Foundation/Pompeii vs Barrel vs Clay

[kaneabel]

Hello!

This is my first post on the forum. I was researching ahead of my oven build which I am hoping to start over the Easter weekend, when I stumbled upon his brilliant forum!

I have two questions:

1) A few members have mentioned a need for a strong foundation. The place in my garden where I would like the oven already has a floor of tightly laid stones. The foundation feels pretty solid so I was just planning to build on it rather than laying down a concrete foundation. Any thoughts on anything I should keep in mind? Only hitch is it slopes slightly which I am hoping to level off during the brick laying - again, welcome any thoughts on this.

2) What are the advantages/ differences of the three major oven types in terms of baking quality/ other factors as well as ease of build (I am a complete novice)

thanks,

Kaneabel

[chas]

Hi Kaneable and welcome!

Difficult to advise without seeing it, but if impatience to get going/attractive cobbled base outweighs casting a weight-spreading slab of concrete over it, or using weight-spreading paving slabs, go for it.
The floor needs to be stable... it's going to be supporting a considerable weight of oven etc and probably in pointloads - narrow bands of brickwork - which might cut down into it. If that happens unevenly you'll get distortion, maybe cracking - but the worst case is a rebuild, and most of us would probably like that to have a chance of making a better Mkll...

As for the three main types, I'd say the barrel gives the chance of more floor area as for any available working width you can make it deeper front to back than the Pompeii which is circular, and clay requires relatively little brickwork skill and can be made smaller than either the other two, if that's an attraction.
I'd venture few build an oven and say "gosh, I wish I'd made it smaller"...

Keep us posted!

Chas

[cobblerdave]

G'day
I'm with Chas with the whole base. It's a full "unit " able to support the weight of the stand and base and oven. Not little individual pieces....
As for "3 types"? black or white ovens ? That's internal or external fires.
Shape. Pompeii low or high. Arched vault ?
Construction type. Cob? refractory castable ? Brick( of all discriptions) or even steel
Please I'm not trying to confuse ...
But Wood fired ovens are Wood fired ovens, lots of difference. But which one?

Regards dave

[rivergirl]

Good luck! I am going Cobb again , because it's fun and cheap!