If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

[midtown]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

I would make it bigger, (mine is about 1m in diameter), and my doorway is a little narrow, and a bit deep, otherwise, this is probably the best home built thing ever!

[stonecutter]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

If I had a chance to rebuild my WFO................ I would build it without being married. No wife to complain about me spending to much too time with my true love.

Ha....the first one I built at our home, the good woman called herself a WFO widow. She doesn't mind this time around, because of how much she enjoyed the first one. Or she just doesn't miss my company...either way, I'm happy to be building another.

[Amac]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

Didn't realise she'd driven you to those extremes tu - but that won't work in any case - you need a gas oven

[banhxeo76]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

If I had a chance to rebuild my WFO................ I would build it without being married. No wife to complain about me spending to much too time with my true love.

[Tscarborough]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

Lengthwise cuts are no fun with a grinder, I agree.

[Amac]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

In that case OK - but some of those I had already cut lengthwise with the anglegrinder I wasn't happy with and re-cut them crosswise. Ended up I couldn't reuse any of the lengthwise cuts but I was happier with the new cuts.

[Tscarborough]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

Length-wise cuts are not a problem, small pieces are, and this is for under walls, so round really doesn't matter.

[Amac]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

Yes Tscar and I see you could have broke it a couple of more times to avoid lengthwise cuts. This has two benefits.
1. It is easier to keep it "round" with shorter cuts.
2. You can re-use the off cuts of bricks cut crosswise much easier.

[Tscarborough]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

That is good advice. I broke pattern on this one in 3 places to avoid small pieces.

[Amac]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

I have meant to post this suggestion many times.
I cut my floor to fit inside the oven and used the herringbone pattern. I wouldn't change either of these options.

However - if you stick slavishly to the herringbone pattern you sometimes end with difficult lengthwise brick cuts and slivers.

To avoid both these problems - instead of cutting the bricks as they sit into these patterns - consider using instead two bricks laid sided by side and cutting them across. I was already most of the way through cutting the floor when I realised that this trick would solve both problem without any compromise of the functionality of the angled brick positioning.

This is probably something others have already done but I haven't seen any post on the subject.

[mklingles]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

I've had my oven for about 2 years now. I live in the Pacific Northwest (read rainy). My only design mistake was having the firebrick opening extend out beyond the overhand on the front of the oven. It soaks up rain water during the winter. I'll also be installing a top flue damper this month to keep rain from coming down the chimney.

I'll be getting a metal door cover to keep the rain out, so it's survivable, but if you live in a wet area think about keeping the rain from getting on the fire brick.

[berryst]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

Hindsight!
I might have built mine into the house. An oven in the kitchen is easy to use and you can capture all the extra heat. I built on a fluke really and a shoe string. I considered part of the challenge was to keep the cost down since I didn't really even know if I would like it. I had never seen let alone cooked on a wood fired oven.
I find that the oven is the center of our social life at all the family or friends getting together.
I would break down and buy a good wet saw.
I would build a better door. A cost steel boiler door would do.
I don't cook much except pizza so I would use thiner brick to heat up faster and of course insulate very well again.
chris

[Tscarborough]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

I call a brick put in backwards a shiner.

[brickie in oz]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

I believe the "shiner" face is an American term.

[Les]

Re: If you had the chance to rebuild your oven, what would you change?

These are sailors

The way that the tops are cut I think those are called Marines, maybe Seals - they look bad ass!