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Post by spider44 on Jun 20, 2015 17:56:27 GMT
Have made a start on my wood-fired oven and hope to share my progress on this site. I've found much inspiration from this forum and the Forno Bravo site and using their 36" Pompeii plans as the starting point. I hope to be cooking Pizza's for a birthday party at the end of August so I suspect I'll be spending a fair bit of time on this over the next couple of months! I'm a complete novice at most of the building techniques but I'm a willing learner and looking forward to the challenges. I'm planning to build the dome itself from fire bricks and use insulation board and blankets where possible to save time on curing. I've got a lot of old bricks from a neighbour which I'm hoping to use for the external finish from the hearth upwards. I've rigged up an awning to keep things dry and look forward to following the other builds that are in progress on the site. First pictures show the excavation and recycled scaffold boards I'm using to form the foundation. I went a bit too deep with the excavation so it'l be 4" of hardcore and 7" of concrete to raise the slab about 2" above ground level. I've slightly sloped the slab down towards the front in the hope of reducing water ingress and laid a damp proof membrane on top of the hardcore.   |
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Post by spider44 on Jun 21, 2015 10:25:01 GMT
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Post by spider44 on Jun 21, 2015 18:04:27 GMT
Made good progress with the hollow concrete blocks. The first course was levelled using mortar and then dry built as per the FB plans. The hollow concrete blocks are 7N 440 x 215 x 215 and some are premolded to make them easy to split in two where needed. I ordered 50 blocks as per the plans I think but ended up being about 3 short. I'm thinking of leaving a couple of blocks out at the back and forming an arch with reclaimed house bricks at the front. I'd like to encourage a good air flow through the wood store underneath the oven to keep the logs dry and I think an arch will add a nice feature. This means I would not need any more blocks and I could use the angle iron to reinforce the top of the store at the back where I've left a couple of gaps. I'll need to fill alternate cores with concrete first before starting the arch. Incidentally I've mocked up the height of the structural concrete, 4" of insulation board and fire brick hearth stones and it appears to work out as the working height of the oven will be 48" above ground which seems quite high but I experimented with a pizza peel type broom handle and it felt comfortable.  I did a dry lay out of the stand and found I have a 1" edge on all sides. I put down a damp proof membrane undder the first course and checked it was square.  The stand works out at 69" x 78" with a 34" opening in front. I've left the scaffold board in place for now and will insert a damproof membrane against the sides of the slab all round before filling the gap with gravel to allow good drainage around the slab.  Good job I had an awning up as it started raining just as I finished mixing the first lot of mortar! A little bit of rain could get in the corners near the shed so I used some canvas bags to cover those areas when needed.  Looking from behind showing the first course of blocks cemented in position.  I smoothed off the mortar using a bit of plastic pipe and my hands. Not perfect but this will be hidden!  Checking that the sides are level (cup of tea - vital equipment!).  Short of 2 blocks so thinking of creating a opening at the back for air flow. The wooden posts are to check how high the oven floor will be and check it will work out OK.  My idea is to build an arch over the entrance to the wood store but I'll need to fill alternate cores with concrete first. I have some reclaimed house bricks and I'll set them an inch or so proud so they wont be covered by the rendering on the blocks.  A mock up of the hearth, insulation and fire bricks (3.5" / 4" / 2.5") which works out to give a working oven floor height of 48" from the path or 46" from the slab if I use 4" of insulating board. |
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Post by spider44 on Jun 21, 2015 21:19:44 GMT
I've designed a plan for the wood store arch to cover a 34" gap using standard bricks. It seems a sector of a circle with a radius of 19" should give me a form to use to support the bricks. I've not done this before but a quick check on the build seems to agree. I used excel and just set each cell to the same size.  |
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Post by chas on Jun 22, 2015 7:55:28 GMT
Hi Spider, and if it's not too late... maybe consider an ovenfloor overhang of a few inches at the front, it helps with toe-room when you're dancing about in front of the oven, and if your log store below spills out a bit could save a glass of beer.
Good progress, still some summer left for baking!
Chas
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Post by oblertone on Jun 22, 2015 8:05:05 GMT
Either you are very small, or that base slab is HUGE ! Looking good and will follow this build with interest. Are you shaping/tapering your dome bricks with a saw, if so which one ?
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Post by spider44 on Jun 22, 2015 10:08:41 GMT
Thanks for the comments Chas and Oblertone. The overhang sounds like a good idea and would give some protection to the entrance to the wood store. Regards the slab I'm really not very small I'm just far away! I've just been and checked the measurements of the slab foundation and it is as planned 71" x 80" which is suggested as the foundation for a 36" oven in the FB plans. However the block stand I have knocked together turns out to be 69" x 78" which is the same width and 2" deeper than the stand suggested for the 42" oven. (My hollow blocks are bigger than theirs). It means I only have approx 2" all round the base of the stand which I'm rather hoping will be enough to use for rendering. Given the size of the stand perhaps I should consider the 42" oven (the slab for that really was huge!).
Regards the dome bricks I'm tempted to shape them but equally I like the straightforward hammer and bolster / home brew approach. I'm undecided and putting the decision off. I have got a decent sized wet tile cutter and a heavy duty angle grinder with a 10" blade so I may opt for a compromise and just cut some of the bricks as cannyfraddock suggests. I'm hoping to have a go at cutting some house bricks today for an arch over the woodstore entance and I'm thinking the experience will help to guide me where I need to go....
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Post by spider44 on Jun 24, 2015 22:57:30 GMT
Having mocked up the arch for the stand I wasn't happy with it and stuck with the Forno Bravo plans using angle iron to bridge the entrance. I then filled alternate cores with concrete and a length of rebar before building up the shuttering for the hearth.  The stand with entrance just before filling up alternate cores with concrete.    Next step will be to build the shuttering on the outside with an overhang at the front. I'm going to add another Damp Proof membrane underneath the hearth. Might not really need it as the blocks have a DPC already but nothing to loose and its not something I can add back in later. I'm pleased with the space for the wood store and hoping the blocks that I have laid on their side at the back will give a good air flow to keep things dry. The oven floor is going to end up about 8" higher than planned as the foundation is 2" above ground and the blocks are larger but I'm hoping it will still be comfortable to use. |
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Post by oblertone on Jun 25, 2015 16:21:16 GMT
A good rule of thumb for hearth height is that it should come up to the users elbow; any lower and you'll be stooping all the time.
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Post by spider44 on Jun 25, 2015 21:50:07 GMT
Thanks Oblertone - my design means the oven floor will higher than usual about 48" approx so it should be easy to see inside without stooping but I'll have to lift my elbow up a bit almost to shoulder height to slide a peel in and out of the oven. I'm going to think of it as exercise and if the worst comes to the worst I may use a small stand!
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Post by spider44 on Jul 4, 2015 7:09:12 GMT
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Post by oblertone on Jul 5, 2015 9:34:51 GMT
Very robust looking structure; maybe you could paint a big H on it while collecting your dome bits :-)
ps - I used angle iron in my dome arch, works well and was relatively quick.
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Post by spider44 on Jul 6, 2015 8:41:17 GMT
Nice one Oblertone but a helicopter landing in our back garden would not go down too well with the neighbours! I have some angle iron left over and I'll have a look at your build to see how you did it. It does seem to be the easiest way and it is something I have had at the back of my mind for the inner arch. Cheers!
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Post by spider44 on Jul 6, 2015 8:51:50 GMT
Just took a look at your build and understand now what you mean by the dome arch. Your approach with the angle iron looks like a good idea. I understand that the transition is quite complicated so it will be good to have an option. I opted for the angle iron after a brief flirtation with an arch on the stand!
Cheers
Patrick
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phi1
valid member
Posts: 91 
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Post by phi1 on Jul 7, 2015 15:24:09 GMT
Patrick
Have you checked your personal messages?
Haven't had a reply
Phil
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