Complete novice

[debbpic]

Hi, I have found your forum through Armstrong Pizza oven materials site. I would like to have some help from all of you! We are planning a pizza oven in our garden but it has to be on a budget. I have a few questions:
1. I want the base (stand) of the oven to be unique, not blocks or bricks. We have come across some 5 foot long railway sleepers so I had envisioned a Jenga style base but only using 2 one way then the next (I hope you can picture that). With the depth of the sleeper I am thinking maybe 4 levels? (The sleepers are approx. 8" thick making it 36" high) - do you think that would work and do you think they will need securing as they are v v heavy plus then we have the next question
2. I work in a boat yard where we build and repair boats/ ships. I can get a square piece of steel to then place on top of the sleepers making the base solid ready for the top. Is that OK?
3. We want to buy the oven base off Armstrong's website but want to chat to him - he doesn't answer the phone!!! Any ideas for a cheap oven base?
4. What about the oven casing? Does it have to be domed? Can it be brick built? Special bricks?

You re lovely people I'm sure and I look forward to hearing from you all

[bookemdanno]

Welcome!

My experiences of sleepers (the proper ones) is that they'd probably be just fine! But make sure that they're all A grade, as some can be rather rotten in the middle.
I'd fix them together, Timberlok screws are perfect for that job.
Eddie J is building an oak stand for his oven, as that's his material of work and understands it well.
Build a foundation for it all too, and try to design it so that water cannot puddle at the foot of the sleepers. A permeable type of foundation from compressed aggregate might be worth exploring, but hasn't been tested by our members.
I'd be inclined to make the very top of the stand as a full deck of sleepers, then place the steel on top.
36" could be ok, you'd maybe need to stoop a little. The "perfect" height is supposed to be elbow height for the hearth, but i've seen ovens on the floor too! Whatever works!

Do not forget about under oven insulation to protect the stand from the intense heat and avoid having to use precious wood to heat it up! Although, from your proffession, i expect you can easily lay your hands on a nice piece of timber!

As for the oven, the brick dome is to collect, store and reflect heat back to the floor. There is a shallower version, and then there is the barrel vault style. Look them up in the relevant sections within Terrys wonderful website world. You can build the oven floor too.
Firebricks are the 1st class option, then there are house bricks, but only Class A Engineering or Old Full clay reds. Faz has built one from Storage Heater bricks too, and it works jus fine. There are others on the web that have been built from ordinary house brick, but we're not sure of how well they stand up to the heat.
You can insulate first and then clad your oven in whatever way you want. A fireproof option is always the best!

Have a good nose around the build threads, ask plenty of Q's, there's always someone willing to help.

good luck with your build, and remember the photos!

[rivergirl]

Can you infill your sleeper base with layers of sand and bottles for insulation? If you want cheap as chips ,then try thinking about a clay one.

[cannyfradock]

Hello Debbpic......welcome to the forum.

I love the idea of using railway sleepers for a base for your oven.....I'm not much of a carpenter but they would need to be fixed somehow....just in case of movement.

You say the sleepers are 8" deep and you was thinking of 4 layers....you mentioned 36".....in my book that 32"......Danno said the rule of thumb hearth height is elbow height......I agree. The height of my elbow to the floor is 42"......I might be tempted to lay some thermolite blocks.....on flat (4") on top of your top sleeper course....(you may not need a full course of sleepers on the top course as a 4 or 6" gap between them will support the thermal block layer......and do away with the steel)......this is only my take on the good suggestions you have already received.

As mentioned...you have options, but I don't understand why Armstrong ovens haven't returned your calls. Alf Armstrong was an active member on the early days on the forum......not sure if Alf is still active within the company but there's not many people/companies I would endorse as competent wood-fired oven builders/suppliers....but he.....or
www.armstrongbrickovens.co.uk/ would be on my shortlist.

Terry

[debbpic]

Hi guys

Thanks for the help which I will be taking on board. I really would like to get in touch with Armstrong Brick Ovens. Does anyone know how because the number on his website just rings out. Been trying for days