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Post by Calaf on Mar 19, 2012 15:17:59 GMT
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Post by Calaf on Mar 22, 2012 16:30:29 GMT
La Bella has had me doing other garden duties so have made less progress than I would have liked. Here you can see the front wal of the enclosure is set back from the base of the chimney stack to keep the weight back. These hand-made bricks are tricky to lay being quite uneven. The wall bonds into the stack but my inexperience with laying bricks is showing on the right side, third row where I made a stupid cut. The left is good. The 38mm ceramic fibre blanket is installed and covered with some Aluminium foil. It slotted in perfectly and the top of the vault has a double layer. Rockwool has been stuffed into the corner voids. The arch is a slightly different angular design. I thought this might make the door easier to make. The small cuts at the back are 30mm thick and will serve as the door jamb. The 5 remaining 80mm cuts are there waiting to be set. The block is the start of the chimney. Vermicrete was used where the block and bricks touch the oven to provide the final bit of thermal isolation. The frogs on the bricks are quite small so there is plenty of brick for the mortar to grip when making the arch.
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Post by baronkev on Mar 23, 2012 8:16:31 GMT
Is your arch a bit wonky or is it me? That brick on the top left doesn't look straight as well.
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Post by Calaf on Mar 23, 2012 10:22:43 GMT
Hi Baronkev, probably my arch is wonky.
The brick at the upper left is not mortared in yet.
The arch is angled with bricks configured in pairs. The first 'springer' pair is set at 45 degrees to the support, then it turns 30 degrees, another pair, then a 15 degree turn to the keystone. It may end up looking crap, I'm no Cannyfradock.
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Post by bighairyal on Mar 24, 2012 8:39:56 GMT
Crap, schmap! It is a thing of beauty - and something I would be proud to have in my garden, if I had the space and time to construct one.
Mayhap in years to come when I do have the space, and have developed the necessary patience to lay bricks neatly and tidily, I shall embark upon such a project - and then you'll see what 'crap' looks like ;D
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Post by cannyfradock on Mar 24, 2012 21:11:36 GMT
Totally agree with Al.....I think the brickwork looks fine. I love handmade or rustic bricks on an oven. No criticism, only a suggestion that the rear arch ......or any arch come to that, should be 100% full of mortar between the bricks.
Love the wood-store.....I'm having probs at the moment sourcing decent hardwood in my area.
Terry
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Post by Calaf on Mar 27, 2012 7:49:13 GMT
Thanks Al, very kind of you to say. Terry, as you suggest, I've vermicreted in the gaps as I think it best to have a smooth air-flow (and it adds a bit of support to everything). I paid particular attention to the joint between the 'door jamb' and the 'reveal' to give a smooth finish where the door will slot in. The bricks, as you can see in the photo, were chamfered and I did the same on the underside of the outer arch. I still need to do the pointing there and will tidy up the mess with brick acid.
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Post by Calaf on Mar 27, 2012 8:17:45 GMT
Over the weekend, Fri/Sat/Sun, I had 3 firings to complete the curing process before firing up in anger later this week. As usual I took ages trying to get the first fire going but the teepee method seemed to work for me in the end. On Saturday the fire started like a rocket in seconds. Leaving the wood in there overnight to dry/warm really seems to help. I raised the roof temperature to 500'C each time. Interestingly, the crack that I filled has not opened up. I think the chimney block is acting as a good brace. Not wanting to waste the heat I rigged up a Tuscan grill by placing a cast iron grill from an old barbie on the two leftover firebricks and pulling forward the coals. (FB can stick there £50 grill up their bottom.) We had home-made sausages and home-made burgers washed down with cider. On Sunday I tried a Focaccia. I didn't remove the coals, just placed the bread in and blocked up the arch with bricks. Came out just fine if a little dry on top. Probably due to air temp being slightly lower than the 220'C I usualy use for Focaccia. After I put a large piece of a dead pig's leg in a covered pot and left it overnight. Came out lovely and moist if a little overdone. I can see Mutton working really well in here. Heat retention is excellent. After 24 hours from last firing the roof temperature was still 65'C. And I still haven't made an insulated door. On the down side, despite my design, I think there is a lot more thermal mass than is needed. The roof temperature drops quickly from 500'C to 350'C after an hour's firing and the fire going down. I suspect the heat is still soaking through the mass and my suspicions are with the Ironstone storage heater bricks in the floor. Those things soak up a prodigious amount of heat. A 2 hour firing may be needed for Pizza, we'll see on Friday.
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wjw
valid member
Posts: 58
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Post by wjw on Mar 27, 2012 16:45:05 GMT
Looking great Mark.
Bill
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Post by Calaf on Mar 29, 2012 15:33:08 GMT
Front view and the chimney is nearly complete. One more course to go, then the cap. I've carefully pointed smooth inside the flue. At the top there is a wire mesh incorporated below the last full course. This is a warming spot for foil wrapped taters and wotnot. The front of the base has been capped with a Hardibacker tiling board and the whole thing lime-washed. This Friday is Judgement Day. It's the deadline by which I am expected to deliver SWMBO a wood-fired oven pizza. Or it's no beer for me.
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Tom B
WFO Team Player
Posts: 148
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Post by Tom B on Mar 29, 2012 17:45:49 GMT
That's a great build, Mark. The increased beer ration is assured, or there ain't no justice in the world
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Post by bookemdanno on Mar 30, 2012 12:19:48 GMT
Well done Mark! Top Class stuff! It'll work like a dream...Pizza and Beer o'clock is looming!
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Post by Calaf on Mar 30, 2012 14:57:05 GMT
Thanks guys! I'm all tooled up and ready to go... Just about to get started on the dough. Will make a batch of bread and I've prepared this dead sheep's leg (nice bit of Mutton from the Halal store) simply with Salt, Mint and Olive Oil and wrapped it up in foil.
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Post by Calaf on Mar 30, 2012 21:48:53 GMT
;D ;D ;D I think I earned my beer!
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Post by minesamojito on Mar 31, 2012 11:22:16 GMT
mmm that looks good pizza, definately earned that beer, must be great cooking on your oven! how did the mutton go? do you stretch or roll? i'm trying both to see what gets best results Cheers Marcus
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