Hello From Sunny Aberdeen!

[Vixxihibiscus]

Hello All,

Complete newby here! Excellent gardener; completely inexperienced builder (and a girl...but don't judge

I would have loved a Pompeii Oven. But realistically, the stage I am in my life (I have a small, small...they are expensive!) and owing to the fact that a foot below my garden there are millions of tonnes of bright orange clay, a Cob Oven seems to be the ideal choice. I have a vague idea of how to go about it. My Mums neighbour has a pre cast pizza oven and has given me the other half of the board he used to floor his...I'm hoping a kindly soul can tell me what it is and what I need to use it for (base for firebrick, floor or the actual floor...I don't want to poison anyone!)!? (I will post pictures tomorrow once I take some!) Also, I love the brick arches at the front of clay ovens and I want to know if they are better/worse and if there is a point to having them? Also, are they better with or without a chimney!? So many questions and I'm sure there will be more on the way. So Thank you in advance. (and yes, I plan on building this by myself...Whilst singing Aretha Franklin "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves"...I'll buy small bricks

[gracie]

Jul 15, 2016 23:29:22 GMT Vixxihibiscus said:

Hello All,

Complete newby here! Excellent gardener; completely inexperienced builder (and a girl...but don't judge

Haha! They are a friendly bunch of blokes on here...no need to apologise for being a girl...we make babies so cob ovens are a breeze! Check out as many build threads as you can before starting. I went round in circles ten times before it all made sense, but then it was fine. Take it one step at a time.
The front brick arch helps keep eyebrows intact when you have a 400c furnace in front of your face ...and they look pretty 

[Vixxihibiscus]

Jul 16, 2016 10:01:58 GMT gracie said:

Jul 15, 2016 23:29:22 GMT Vixxihibiscus said:

The front brick arch helps keep eyebrows intact when you have a 400c furnace in front of your face ...and they look pretty 

I'm quite partial to my eyebrows, So I'm definitely going to need that arch then! Also, I just really like the aesthetic of them. I might even have a bash at some sort of rustic chimney, too. 

*Goes off to do some reading*

Thank you, Gracie!

[oblertone]

Hello and welcome; as Gracie has said, the main reason for an entry arch is to support a flue,and the main reason for having a flue is to divert very hot gases away from the user ! Both Gracie and I quite independently used bullnose bricks to form the arch, I used them because they were free, and I think Gracie used recycled ones so do shop around before buying new ones.
The idea of a rustic chimney sounds great, but if you build a chimney from brick then it's going to be heavy and need a substantial support, that's one reason why lots of builders use twin-wall insulated pipe, because it is significantly lighter. A terracotta drain pipe can be used but will invariably crack due to the differential temperatures; but cob builders treat cracks as badges of honour, and your oven will function just as well.
Research is key to a successful build, so read lots and ask any questions before you start mixing mortar.

[coops]

Hi. Have you been able to source a local supplier of vermiculite in or around Aberdeen?

[gracie]

Jul 25, 2016 11:36:07 GMT coops said:

Hi. Have you been able to source a local supplier of vermiculite in or around Aberdeen?

Try Travis Perkins if you have one nearby.

[coops]

Thanks Gracie. Found one that's en route home from work

[Vixxihibiscus]

Jul 25, 2016 11:36:07 GMT coops said:

Hi. Have you been able to source a local supplier of vermiculite in or around Aberdeen?

Hey Coops, rather randomly, I got bags of it from Aldi! It was pennies and I just puddled it in with the clay. 

[Vixxihibiscus]

Hey Guys,

I DID IT!!!! All by myself and I could not be prouder of this little oven. It's a loooong way from complete. But it cooks pizza and it's been so long coming, I was too impatient to finish it before firing it up. I figure it's late in the year. I'll let it ride out the winter and I'll repair any damage and update it in the spring. I plan on adding an arch, chimney and a couple more inches of thickness. Smoothing it properly and adding clay stars. I also want to build a couple of clay tiki torch candles as our garden is "in the sticks" and is super dark! and a fire pit to keep the peeps warm while they wait for their pizza. Plenty of herbs planted though. I'm super excited to use it!

[clanny]

Great job! Looks like it got well up to temperature too.

Interesting that you found vermiculite in Aldi! How much was it and for what quantity, and is it in there all the time?

[Vixxihibiscus]

Oct 14, 2016 6:13:37 GMT clanny said:

Great job! Looks like it got well up to temperature too.

Interesting that you found vermiculite in Aldi! How much was it and for what quantity, and is it in there all the time?

Thank you, I'm having so much fun, cooking with it. It's probably my imagination/rose tinted glasses, because I love it so; I'm sure everything tastes so much better!

The vermiculite from Aldi looks like this...

www.offerscheck.org/vermiculiteperlite/aldi/2016/kw-8/284281

I hope that's the right stuff?! It's all puddled in there anyway and it seems to cook pizza!

[oblertone]

Love the picture with the flame licking out; that'll dry it ! As to the fire pit, great idea but keep it well away from the oven, you'll be warm enough and you need elbow room for swinging a long peel, so site it far enough away to draw folk away from your working area.