New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

[mikku]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

I read the description of Australian architecture that you referenced. It really does not say much except that the style was developed, really to match the availability of building materials, building equipment, and climate. That is true for most places in the world.

If you were a purist, you would not have built a WFO at all.

But since that is not the case, you need to follow the "reasoning behind" the architecture that has evolved.

Large overhangs were made to allow the residents to enjoy outdoor living even though it rained a lot or was very hot. So extending a roof to cover your oven would be exactly in the theme of the original home builder's style.

Using materials for your build that are "locally abundant" is keeping the tradition alive.

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

You have been covering your oven during rainy times with a plastic sheet or tarp whatever you want to call it. The outdoor area you have right now seems to be a shed roof. Just extending it a little to cover the oven would be enough to keep the rain away. Extending it enough to keep water that drains off the roof from splashing on the dome itself would be enough.

I have thought about extending the roof, but the angles don't line up, ether hight, or aspect. The house is based on a modern Queenslander Queenslander (architecture) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I would like to keep the theme, and keep the built environment in balance with the outside.

I think that a WFO is a great addition to any property and a centerpiece for outdoor entertaining.

I am glad that I began this project. I see no end in things that can be done using a WFO. Keeps me busy thinking of new things to make or bake!

I think you will enjoy your build as much as we have enjoyed ours so far!
cheers
Gary

Agree, and look forward to entertaining, cooking and eating - yum

If you do not have a national holiday called Thankgiving. Why not start one now! A great reason for friends, family and acquaintances to get together and enjoy some good food and friendship. Who needs a holiday to do this?

We do have national holidays, just not this one. We have "Australia Day" Australia Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - its about our "White European" history, I guess close to the concept of Thanksgiving for some Australians.

[mikku]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

You have been covering your oven during rainy times with a plastic sheet or tarp whatever you want to call it. The outdoor area you have right now seems to be a shed roof. Just extending it a little to cover the oven would be enough to keep the rain away. Extending it enough to keep water that drains off the roof from splashing on the dome itself would be enough.

I do not have any covered area so I have to make the space that you already have. I need firewood for two things, heating the house to keep it comfortable and firing the oven to make all kinds of goodies. That is the reason for a woodshed.

Here, land is sold by the tsubo. 1 tsubo = 3.31m2.
In a previous life, my home had 23 acres.. A really small parcel by USA standards..at least in a rural area. Here, the same parcel would make me some kind of a land baron with 30,000 tsubo! An unbelievable large size piece of property by Japan standards. Right now, I try to utilize the space I own the best I can.

As far as cracks in the perlite layer of insulation--really no big deal. The dome itself shows no sign of cracks and it is made in halfs. I saw a hairline crack in the transition but nothing to be concerned about. Hairline, and when you fire the next time, the soot covers the line.

What I see as a setting for my oven is a room about 8' wide x 9 feet deep with the oven centered. Eventually, the floor will be a ceramic tile. the wainscot height will also be tile with all the remaining areas being aromatic cedar. Just a nice clean space to make things. There will be a large sliding door that keeps the oven out of sight and clean when not in use.

I think that a WFO is a great addition to any property and a centerpiece for outdoor entertaining.

I am glad that I began this project. I see no end in things that can be done using a WFO. Keeps me busy thinking of new things to make or bake!

I think you will enjoy your build as much as we have enjoyed ours so far!
cheers
Gary

As far as thanksgiving goes--the USA view of the holiday was to show thanks for the bountiful harvest the early settlers had when they came to the foreign shores what would later be the USA. I am sure, the original settlers to Australia faced a lot of difficulties and at some time they wanted to show thanks to their creator for the bounty they received when harvest time came. I do not know the history of Australia but it must have been difficult for the first people to make a go there. Anyway, Thanksgiving is celebrated by Americans --the last Thursday of November each year! I will find a Turkey and prepare it like my ancestors did--and will thank my creator for the bounty that has been provided to me. Thus Thanksgiving!

If you do not have a national holiday called Thankgiving. Why not start one now! A great reason for friends, family and acquaintances to get together and enjoy some good food and friendship. Who needs a holiday to do this?

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

My oven is cast like yours, but I made wooden forms first. I also built it inside my garage with a reinforced base that allows me to move it--at least into and out of the garage using a forklift. I first did not know where to put the oven permanently but now it is decided. I have read too many stories of ovens that get water inside that need to be dried out repeatedly--I have chosen to make a permanent place under cover with less chance of rain damaging it. We get a lot of rain here and typhoons that hit us every year. Also, want to be able to use it no matter the weather or season--day or night. So that is the reason for permanent place. The structure is not that large--9 feet (2.73m) x 24 feet (7.28m) most being wood storage. I decided to change the way I handle wood also. I'll be making metal cages that attach to the top of plastic pallets. I can fill the cages when processing the wood, cover them with a tarp and shrink wrap it into place (on top of the pile) and allow it to air dry outdoors. When it is partially seasoned, it can be forked into the shed. I'll use a pallet jack to move the pallets around as needed. This preparation takes the piling and re-piling out of storing wood. Just need to move the fully seasoned wood to the front for use, and keep filling the shed as wood becomes available. Each pallet will contain 1.8m3 of wood if tightly stacked and the shed will hold 18m3 in total. There will be plenty of wood for several years considering that volume.

My final finish on the oven will be a Japan Plaster treatment. The product is sold as Cal Nouvelle and can be pigmented to a wide variety of colors. It can be used as an interior or exterior treatment--waterproof??? I really do not think so--but like all masonry absorbs some but is very stable. There are a whole variety of plasters available here through specialty masonry outlets--some traditional with hemp fiber and others with modern fiber.

The oven is out of commission for a while right now because I cannot get a forklift close enough to move it outdoors. There are two huge piles of sand and crushed stone blocking the entrance to the garage right now. I am mixing all the concrete by hand for my footings, short walls, and a retainer wall near the main road. The actual slabs will use ready mix. Maybe I can make an opening large enough to get the oven out long enough to roast a Thanksgiving Turkey.

Do you Auzzies celebrate some type of Thanksgiving or is that just a Yank thing? The Japanese have a day similar to Thanksgiving but don't know the name for it.

Hi mikku,

Your oven is unique, the casting and interior finish are fantastic. A lot of work must have gone into it. It's a shame that your insulating layer cracked. I will be careful to get as mush water out of the dome and layers as possible, to prevent similar issues with the final finish. I hope I am successful in getting and keeping water out. It is still a worry though. I would put a roof over it, but think it would wreck the look at its location. Fingers crossed that it will work out.

It sounds like you have enough wood for years. and well sorted out storage methodology, and big plans for the ovens new location. Lots of work... hope it don't take to long.

Aussies don't celebrate thanksgiving. We would celebrate it though, if we had a public holiday

[mikku]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

My oven is cast like yours, but I made wooden forms first. I also built it inside my garage with a reinforced base that allows me to move it--at least into and out of the garage using a forklift. I first did not know where to put the oven permanently but now it is decided. I have read too many stories of ovens that get water inside that need to be dried out repeatedly--I have chosen to make a permanent place under cover with less chance of rain damaging it. We get a lot of rain here and typhoons that hit us every year. Also, want to be able to use it no matter the weather or season--day or night. So that is the reason for permanent place. The structure is not that large--9 feet (2.73m) x 24 feet (7.28m) most being wood storage. I decided to change the way I handle wood also. I'll be making metal cages that attach to the top of plastic pallets. I can fill the cages when processing the wood, cover them with a tarp and shrink wrap it into place (on top of the pile) and allow it to air dry outdoors. When it is partially seasoned, it can be forked into the shed. I'll use a pallet jack to move the pallets around as needed. This preparation takes the piling and re-piling out of storing wood. Just need to move the fully seasoned wood to the front for use, and keep filling the shed as wood becomes available. Each pallet will contain 1.8m3 of wood if tightly stacked and the shed will hold 18m3 in total. There will be plenty of wood for several years considering that volume.

My final finish on the oven will be a Japan Plaster treatment. The product is sold as Cal Nouvelle and can be pigmented to a wide variety of colors. It can be used as an interior or exterior treatment--waterproof??? I really do not think so--but like all masonry absorbs some but is very stable. There are a whole variety of plasters available here through specialty masonry outlets--some traditional with hemp fiber and others with modern fiber.

The oven is out of commission for a while right now because I cannot get a forklift close enough to move it outdoors. There are two huge piles of sand and crushed stone blocking the entrance to the garage right now. I am mixing all the concrete by hand for my footings, short walls, and a retainer wall near the main road. The actual slabs will use ready mix. Maybe I can make an opening large enough to get the oven out long enough to roast a Thanksgiving Turkey.

Do you Auzzies celebrate some type of Thanksgiving or is that just a Yank thing? The Japanese have a day similar to Thanksgiving but don't know the name for it.

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

First pizza is a bit like the first pancake in a frypan, that is, not perfect. It always amuses me when some greedy fat kid demands to have the first pizza and you know it won't be your best of the night, fair justice I say. Try the semolina test i.e. cast a little semolina into the centre of the oven floor. For perfect floor temp the semolina should turn black suddenly after 3 secs. 2 secs = too hot, 4 secs = not hot enough. You can also simply pull the first pizza into the entry a little where the floor is a bit cooler, then for subsequent pizzas push them in a little deeper.Some leoparding on the bottom is usually a desirable wood fired pizza feature.

Good tips David, and probably more accurate then thermocouples all over the place. I am going to keep it simple probably put a thermometer in a door for a quick visual idea of how the temperature is going when baking, but use tips like yours, established ways to get cooking on track. In the end simple is almost always good.

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

This is the first time to see the oven as it relates to other outdoor spaces. You really have a nice set up--large covered outdoor spaces and the oven near. Are you going to do anything special to waterproof your oven or will you be building a roof structure over it?

Really nice to have children to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Everything looks great.

My oven is back inside on casters, I finally decided on a final location for my oven, but it requires that my old wood storage shelter be disassembled and a lot of work to build a new one with space for the oven. Glad to have a few days off to work on it. Really need a couple of months, but days off really help!

Hi Mikku, - yes the space is good, and kids like making pizza. still not sure on how to finish the oven. I will wait a few weeks to make sure all water is removed. I plan on putting a vent at the top of the dome, but still not sure of the best way to seal the render.

The oven will not have a roof. Perhaps I will plaster it with 20 mm of acrylic/cement based plaster with a water proof additive. The top coat will be a thin skim coat with a blue oxide,white cement,lime,silver sand, to finish. Perhaps I will use a sealer like this one : Bondall Natural Finish Sealer over the top. Any advise is welcome on the best way to finish it off.

Hope your oven setup works out. It does take time, we just don't have enough time to do all that is to be done.

Cheers,

Steve.

[david s]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

First pizza's tonight. The first cooked in about 30 seconds flat, the hearth was about 500 c. Way to hot, burnt the bottom a bit of the margherita, but it still tasted good around the black bits.

It looks like under 400 c, is a good place to be for the hearth. The walls of the oven where about 400 to 500c over the cooking period.

The family did most of the pizza topping. We did 11 pizzas, all eaten.

Photos below.

First pizza is a bit like the first pancake in a frypan, that is, not perfect. It always amuses me when some greedy fat kid demands to have the first pizza and you know it won't be your best of the night, fair justice I say. Try the semolina test i.e. cast a little semolina into the centre of the oven floor. For perfect floor temp the semolina should turn black suddenly after 3 secs. 2 secs = too hot, 4 secs = not hot enough. You can also simply pull the first pizza into the entry a little where the floor is a bit cooler, then for subsequent pizzas push them in a little deeper.Some leoparding on the bottom is usually a desirable wood fired pizza feature.

[mikku]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

This is the first time to see the oven as it relates to other outdoor spaces. You really have a nice set up--large covered outdoor spaces and the oven near. Are you going to do anything special to waterproof your oven or will you be building a roof structure over it?

Really nice to have children to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Everything looks great.

My oven is back inside on casters, I finally decided on a final location for my oven, but it requires that my old wood storage shelter be disassembled and a lot of work to build a new one with space for the oven. Glad to have a few days off to work on it. Really need a couple of months, but days off really help!

[oasiscdm]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

Yum looks good think i'm hungry......

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

First pizza's tonight. The first cooked in about 30 seconds flat, the hearth was about 500 c. Way to hot, burnt the bottom a bit of the margherita, but it still tasted good around the black bits.

It looks like under 400 c, is a good place to be for the hearth. The walls of the oven where about 400 to 500c over the cooking period.

The family did most of the pizza topping. We did 11 pizzas, all eaten.

Photos below.

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

Looks great Steve. I'm very envious and you have given me something to aspire too!

Thanks mnl, we cooked pizza tonight. Photos to following.

Steve.

[mnl]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

Looks great Steve. I'm very envious and you have given me something to aspire too!

[brissie]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

The oven has been fired most days this week. I am still amassed at the amount of water exiting the dome. The blue tarp touches in places, and it's still dripping with condensate water at contact points after a fire.

Cooked dinner last night, chicken, potatoes, and corn. Built up the fire and cleared the dome, the oven is still 200 c this morning. I think we have pizza tonight

[Greenman]

Re: New 36inch castable build in Brisbane

I am happy with the door and the only improvement I have considered is to put a C/F rope seal on where it meets the inner arch. Other than that it works well and keeps the heat in.

Happy to share what works.