Widening my entrance

[toblyfy]

Hello hello,

New to the forum.

My lockdown project was building a cob oven (with a chimney). Now that I've used it half a dozen times, I've noticed that my oven entrance / door is just way too narrow to load in multiple loaves of bread, more than one pizza, oven trays etc.

I've been thinking about trying to widen it by soaking the inside walls till they are soft enough to cut with some wire or other tools. Atm I think I would soak them with wet tea towels over the course of the week. Would this be insane? I could do more harm than good? or do you think its a safe bet since cob is so forgiving anyway, I could just rebuild the entrance if it went badly?

[truckcab79]

Do you need to wet it? What about a multi-tool and cut it more precisely. Slightly more expensive option but available these days for about £40 and will give you much more precision and control I would have thought.

[toblyfy]

I don't need it wet no. I hadn't thought of using a multitool. You mean like an angle grinder or something? I don't have one but might be able to borrow off a mate. Have you got any other suggestions?

[truckcab79]

A grinder might work. Although on the small ones the cutting depth isn’t that great and the big ones are great but cumbersome to use.

I meant one of these.
www.toolstation.com/bauker-300w-multi-cutter/p54984

Great tools to have. Multitude of blades that you can swap on it. It’s £40 you don’t need to spend if it’s just for this one job possibly. If that’s the case I think I’d still cut it dry but use a hacksaw blade without the handle. Not too fine a one as you’ll be there all day. Drill a couple of holes to get it in, then away you go. Slower but you should get a nice neat line. If it’s starts wandering off your line drill a new hole and start again.

If you want something with a handle look for a pad saw. Tend to have coarser blades though.

like this
www.toolstation.com/roughneck-pad-saw/p76863

[nilly71]

Probably be easier using an angle grinder with flexible sander disk. I use it on the fire bricks, so might work on cob.

www.toolstation.com/semi-flexible-disc/p57283?store=BU&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gclid=CjwKCAjw5p_8BRBUEiwAPpJO6-vPoUEEtZP-6grEJ05eG70_Wmaxa-QL-6Wyc7q0I8LrgMBslKf9RxoCekoQAvD_BwE

[downunderdave]

A reciprocating saw would be a better alternative, with far greater blade depth. An old hand saw is another alternative tool often used in mud brick buildings.