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Post by welshcole on Mar 8, 2012 8:58:34 GMT
Hello all,
Like many of you, I've been bitten by the wood-fired-pizza-oven-in-the-back-garden bug. I've read copious amounts and bought Kiko's book, persuaded the wife (quite easily) and started sourcing the raw materials.
Being in a bit of a financial squeeze at the moment, I really do have a pressing need to spend absolutely nothing (well, next to nothing will be ok) so I'll be spending my spring knocking on doors and collecting odd rocks and generally begging and borrowing enough to build a small oven. I've never done anything remotely like this before, being very much an office-bound pen pusher, so I'm excited to have a project like this. I'll confess from the off that I'm not familiar with lots of the technical terms that other members seem to use with great abandon so I'll apologise in advance if I gently bombard you from time to time with questions, the answers to which might be obvious to you but not to me!
My biggest problem is, as it seems to be with quite a few people, sourcing suitable clay. I'm hoping and praying that a certain site moderator who lives not a thousand miles away from me might be able to throw a few clues my way to point me in the right direction. I'm not allowed to dig up the back garden you see...
Any hints/clues/ideas/plain old hellp that people can throw my way will be hugely appreciated.
Chris
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Post by Fat Bob on Mar 8, 2012 11:47:00 GMT
We got our clay from the err... forest. Just dress up as a hiker with back-pack and a small spade secreted within your baggy kagoul. We were also lucky enough to find sand this way too.
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Post by cannyfradock on Mar 8, 2012 17:46:49 GMT
Hello Chris....welcome to the forum.....and welcome to the oven on a shoestring gang.
Many people on the old forum made ovens from mostly salvaged or raw materials.....my first oven build cost me no more than £100.
For the dome you have 2 options....reclaimed clay bricks....anything that was built from the 1900's to the thirties (the old imperial red bricks) are the next best thing to fire-bricks.....you often see them thrown in skips.
2... Clay build....like Bob said....if you know a little spot in the countryside....take a shovel with you. Under the topsoil you will probably find clay...or if you see any new builds or trenches being dug....they have to pay to remove the clay from site....slip them a drink and you will have enough for a dozen builds...or buy some from turf suppliers (On the lighthouse road between Newport and Cardiff are 2......they sell the stuff in bulk to local councils for repairing canals etc. I'm sure a private sale of a couple of bags of clay would be reasonable.
The only thing you should get right is the cooking hearth/floor. Normally it's fire-brick.....the next best thing is clay pavers (I have plenty of them out my back yard.....you're welcome to have enough for your hearth...it'll cost you a 4 pack of strongbow !!!
All the best......whichever direction you take.....and if in doubt.....keep asking.
Terry
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Post by Fat Bob on Mar 8, 2012 19:03:31 GMT
Sorry not entirely on topic - but if the clay is for repairing canals wouldn't it be blue clay? Not that I know if it would make a happorth of difference. Heading for google now...
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Post by rivergirl on Mar 8, 2012 19:09:01 GMT
I cannot remember who suggested it but head for a building site , apparently they would love to offload some !! oh sorry welcome aboard !!!
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Post by benjibong on Mar 9, 2012 8:45:31 GMT
I think it might be against the law to dig clay out of a forest so better check beforehand.
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Post by welshcole on Mar 9, 2012 11:31:59 GMT
Thanks to all of you for your replies. Thinking about clay, and not knowing of any building projects in my neighbourhood, I thought about graves. Not robbing them, but seeing if the local gravedigger is able to part with the clay from the hole. Seems to me that, as with a building site, they'll need to transport the material from the hole away from the graveyard so surely wouldn't mind if I took a car boot load away with me.
So, the plan for the weekend is to watch the rugby first and then take some time looking for building sites, newly dug graves, second hand fire bricks, rubble for the pedestal etc etc etc.
All provided the demon drink doesn't take over of course!
I'll let you know if I have any luck.
Chris
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Post by cannyfradock on Mar 9, 2012 16:58:50 GMT
Chris
....you've got your priorities right !
Bob....I've never seen what the turf suppliers sell as clay, but as you say....it's probably the real sticky stuff....the local's call it "bungem"??
I'd be interested in your findings on a google search.
Terry
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Post by Fat Bob on Mar 9, 2012 18:32:16 GMT
The information was difficult to find and sketchy - I know that blue clay is in demand for dams as it doesn't wash away in its wet form.
It seems blue clay makes very hard blue bricks and seems highly valued but no information for dumb idiots like me explaining the differences between different clays except for the different mineral contents.
I couldn't find "Clays explained for the Average man".
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Paul
valid member
I Dare You
Posts: 45
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Post by Paul on Mar 9, 2012 21:27:45 GMT
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Post by Fat Bob on Mar 9, 2012 23:06:50 GMT
Now all you need is a kagoul a back-pack and an entrenching tool...
On a serious note ... that is very useful info and shouldn't be hidden away on a thread.
New topic required - where is clay abundant.
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Post by cannyfradock on Mar 13, 2012 16:17:51 GMT
Now all you need is a kagoul a back-pack and an entrenching tool... On a serious note ... that is very useful info and shouldn't be hidden away on a thread. New topic required - where is clay abundant. Bob....Quite right....I think it justifies a new topic or at least a sub forum. It could have a few categories like "where to source"....type of clay, how to mix first layer.....how to mix 2nd or Cob layer...how to repair cracks etc....Paul's map is also quite impressive. In addition to my earlier post to Chris "Niel's Soils" just off the lighthouse road sells the dry brown clay and the wet grey clay (puddling)...it costs £12 a ton for either...half a ton should suffice for a fair size oven Terry p.s...£12 is minimum so a couple of bags or half a trailer full will cost the same as 1 ton. |
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Post by welshcole on Mar 13, 2012 17:03:34 GMT
Terry, Many thanks for that! I think that snippet of information will be the final piece of the jigsaw that I need to start work. Once the rugby is over of course  Chris |
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Post by cannyfradock on Mar 13, 2012 17:39:37 GMT
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Paul
valid member
I Dare You
Posts: 45
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Post by Paul on Mar 13, 2012 21:00:48 GMT
No problem. Glad to have been of help. Did you also copy the URL which allows folks to look at their local geology? |
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