Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

[Steady]

Good to see PizzaCharlie, it's a good feeling to finally turn some refactoy products into a WFO after going through all of the "ings" -

I feel for you having to buy wood from bunnys, I have my own bush to source fuel but the sticks I used on the weekend were fairly smokey. I will need to gather some good 'stuff' To use for cooking.

[PizzaCharlie]

Well after 5 years of thinking, deciding, researching, debating, reading, arguing, forgetting, comparing and all the "ings", we finally lit the first curing fire of our oven on Sunday.
It was like "man discovering fire" moment. I had no idea what I was doing or how big "big" is supposed to be for the first firing but we did it.
One of my main fears was how much smoke was going to be let off but thankfully it was barely visible or noticeable.

Like steady also got barely noticeable hairline cracks at the opening. Hoping it stays that way.

The kindling I got from bunnings worked well. The hardwood was rubbish. The log didn't light up and just sat there turning into charcoal. Need to find better wood somewhere.

[Steady]

Your oven looks good PizzaCharlie- something to be proud of.

[Wozza]

It's looking good. Can smell those pizzas already. I was going to ask how difficult it was to move around but you've already answered that.

I like the arch as well. Probably because it looks a lot the one that I just made and I was worried about the structural integrity as it was rather 'flat'. But if yours is OK, then it gives me more confidence that mine will be as well.

[PizzaCharlie]

Thanks cobblerdave.
Managed to find all the materials i needed and they were close to home.

I got a strong 10mm compressed cement sheet on the metal stand. 75mm hebel ontop and then the oven. How it will all play out remains to be seen. I had enough thinking and just wanted to get the project started.

Despite the weight, the oven is easy to move around on those wheels.

Before painting and adding the nice outside design, I'm going to start curing the oven in the next few days slowly to see how it will stand up to the heat. If it cracks I'm thinking of sealing the cracks with high temp mortar that came with the oven. If its bad I might add another render layer.


Actually I might not do any outside design and paint work until the oven has been used for a couple of months. I'll see how I go.

Only thing left now is the flue kit and I need to find myself a nice stone to place under the arch opening to make it level with the existing oven floor.

[cobblerdave]

G'day Charlie
Great to see your oven.... turned out quite handsome.... Well done.
What did you finally use under the oven? Were you able to get the hebel power panel in the end?
I wouldn't worry too much about the render layer sounding a bit hollow. My oven was rendered for years and the only crack was where the chimney meet dome. I bricked the dome over and you guessed it, cracked again. Diference in expansion due to heat.
I was always a bit worried about kids climbing over it but they didn't cause any damage and I finally brick veneered over it for aesthetic reasons mainly. I really like the look of a "brick oven. If you worried give it a further coat of two of render.
Again a job well done
Regards dave

[PizzaCharlie]

Progress on the weekend. Basically most of the work done just leaving it to dry out now.

Since its on wheels and will be moved around inside and outside the pergola i needed a chimney flue that can be adjusted for that.

So I'm going to order a flue base plate to attach to the top of the chimney hole.

I'm worried about the outside cement render might be too thin in some places. Sounds hollow when you tap on it.

[david s]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

Hebel is a third the weight of normal concrete and probably a third the strength at best.

[PizzaCharlie]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

Try chasing Hebel Pwer Panel, they have steel reinforcing embedded in the middle.

Yup that's the one I'm chasing. Trying to get a bit of strength in them. Hebel is so brittle. I was scratching them with my fingernails at bunnings and most of the hebel bricks were cracked through the middle.

I wondered how they are even used for buildings. They break so easy. Kinda worries me it would crack under the oven.

But I've managed to find a few suppliers close by.

[david s]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

It's manufactured by CSR give them a call. Try chasing Hebel Power Panel, they have steel reinforcing embedded in the middle. There is also a special Hebel glue availsle to stick them together.

[Greenman]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

Glue them together. That will work.

[PizzaCharlie]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

Drove all over Sydney today looking for those long hebel panels.
Lots of little hebel bricks but no panels.

Anyone know where I can get one? Or worst comes to worst, what's a good alternative to hebel?

[Steady]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

Your mobile stand looks impressive

[PizzaCharlie]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

It took a while but finally some movement.



This is the base stand + wheels. 140cm LxW
Strong and heavy as an elephant. Because of the very heavy weight I'm reconsidering the concrete slab.
The red paint is a primer for the rust.

Now I'm tossing up between a layer of blue board that we have under the house or the sheet of compressed concrete. And lay the hebel blocks ontop.

The concrete slab will make it too heavy.

[seamad]

Re: Valoriani 100 Sydney Build

David, I don't think the hebel would like a lot of movement ( towed behind a car type ) and with 30mm or so of vermicrete I'd reckon there would be some heat damage as well. Luckily mine is staying put, and there is extra steel underneath as well..

As far as the OP goes, I understood that his was on a metal stand with wheels to move it @, not tow it behind a car. By using a permanently flexible adhesive between the steel and hebel the hebel should be fine. The ground it sits on will have to be pretty smooth anyway as the oven alone without stand, flue/outer arch/insulation is 280kg, so trying to roll that over bumpy bits would be tricky. I'd be using hebel as its easy to use, light and it's an insulator as well. The stand design is probably a more important considertaion , there is going to be a bit of weight involved.