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Post by neilos83 on Apr 28, 2015 16:56:19 GMT
Hello all, I have decided to take the plunge and start my build that i have been itching to do for the past year after discovering a wood fired oven in Montenegro and wanting one for myself. I started to do major work to my back garden so my little girl will have somewhere to play,and seeing as i was working out there anyway, i may as well put in some footings and make a start! My back garden is a very odd triangular shape, and the oven is going in the corner. My base wont be a usual square shape as I need to fit the dome as far in to the corner as possible. My plan is to build a block base, lintels supporting slabs. On top of the slabs will be thermalite blocks, fire brick base and dome on top of this, with the usual fire blanket and vermiculite insulation. I can easily fit a diameter of 1.2m in this space with allowance for an entrance porch, so i am hoping for 28-30" internal oven, but i will determine that once i have built my base proper. I have cast a slab of 120mm deep with re bar support to take my base and i hope to start the block work in the next few days. It will all be part of an out door kitchen that will incorporate a Belfast sink that was left in my garden (i think its from the original kitchen) and some slate surface that my neighbour has kindly given me that came out of the old brewery in Cadoxton up the road when it closed. Anyway, I will be posting photos of all my work so please give me some advice if i have done something wrong, its my first oven build! NEIL
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Post by neilos83 on May 25, 2015 20:08:41 GMT
UPDATE I have been building the block base for my oven! As you can see I have fitted the base as far in to the corner as possible. I had to cut the blocks to allow for the lntels. The lintels are just sitting loose for now. They will be cemented in next working day I have.
My cat Twix photobombed the first pic.
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Post by rivergirl on May 25, 2015 21:38:35 GMT
Looking forward to seeing this progress
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Post by neilos83 on Jul 16, 2015 20:46:49 GMT
So, last few weeks have been pretty busy, but I have found a few evenings to build the red brick arches. I have also cut some paving slabs that I had hanging around my garden. Unfortunately my 9" grinder died doing the last of the cuts so i will need to invest in a new one very soon. My next job is to lay the thermolite blocks i have bought on top of the slabs. Should I use a bed of regular mortar under these and should I lay then with no gap or mortar between each block? I am sourcing some fire clay so I can start building the oven proper soon!
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Post by cobblerdave on Jul 16, 2015 20:57:59 GMT
G'day Lay them on a mortar bed if you wish, but I'd be I'd be using a notched tile trowel to spread the mortar. The notched mortar bed will let you level the block easy just like laying tiles. No mortar In between the block however you want a single surface of uninterrupted insulation with out the mortar to transmitt the heat. Looking good Regards dave
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Post by neilos83 on Jul 22, 2015 19:35:27 GMT
Progress has been a bit slower than I planned. I had a bit of a measure up today and laid some bricks I had knocking about in a circle to represent my dome and entrance. These are not the bricks I will be using for the dome, I have fire bricks for that. I have an outside diameter of 1260mm / 50" and working backwards with 100mm firebrick, 50mm fire blanket, 75mm vermecrete and 25mm render i recon i will get an internal diameter of 760mm/30". The dome height may end up 50mm or so higher when I lay a soldier course before starting the dome. I think an opening of 380mm / 15" with a height of 250mm /10". Do these measurements sound about right or a bit small? Is there a rule for how much bigger my entrance should be than my opening to the oven? I was going to make it about 50mm bigger all around. I've got some red engineering bricks that I like the look of to make my entrance, I am either going to make it from fire brick and simply finish the outside with the red brick effect, or make the whole entrance out of the red brick. The slabs that will be under the thermalite blocks are the same height as the rest of my counter tops, I was thinking of cutting my thermalites to the shape of the outside profile of the oven including render and insulation so that i can still keep any surface that is not under the oven the same height. Is there any issue with doing this? Many thanks with your help so far. it's a learning curve! NEIL
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Post by spider44 on Jul 22, 2015 21:22:49 GMT
The firebricks are 230mm x 115mm x 76mm and usually they are chopped in half to make a thickness of 115mm laid with the rough (cut) surface facing away from the lining of the oven. Other than that the insulation of 50mm blanket etc sounds right.
The dome height will depend on whether you want a spherical dome which would be roughly half the diameter so about 380mm but you can have a lower dome if you like and it's worth exploring the advantages and disadvantages via the Forno Bravo website which has a good discussion of the relative merits.
Whichever height of dome you choose the general consensus seems to be aim for 63% of your dome height for the oven entrance height. The width is suggested to be at least 18" for a 36" oven but again its worth exploring the pros and cons of a large oven entrance both on the FB site and on the builds documented on here.
The entrance should be at least 1" bigger all round than the opening to allow a reveal against which a door can be placed.
An expansion gap is another option between the oven opening and the entrance arch / vent.
As regards the thermalights the functional importance is that they need to be under anything that you want to retain heat if you are using them for insulation. I would suspect they will wick up water if exposed to the elements but as long as they are going to be protected from the rain I'm sure they can be used to keep the heigh level but they will need some sort of protection from the rain. If you could put up a picture of what you mean it might help to understand as I may have got the wrong end of the stick!
Bets wishes
Patrick
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Post by neilos83 on Jul 23, 2015 19:03:23 GMT
Cheers Patrick. I am going to have a go at cutting some thermolites and fire bricks for the hearth this weekend as my neighbour has very kindly lent me his 9" grinder and diamond disc. I will have to repay him.in pizza when it's finished! NEIL.
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Post by neilos83 on Aug 23, 2015 15:19:45 GMT
I layed my cut thermolite blocks on a bed of regular mortar. I have cut these to the outside profile hopemy oven will end up. Also, i managed to find a few hours to cut my hearth blocks and got those layed as well as my soldier course. Once i saw the oven coming together, i couldnt wait to get my second course of bricks layed too, but alas today the weather has been miserable in wet wales.........it didnt stop me though, as swmbo was out, i ran in and out dodging the showers! , Ive been cutting my blocks with the old hammer and bolster. Will try and get a few more courses up next few weeks! Neil
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Post by oblertone on Aug 24, 2015 9:24:25 GMT
sorry, duplicate post.
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Post by oblertone on Aug 24, 2015 9:25:20 GMT
To avoid the frustration of building during the British 'summertime' I bought a cheap 2 x 2m waterproof gazebo from eBay which allowed work to continue. Looking good so far, please keep the pics coming.
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Post by neilos83 on Sept 1, 2015 19:31:19 GMT
Bank holiday update....
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Post by neilos83 on Sept 12, 2015 16:26:38 GMT
Today I closed my dome! I have been putting a few blocks on most dry evenings, much to the disapproval of swmbo! As I got to the last few chains the homebrew wouldn't hold the bricks so I used a method I have seen elsewhere on the forum. A giant beachball (£4 in argos) inflated in the dome. Just put the last few bricks in. Will find out tomorrow how it looks inside. Fingers crossed!
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Post by neilos83 on Sept 12, 2015 17:36:59 GMT
Question re my outer arch. My neighbour has given me a load of these red bricks I know they were made by the aberdulais brick company that used to be just down the hill from me, and they were made from waste slag from the tinplate works. Would these be suitable for my outer arch, or would I be best making the arch from firebrick and making a false arch from cut down red bricks so it has the appearance of red brick. Does that make sense? I'm open to suggestions.
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Post by oblertone on Sept 13, 2015 6:59:31 GMT
Your red bricks will be fine for the arch; indeed I'd have been tempted to do the whole dome in them, but that's what comes from being a Yorkshireman.
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