece of plywood that closes off the inner dome from the vent, so nothing goes up the chimney.

                        Then I have a draft door which goes on the outside and has a 2.5" gap along the bottom. It allows a fast flow of air to feed the fire when I'm heating up the oven.
                        There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

                        Comment

                        • #42
                          captain

                          Thanks for that info on the door's, I cut and dry stacked the first two rings of the dome last nite I used a skill saw with a masonary blade made a 1/4" score and hit it with a brick hammer they came out perfect only took an hour and a 1/2 . I am still hesitating on mixing mortar I may just wrap it up for the winter. Thanks again for all your info. Ronnie

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                          • #43
                            captain

                            Fio as I said my oven is very similar to yours what size is your flu opening,so far the weather looks goog for the next 2 weeks so I am going ahead full speed I have been woking under the lights cutting and stacking brick.

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                            • #44
                              Finally. . . A Copper Roof

                              It took a LOT of searching to find a craftsman who would cover my roof with copper, but it was well worth the wait.

                              Kraftwerks, Inc. (Kraftwerks, Inc. Copper - Slate - Tin - Bird Proofing - Slate Repairs - Cornice - Built in Gutters) is a DC-area roofing specialist and they did a SUPER job on my roof. It wasn't cheap, but it looks so classy I just had to do it.

                              It will last forever. Certainly outlast me, as will (hopefully) the oven itself.

                              In the spring, I'll finish the stucco and do all the little decorative accents and flourishes.

                              Cheers,

                              - Fio
                              4 Photos
                              Last edited by Fio; 01-21-2007, 10:23 PM.
                              There is nothing quite so satisfying as drinking a cold beer, while tending a hot fire, in an oven that you built yourself, and making the best pizza that your friends have ever had.

                              Comment

                              • #45
                                Re: Fio's 35" Oven

                                Fio, that's a stunning finish, congratulations. Now just 10-30 years of patina development for that "finished" look !

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