Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Hi Russ,

Not quite sure if I got the question, but I think you are referring to the vent arch being bigger than the door arch, two reasons first to leave a reveal for the door and second for draught, you will notice that the outer arch is smaller than the vent arch that way there is a gap up the sides of the vent arch that I believe creates an up draught and helps the smoke to rise up the flew rather than come out the front.
Russ, this is just my theory but I think it does work I will look for a pic to show how the smoke has left a stain on the sides of the vent arch so you can gat an idea of what I am talking about. http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/atta...493-qpr-1-.jpg
Russ, if I was to build another WFO I would do the same thing but I would make the vent arch even bigger say 2'' rather than the 1'' that I have now, reason to make it easier to put the door on as at the moment I have to lay the door side ways to fit it through the front arch it is not a big problem but it would make it a bit easier.

Russ, I did not buttress the arches but as you can see the outer arch is part of the wall so I suppose that is the buttress in a way, I don't think that would need any buttress on what you are planning.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Hi KD,

Planning my outer arch so I decided to review your build again on how you did it. Looking to do something similar but have a couple questions if you would be so kind to help.
1. I was wondering why the offset height between the inner and outer arch? Was it because you wanted full thickness front arch for looks or structural? Or was it due to the reveal and you just shifted the outer brick at full thickness outwards?

2. Did you buttress the outer arch. I am not going much higher that you did with a brick chimeny then placing a double 3' double wall SS vent pipe on top. Trying decide in butressing is necessary. Doing an igloo so trying to pleasing to the eye.

Thanks,

BTY really like your cooking thread.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Doug,

Such an innovator, great idea, now I need to look for an old refrigerator........my list of pizza accessories keeps growing and filling up the garage.

[Bacterium]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Great work Doug,
Reminds me of a cheese course/workshop where a guy modified a fridge thermostat so it would maintain a good.temp for growing/developing cheese. You've gone one better.and added a heating component. I can imagine your next version having an automatic humidifier fitted

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Hi All,

I would like to share with you how I built my home made Proofer.

It is made from an old fridge single door (it was a fridge only no freezer) I gutted it out of all the motor and electrics and then gave it a really goon clean up.

I left a couple of holes where the pipes went through to the back for ventilation covered them with insect mesh so no nasties could crawl in, inserted a 'K' type thermo couple that connects to a hand held digital display and wired up a single hot plate as the heat source.
The single hot plate has a good thermostat with a good range it was also pretty inexpensive, with the good insulation of the fridge I only set the hot plate on a very low setting and it holds the temp quite well I run it at about 22 to 24c.
If I need more humidity I place a small metal dish of hot water on the hot plate.
Apart from proofing bread and pizza dough it is handy for bringing pizza dough balls back up to temp that I have retarded in the fridge.

In all the unit works really well especially now that I am doing WFO Workshops / Master Classes where I need pizza dough to prove in a given time

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Doug,

You are a man of all talents, oven building, cooking, and now carving. Show the better half your potato boxes and she said we gotta try!

[cobblerdave]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Doug
That looks great... looks like time well spent....If you do feel you have to much time on your hands you could always come up and do some of your cooking for me

Regards Dave

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Dave,

I have been doing some carving myself but not with hebel instead wood or should I say a tree stump it is down at our fire pit.
My daughter wanted me to make her a throne so I took to the tree stump with my chian saw (hammer and chisel for the initials).
I guess I have to much spare time.

[wotavidone]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

I've always been fascinated by the classic objection that Hebel is no good because its made with Portland cement. I've never been able to figure out why portland cement based vermicrete or perlcrete is considered Ok, but Hebel isn't.
Especially since, when it was first released to the mainstream in Australia, the adverts for its fire resistant properties used to show a block of Hebel with a blowtorch flame impinging on it.

[cobblerdave]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Gudday Doug and Damon,
Hebel is not suppose to be heat resistant enough for oven use being made of portland cement. Doug its a fantastic material its real lite being full of small bubbles of air, soft you can cut it with a hand saw, you can clad a house with it glueing the blocks together with construction glue and render over it and you get fantastic insulation. I have used it to make many outdoor garden carving using a wood chisel rasp and saw thats why I'm familar with it.
The thing that has always amazed me it that pearlite/cement used by many ovens has 20% of its volume portland cement,yet it doesn't break down?
Ive been tempted to pull up a hearth brick to check the condition of the hebel but am reluctant to spoil my nice flat hearth. By the way I have also an insulated door of hebel Mk 1 lasted about 18 mths and I built it because the first one was a little rough not that it failed to work. I have also built one for a friend as well.

Regards Dave

[Bacterium]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Dave,
I have used it in other heat situations and found it can crack, however I do see how you could get it to work. Once its in place and surrounded in all directions its probably there to stay.
Pretty easy stuff to experiment with too.

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

G'day Dave,
No need to be sorry mate, I am unaware of hebels high heat resistance, I know hebel is aerated concrete and asumed it's use is for construction eg; wall panels, building blocks, homes etc.
Never to old to learn!!!

[cobblerdave]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Doug,
Great build, as already echoed by others.
Must say I've gone over it a number of times, particularly the arch.

I'm still deciding on the insulating layer of the floor for my 2nd build. I noticed you used hebel? What has that been like for insulation? Just wondering how it compares to a cal sil board, sorry if I have missed this elsewhere?

Gudday
Sorry Doug but I beg to differ.
Damon I have used Hebel as the hearth insulation of my oven having built mine at the same time as Doug. Yes it proforms well with no problems. I use my oven about 3 out of every 4 weekends but cannot say how it would proform in say a commercial oven that was in use all the time however. Cost wise it would be probably cheaper to use Pearlite cement but the lot I had was free. I would recommend that anyone that used Hebel err to the side of caution and use it as a suplimentry insulation with a layer of pearlite or ceramic insulation on top.

Regards Dave

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Doug,

Thanks for the follow-up. I think I have it dialed in now. Going to install two TCs in dome wall as you suggested to determine saturation and check the floor temp with my infared gun which will get me in the ball park for cooking pizza.

ciao,

Russell

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Damon,
Even if you go for the cal sil board I would consider still putting some vermacrete down as well even if ist's only a couple of inches it is also pretty cheap, the more insulation the quicker the heat up and the longer the cool down.