Hello from Kent. Scared now!

[Deleted]

So like many here I've been lusting after a WFO for a while.

i moved to a house in kent with a decent garden last November, so now's my chance. Although having read up about it on this forum and other places, I wonder if I've not bitten off more than I can chew. I need to have the oven up an running by August for my wedding reception!

anyway, I've decided on a barrel vault design, since I'm a keen bread baker as well.

some questions....
1 - I was going to build it on the patio - it's a raised area topped with irregular shaped paving slabs - since its level. However now I'm worrying that it may not take the weight (since all the builds on this site seem to be on slabs)
2 - I was going to build a pedestal out of blocks and then top with lintels and paving slabs. Then an insulating layer, followed by refractory bricks. Thoughts?
3 - for the vault, do the fire bricks need to be tapered? Opinion on here seems divided.
4 - any way of cutting the cost of the fire bricks?


thanks and apologies for the flurry of questions.

marc

[downunderdave]

1. Make sure you have some solid foundations. You don't say how big an oven you're planning, but you probably need to pour a foundation slab.
2. That seems sound
3. No, but they should be staggered. You can probably get away with solid reds for the vault, but use firebrick for the floor.
4. Cut cost and time by using a castable refractory instead of bricks

[Deleted]

Thanks for the response!

Size-wise, not huge. I was thinking of a hearth size of around 82x92 cm (as per this site - pinkbird.org/w/Igloo_dome_vs_barrel_vault_dome_pizza_ovens) - so around 120cmx120cm pedestal?

I'll probably use firebricks for the vault. Staggered? So with each course offset?

Finally - castable refractory? Where is that used? As Insulation?

Thanks

[downunderdave]

Yes staggered means each course offset. A dense castable refractory (fireproof concrete) can be used instead of bricks. Look under "casting your own modular oven" on this site.
also for a barrel oven the end walls should be built under the vault, (rather than beside it), otherwise the expanding vault will want to push the end walls out.b

[Deleted]

brilliant thanks

[Deleted]

Right - so some playing around in the back garden with the chalk.

Assuming a semicircular vault - it looks like I'm going to need 13 bricks per arch - at 4 arches that equals 52 bricks.
Sides - 24
Back - 18
Hearth - 35
+10% and round up. = 150 bricks.

This will give me an internal area of 82(w)x80.5(l) - which seems a little short. Or do I count on the opening to give me the depth back that I loose by building the back wall inside the arch?
If I add another arch, that gives me an internal depth of 1036, which seems excessive...

Anyway, does this check out? I feel like I can afford 150 bricks (well, plus all the other stuff)