Newbie from Fife

[clanny]

Hello everyone, I'm Sean and I live in Dalgety Bay, Fife,Scotland. I've been wanting a WFO for a while now and last year I managed to buy a half pallet of refactory bricks (probably 40-50 with some being 4x regular brick size) plus 8 tubs of refactory cement for a bargain so it's game on. 

Ive identified the location in the garden where I want to put it, and I've checked out the local planning regs so I don't fall foul of them (specifically how close I can go to my boundary wall). Now I'm looking for some rebar for my founds and also looking to buy a 2nd hand cement mixer which I'll sell on when I'm done - I'm assuming it'll make the mixing much easier. I still need some concrete blocks and whatever facing to make them look good, plus the insulant for the dome and under the hearth although I'm guessing the firebricks will help as well as adding thermal mass?

I've never built anything like this so its all a big adventure and I'll need to do a lot of research into the various aspects. I've still got a lot to get together but I'm happy to go slow and make it right, although it'd be great if it was up and running for the summer. Weather round here is only just getting to the point where I can pour concrete (it was still snowing a few days ago). I'm thinking about 4-5" of foundations should do?

Im looking to cook bread, pizza, tandoori, naan and bbq stuff in it (can I cook bbq stuff in it? Does it take the bbq flavour from burning wood?) so any suggestions on any aspects would be much appreciated.

Is there anyone nearby who has built one? It'd be nice to speak to someone who has and see what their experience was like. Also, to help find local suppliers (although I've been scouring gumtree for bargains).

All the best,
Sean

[chas]

Hi Sean, and welcome. You'll find the build sections here a great resource, and do ask questions...

Though it's gonna be a while, the cookery part of your post is well demonstrated by these posts from Dave (cobblerdave) back in February. I have to put the link as we don't seem to be able to c/p images and text) it's Feb 10th on:

ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/thread/1983/norfolk-build?page=3

Have fun!

Chas

[miniadventure]

hi Sean, Im over in Dalkeith, Midlothian. can i ask where you sourced your bricks from, im after some too. what size are they? cheers Simon

[clanny]

Hi Chas, thanks for the welcome. I've been reading the forum for about the last month solid now. It's great that everyone has put the time in to help us newbies out.

Hi Simon, I was in a power station that was being decommissioned, through work, and there was a half pallet in a loading bay. It was going to the skip and it was all brand new still in the cling wrap. It had all been bought to repair an industrial furnace. sorry, probably not the answer you were looking for I guess.

I've managed to source a cement mixer, wheel barrow, bricky kit, finally found some A142 rebar and I've got the hole started. It's astonishing how long to have to dig and how long it takes, and then you look I the hole and it feels like you could fill it in with a bucket of sand!

[clanny]

Thought it was about time I added an update. Last year I laid the foundation and then work took over. By the time that had returned to a reasonable 11 hr day, the winter had properly set in and so I left it. Still been picking up materials from free cycle and gumtree but every time I get something new, the plan changes.

Anyway, I bit the bullet and purchased a pack of 6" concrete blocks locally for £24 (32 blocks) and set to work. I'm now at the stage of starting to cut the firebricks for the oven floor. I'll start a build thread soon and post up some pictures.

[neilos83]

Get some pics up. Looking forward to following your build.

[clanny]

Ive started a build thread here:

ukwoodfiredovenforum.proboards.com/thread/2543/barrel-vault-build-leaning-tower?page=1&scrollTo=22900