Post by matt on Feb 28, 2012 20:13:24 GMT
My cob build from summer 2010 - copied from the old forum…
Hi folks,
Our build is continuing apace this Summer. My dad has done all of the brickwork, slab casting and hearth laying - and then he and grandma took my daughter away this week, leaving me with a week off to play with cob and add the domes. What a gentleman and a scholar
Here is a visual diary of progress - from adding the firebricks with the thermocouple in place, to making the sand former with a plywood profile, building the clay dome and then finally forming the clay and sawdust/straw insulation layer.
I've had perfect weather - the day I cast the clay dome was dry but overcast, so the mud mix didn't dry out on the tarp. The following days have been sunny, baking the outside and I've been lighting small fires inside to dry it out.
Nice and hard this morning so I added the insulating layer.
More to come. I'm off to Norfolk for a week so catch up with you folks, and more building in a weeks time.
-----------
The brick skin and perlite have now gone in and the roof structure is going up and I've splashed out on some cedar shingles for it.
-----------
The oven is almost done bar some finishing on the roof. We have added a cedar shingle roof and a copper flue (made from an old hot water tank).
I did my first successful bake last night and all went well. My overall impression was "wow, it was all worth it!". Here's a photo diary…
I went a bit gingerly and baked a 1kg rye/white boule:
Plus three 500g spiced orange and sultana sourdough batards:
-----------
Evening gents,
That's reassuring about the improvement of cob ovens after a few firings.
That door in the pictures is our 'Sunday best' one to keep the numerous neighbourhood cats out. We've got a smaller baking door which fits right inside and plugs the mouth, also plugging the chimney and the ash slot. Both made out of chunky oak by my dad's fine hand…
Hi folks,
Our build is continuing apace this Summer. My dad has done all of the brickwork, slab casting and hearth laying - and then he and grandma took my daughter away this week, leaving me with a week off to play with cob and add the domes. What a gentleman and a scholar
Here is a visual diary of progress - from adding the firebricks with the thermocouple in place, to making the sand former with a plywood profile, building the clay dome and then finally forming the clay and sawdust/straw insulation layer.
I've had perfect weather - the day I cast the clay dome was dry but overcast, so the mud mix didn't dry out on the tarp. The following days have been sunny, baking the outside and I've been lighting small fires inside to dry it out.
Nice and hard this morning so I added the insulating layer.
More to come. I'm off to Norfolk for a week so catch up with you folks, and more building in a weeks time.
-----------
The brick skin and perlite have now gone in and the roof structure is going up and I've splashed out on some cedar shingles for it.
-----------
The oven is almost done bar some finishing on the roof. We have added a cedar shingle roof and a copper flue (made from an old hot water tank).
I did my first successful bake last night and all went well. My overall impression was "wow, it was all worth it!". Here's a photo diary…
I went a bit gingerly and baked a 1kg rye/white boule:
Plus three 500g spiced orange and sultana sourdough batards:
-----------
Evening gents,
That's reassuring about the improvement of cob ovens after a few firings.
That door in the pictures is our 'Sunday best'
one to keep the numerous neighbourhood cats out. We've got a smaller baking door which fits right inside and plugs the mouth, also plugging the chimney and the ash slot. Both made out of chunky oak by my dad's fine hand…
