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Post by mattyb on Oct 22, 2013 22:54:02 GMT
Thanks Terry I do have a confession to make. I realised (after I'd poured the damn thing) that I'd used soft sand in error, rather than sharp sand (like I'd done with the foundation slab), I said I was no builder!!! Now whilst it does seem solid to the touch it still, as of earlier today scrapes up a little in certain areas with the fingernail. There are patches that do seem lighter in colour which are slightly harder. I believe that concrete this time of year does take a while longer to cure so I'm hoping that I have got away with this 'schoolboy error' as the slab is supported with some metal mesh and re-bar, but I'm prepared (if I have to) to take it on the chin and dig it out and start it again. My mix was 240kg Gravel, 120kg Sand, 64kg Cement. Oh - and the oven is coming Thursday!
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Post by cannyfradock on Oct 23, 2013 17:09:27 GMT
Thanks Terry I do have a confession to make. I realised (after I'd poured the damn thing) that I'd used soft sand in error, rather than sharp sand (like I'd done with the foundation slab), I said I was no builder!!! Now whilst it does seem solid to the touch it still, as of earlier today scrapes up a little in certain areas with the fingernail. There are patches that do seem lighter in colour which are slightly harder. I believe that concrete this time of year does take a while longer to cure so I'm hoping that I have got away with this 'schoolboy error' as the slab is supported with some metal mesh and re-bar, but I'm prepared (if I have to) to take it on the chin and dig it out and start it again. My mix was 240kg Gravel, 120kg Sand, 64kg Cement. Oh - and the oven is coming Thursday! No need to dig it out and start again. I saw the mesh/re-bar in your pictures. Your mix of 4:2:1 is perfect. As i mentioned the surface of the concrete slab may be powdery or greasy or patchy (still wet in places) but this won't affect the slabs strength, which is the most important. Any cement based concrete won't start curing until 7 days after mixing but I would normally start laying on after 1 days rest. Using soft sand in your concrete shouldn't make any difference as you have got your aggregate ratio correct. If you are using the Homebrew/refractory mortar then try to use sharp sand......or any sand apart from the very fine stuff.....gritty sand or sand grains that are not round/fine will make a better refractory mortar. Terry
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Post by mattyb on Oct 23, 2013 17:30:18 GMT
Thanks for the re-assurance Terry, I'm glad that it's unlikely that I will need to start from scratch.
Onwards & upwards...oven delivery tomorrow!! Can't wait!! ;D
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Post by mattyb on Nov 11, 2013 23:17:27 GMT
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Post by mattyb on Nov 11, 2013 23:21:30 GMT
The plan going forward is to insulate the oven over the next few weeks. Looking at the photo's there are a small number of issues (chipping) near the oven door that would concern me a little, if I was leaving it in it's core form. I'm looking to patch these up as I insulate.
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Post by cannyfradock on Nov 12, 2013 19:55:42 GMT
Matty
Those little chips in the refractory dome are just cosmetic and won't affect the performance of your oven.....
Great pics of the oven and the pizzas. Some modular ovens are pre-fired and others you have to go through the process of small curing fires to dry the refractory concrete out. Not quite sure what yours is, but regardless, you will find that the more you use the oven, the better it will perform...until about the 4th or 5th full firing, then your oven will stabilize and you will will probably use a lot less wood....to fire your oven up to temp.....and need a lot less to keep the oven topped up with heat with your "flickering" fire.
...just an observation....If that's you in the pictures, you are using the peel as a right handed person but you have pushed the fire to the the left hand side. I am right handed and after about 40 minutes when the central fire has given enough heat into the dome....and the soot clearly starts visibly descending from the top of the done downwards, I spread the coals over the whole of the hearth.....I then leave for about 20 minutes and then push the coals over to the right/rear of the oven. This leave's the whole left hand side and rear of the oven clear for a right handed person working the peel. This is important on social gatherings especially if you involve the kids who like things like banana and nutella calzones. When pizzas or calzone's are overfilled and the filling falls out onto the hearth it can sometimes stick so having the fire to the rear...or to the right...can help the "pizzaiola" in retrieving stuck pizzas...as apposed to them being accidentally shoved on the fire. I know through experience.....and a banana and nutella calzone ignites really well when accidentally scooped onto the embers.
Terry
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Post by mattyb on Nov 13, 2013 0:21:18 GMT
Thanks Terry, some really useful advice there. For info the oven is advertised as pre-cured and ready to cook as soon as it's delivered. Yes the image is of me, I am right handed and YES I did struggle to turn the pizzas. Thanks so much for the tip to move the coals to the RHS, I know this will help me turn the pizzas easier (so simple when you think of it) ;D I must source some good seasoned wood, as (cause I was unprepared on Sunday) I used a large bag of logs from Aldi, when I got them home and checked them they were pretty damp, so won't make that mistake again. On the bright side I foraged some wood during the summer and that lit pretty well. As they say, practice makes perfect so by next time I hope for a little better. Will keep you all updated. Cheers Matt
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Post by cannyfradock on Nov 13, 2013 19:29:05 GMT
Matt
Many of us have learned through trial and error what wood...not to use. When I first fully fired my own oven I bought a sack of wood from my local petrol station. It was wet softwood and full of knots.....I couldn't even cut it with an axe. This resulted in my curing fire smoking like hell, plus the crap wood didn't really generate any true heat. Seasoned hardwood bought in bulk will always be your best option. Sometimes seasoned wood ...although seasoned may still be wet or damp and it's up to you to dry it out, which will make a lot of difference to the performance of your oven, plus you can minimize the initial smoke to bare minimum.
Terry
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Post by foodiesheaven on Nov 19, 2013 10:28:01 GMT
A top tip with seasoned wood after you have had the oven up and running once finished clear all the embers out and place seasoned wood in to the void close door and leave, the residual heat will dry the wood. I did this on the weekend and now have my next batch of wood dried ready to go.
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Post by mattyb on Dec 1, 2013 21:26:36 GMT
Thanks for the advice Terry on moving the fire to the RHS side of the dome, much easier to turn the pizzas. I managed to obtain some seasoned wood and had much better success heating the oven up, less than an hour to full temp. The pizzas were the finest I've made so far, so getting better with practice. A few pics from last night (apologies for the final one, taken on an iphone camera).
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kipper
WFO Team Player
Posts: 125
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Post by kipper on Dec 1, 2013 23:43:55 GMT
that's a real Bobby dazzler with all the lights.please stop putting ideas into my head.her indoors will not be happy pizza looks very nice. I put some slices of salami with peppercorns and fennelseeds in it from morrisons..on mine recently and it was very nice in deed.
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Post by cannyfradock on Dec 3, 2013 12:17:36 GMT
Matty
Great pictures from yourself and Kipper respectively. It gives me that "goodfeel" buzz when I see you guys getting the best out of your oven especially this time of the year.
Lots of other stuff going on in the forum which I'll post or join in shortly.
(had a close family member pass away recently and on the way to the funeral my car also decided to die on me.....on the M4 (had to be towed back to Wales) Head is a bit twatted at the mo......shall be back posting soon)
Terry
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