Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

[OscarA]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Stunning what more can I say. I especially love that piece of granite/marble you have in the entrance. I might try something similar if I can source a piece at a reasonable price.
It really gives the oven a smart finish.

[Johnny the oven man]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

When are you going to cook the kid? Good job on the oven.

[Alter ego]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Great photos Doug. We also want to see one of you standing on top of the dome to prove that you have faith in your brick laying!

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Hey Johnny,
If she fails year 10 I might think about it.
Just kidding she is doing very well she wants to be a Music Journalist.

Hey Paul,
It would be pretty hard to take a pic of me on top of the oven at this stage as it is nearly up to our carport roof perhaps I could simply lay on it for you but that would not have the same impact.

Cheers Guys and thanks

Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Getting ready to insulate the dome, started building the enclosure while waiting on the probe that will give me air temps of the inside of the dome, I placed it just next to the door arch that way it will be out of the way of the cooking area and the fire. I made a mock up of the door to see if it would fit seeing the outer arch is the same size as the door arch. To help stop smoke coming out the front I built the outer arch and the door arch 20mm smaller than the flue arch.

Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Insulation all complete, I laid some Insulating fire bricks to create a barrier between the oven and the outer chimney to stop heat transfer for when I build the outer chimney.
I used 2 rolls of ceramic fibre insulation blanket 1" thick, there was enough to cover the oven and the entrance almost 3 times. I will also be filling the enclosure with loose vermiculite.

Doug

[Lburou]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Dude (Doug)

You have led the way with innovations during your build!

I noticed several leading edge tweaks to the plans I wish I had incorporated in my build (a few weeks behind you). The biggest innovation I saw you do was the angle cut at the back side of the inner arch.



Using this cut would have saved me a lot of cutting.

I've included you in my recommended readings thread. I'm curious, which fornobravo oven builds influenced your design and construction?

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Thanks Lee,
The idea for the back cutting of the door arch bricks I first saw at Field Furnace Refractory's Web Page there is no real plans or formula I just used their idea.
Lee I watched one of those Home Reno shows on TV a few years back and they put an oven in some guys back yard and I thought that's for me. I read a book by Russell Jeavons called Your Brick Oven that got me really thinking. So I started researching, I watched Pizza Bob's first part of his build on Youtube and at the end he thanked the Forno Bravo Furum so that's how I found this site. I also looked at the Alan Scott and Rado designs before deciding on an Igloo style Oven. I was not really influenced by any one build I just used ideas that I got from all of my research and a few of my own. My oven is not about looks it is all about peformance. The final appearance of my Oven and Outdoor Kitchen will not take place for a while as the construcion of a new 2 car garage and work shop needs to happen first to free up the area needed to biuld the Kitchen and Entertaining Area that will include a Bar, Argentine Parrilla, BBQ (Grill) and seating for about 20 to 30 people. I plan to be cooking for a lot of guests even one day openning a B&B or small Restaurant (may be!) we grow all our vegetables so there is lots of fresh produce available.
Regards Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Enclosure is taking shape I have made the front arch to look like a "Cloche" a cloche is a dome cover for food. The height of the enclosure will be as is, with a temporary roof covering the dome, until I knock down the car port and build the cover over the entertaining area.

Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

I had a flue fabricated by a friend who specialises in wood stoves and heaters he dropped it off this afternoon so it was there when I arrived home from work. I took advantage of the fine weather and fitted it tonight, it went up a treat. I lit a small fire to see if the oven would draw and sure enough it was just fine. It does not matter how much research you do, your never quite sure if things will work the way you planned, in this case it was all OK yeh!!!!!

Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Getting ready to start the curing process.
I made the handles for the door and then made a Heat Bead Chimney to start the heat beads (it should only take 10mins or so to get them started) I can then tip them straight into the oven and spread them evenly over the floor out to 4" from the walls. I will not be having any flames in the oven during curing. I plan on using several bags of Heat Beads over 8 to 10 hours adding about half a bag per hour pending on temp readings of the Thermo Couplings that I inserted in the oven. I hope to heat the oven as evenly as possible and then retain the heat as long as I can by placing the door on after the heat beads die down.

Doug

[Lburou]

Door handles

I want to know how to get the wood to slide around the corners of those door handles

Great handiwork as usual Doug

I'm considering a similar curing process to the one you describe.
What do you think the down side is of skipping intermediate cool downs during curing?
I haven't used any Portland in the mortar, so, it may be reasonable to do fewer cool down cycles during curing.
Most of the moisture in my oven is in the insulation under the oven floor.

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Hey lee,
Soak the wood in water over night it seems to make the wood more pliable. Just kidding!!
The wood I used is prunnings from a Paper Bark Tree (Melaleuca Leucadendra) I have been drying for 12 months or more that I use in making rustic furniture, the handle of the coal chimney is the same but not dressed. Bending the 8MM rod cold was a little trying but with a good vise and a bit of persuation using a narrow piece of pipe and hammer I got there. Drilling the hole in the center was a bit harder as the drill wanted to follow the grain so I drilled a pilot hole in from each end.
Lee my take on cool downs is why? when all you want to do is drive out any moisture. To me the more sustained heat over a longer period is the way to go, letting the oven cool down is not going to help with drying out any moisture. Lee this is just my opinion.
I will post my results after the weekend. My friend will be wiring up the Multi Channel Display Unit tonight so that should give lots of readings as well as the temp between the support slab and the bottom of the insulation bricks where there is probably some if any moisture. My build has been completely under cover as well, but having said that I did wet down the fire bricks before laying as they are so darned dry and pull the moisture of the mortar.
Also my dome has been completed for a while now, so it has had a chance to dry out I would assume? Sorry for the long winded explanation.

Cheers Doug

[Karangi Dude]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Door finished just needs painting but for now it will be used as part of the curing, and perhaps on Sunday some Bread Baking, pending temps achieved. Door is fabricated out of 3mm mild steel filled with 35mm ceramic fibre board from a disused kiln.

Cheers Doug

[Lburou]

Re: Karangi Dude's 48inch Oven

Door finished just needs painting but for now it will be used as part of the curing, and perhaps on Sunday some Bread Baking, pending temps achieved. Door is fabricated out of 3mm mild steel filled with 35mm ceramic fibre board from a disused kiln.

Cheers Doug

I'll start soaking some wood right away

That door looks perfect! Do you have any intermediate photos showing the process to get the door looking so perfect?