1st time build

[spookey]

Hi all,

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone on here as without this place I wouldn't have a clue how to even begin my build, reading other people's posts has given me new ideas, made me realise some of my own ideas won't work and made me take the leap and start my own build.

My goal is to do 100% of the work myself, there may be a little help from family and friends along the way but no shortcuts with professionals, for me this is as much about the build, the process and learning as it is the end result.

I have spent the last couple of months since we moved into our new house designing the back garden including the wood fired oven and BBQ, and finally I have settled on a basic design, there are still some tweaks to be made to the finished article. But the basics of the oven is now set in stone (quite literally).

The oven design itself is based on a Rado Hands masterly tail design (http://www.traditionaloven.com/1/masterly-tail-pizza-oven/masterly-tail-oven). For anybody that hasn't been to his site I highly recommend it. Anyway as I say based on his design with some tweaks, I have a sketchup design that I will upload, however it still needs some of the finishing touches added.

I figured I am very likely going to need lots of advice and guidance along the way and the joint experience of the folks on here seems absolutely vast, but it's only fair if I'm asking you guys for that advice that I share my journey.

So here goes, as I say the design process has gone on for 2+ months and a couple of weeks ago I decided I was set and made the decision to breakup the patio in the top right hand corner of my garden and start digging the footings and slab out. I don't have a before picture but as you see this is the finished footings (or is it)






I had a couple of weeks break then while I found myself a decent cement mixer at a good price on eBay (done) and got quotes from various suppliers for the ballast, cement, rebar, mesh, sand and blocks to allow me to do the slab followed by block work to hearth level. 
During this time I had a brainstorm and changed the design meaning by the time all the materials were delivered I had to resign th footings! My back might eventually forgive me for that.

So the next step, day off Friday, long bank holiday weekend and I decided to re-dig the footings, build the shuttering and lay the footings and slab.

Footings re-dug and shuttering done Friday



Materials delivered Saturday Morning




3.5 tons of concrete mixed and laid Sunday and Monday






To be continued...

[oblertone]

I'm in; love a good build thread !

[spookey]

Hmm anybody offer any advice on getting images right way up, quite annoying, posted them with Postimage.org?

[spookey]

OK been away for a long while and the oven stalled, getting married can wipe out your budget very quickly!

But that's 4 months ago now and just ordered the firebricks, will post a couple of images later on where I am up to and also some Sketchup images of the plans. I am after a little advice on a couple of things: -
1. What's the best thing to lay the Base bricks on, dry mix of clay/sand or wet mix like laying tiles, and if wet what mix?
2. What's the best homebrew morter mix for the fire brick arch, I really don't intend to cut each brick and didn't have the money to buy the pre-cut bricks, and seen some pretty good results with just using standard bricks and filling the gaps, just don't want to fill the gaps with a mix that will turn to dust after first proper firing.

Thanks

[oblertone]

Homebrew is usually 3-1-1-1 of Sand-cement-clay-lime; there are variations but I think this is the most common formula. As to laying the base bricks, I'm assuming you are talking about the oven floor; the need for a layer depend on how level the base is, a rougher base needs a thicker layer to set a level floor and this layer is usually dry mix. I used a vermiculite board directly under my floor, as this was perfectly level no screed layer was needed.

Keep posting.