Pizza oven design.help???????????

[Mike D]

Weathers going to be good Mick, so you should be able to crack on with it!

I look forward to the photo's

[mitchamus]

I look forward to the photo's

Me too!!!

[MickHeaton]

You know when things seem to be coming together nicely and that little voice in the back of your head is whispering to you, to the effect of 'this all seems to be going very smoothly, to smoothly'

I have few things to organise coming together, the oven vault coming to me from storage, a good drill bit to get to drill holes in it for staples, chimney to collect from a farmer friend, insulation to collect, builder friend coming at apporx 11am to help assemble as he is now finished ready to go on his hols tomorrow.

Started at 6.00am this morning to get as much packing (business) sorted so I would be free, then set of to collect all the bits 'n' bobs ready fo 11am

The outer insulation, Rockwool fireblanket 100 density, was order via a good friend of mine from a local company. I spoke with him yesterday and he said it was all sorted, it is actually a stock item and I can just collect it tomorrow (tomorrow being about 1 hour ago)

I went, they remember his conversation with them, they did not order it in, it is not a stock item, he said he would get back to them. You can see where this is leading.

The insulation will now be another week to arrive.

I will be able to (all being well) get the fire cement base and the vault assembled today - fingers crossed

But it will not get finished

I was hoping to start the firings tomorrow ready for a full blown session next weekend, but that is now all delayed by approx a week, shame

No matter, at least I am making (painfully slow) progress eh!

[MickHeaton]

The Progress So Far:

First we put the oven base down to mark out



Good idea of its size, that is a my builder friend stood in what will be the cooking area.

Made up the vermiculite and fondue cement and made a base 70mm deep, placed base on and made level



Whilst it went 'off', had lunch

Put pieces in place which we had pre-drilled ready for metal staples. Staples are just coat hangers cut up and then there you go.



When the fire blanket stuff arrives I will get on with a little more



Stainless chimney was reclaimed, its a bit dented but fully insulated and best of all - free

Wish it was finished today though..

[mitchamus]

Nice work Mick!

your story about the insulation seems to happen to me every time I do anything

Do you need to cure it?

When you build a brick oven, there is a week long regime of slowly curing the brickwork with small fires to prevent cracking. By about the 4th curing fire, you usually put the insulation on then....

[MickHeaton]

The instructions are similar but for after completion:

48 hours after installation light a small fire next to the three sides of the oven spread out from the arch daily for three days, changing each side the position of the fire (maximum ½ kg every time). After doing this for the next two days increase gradually the fire’s intensity until the blackening of the oven vault and until the desired cooking temperature is reached

Not sure if this means 3 small fires daily moving positions slightly or 3 small fires, one each day?

What do you think? I will probably go for 3 small fires each day

[saucisson]

I would read that as three small fires one each day, but I'd hate to sway you to doing the wrong thing...
It does seem that your oven is in three pieces, ie three sides so I think they want you to fire each piece almost separately before heating them all together.

Dave

[MickHeaton]

The 'Dome' is in 4 quarters which also make the mouth.

I am unsure and have had a poor responce from the person I bought it from so far. I think it can be interpreted easily either way. I think I may go slowly.

3 Small fires, 1 daily and then one slightly larger in the centre on day 4, larger again on day 5. All being well, day 6 will be a cooking day!

[saucisson]

3 Small fires, 1 daily and then one slightly larger in the centre on day 4, larger again on day 5. All being well, day 6 will be a cooking day!

Sounds like a good plan, ff you slowly bring it up to cooking temperature like that over the course of several days I doubt you'll go far wrong, Good luck !!

Dave

[mitchamus]

Mick, I think they just want to make sure that each wall get's the proper attention (left, right, back)

I think if you just light the fire in a different position each time, you should be fine...

[beardedwonder5]

When using castables to make a pottery kiln the constructor is advised to fire the raw SECTIONS of the kiln in another kiln. The is to avoid spalling, i.e., heat side (big) flakes of the castable flaking off during firing (not the first firing; the weaknesses build up.) Things your mother never told you!

[MickHeaton]

I think finding a kiln large enough to fit these sections in would have been just a little to tricky?

However, I have visited the web of the manufacturer (Italian) and they seem very reputable making an array of this type of goods. The included documents are written in Italian which a friend of mine has cast his eye over and it seems the instructions I had in English are a good reflection of the original.

I will (eventually) start with my small fires and gradually build to the correct temp, I am confident it will be OK. I have been very careful and also used quality (often costly) materials.

Hopefully when I post a picture of the goods made in it there will be no lumps of the vault sat on them

[MickHeaton]

Managed to make a start this morning, got the fire blanket insulation wrapped around. It comes with a coating of fine chicken wire type stuff.

The wire is like lots of tiny little needles once cut so not the best fun.

However, half way through it started to rain quite heavily. Managed to get it coated with the chimney in place held with lots of fire cement around the base.

Its covered as I write but I think the rain is starting to stop, so hoping to get the mortar on this afternoon.

Fingers crossed

[MickHeaton]

A few more pictures of progress. Fitting the Fireblanket and applying the lime mortar.

Had our first small fire in it today, will do same again tomorrow and each day, hopefully cooking next Saturday.

Will finish it by painting it with lime and getting some nice stone to go around it.

[saucisson]

Nice, what stone ?

Dave