Troubleshooting fire maintenance

[Neil2]

Before you lower the dome (which may be a tricky process), why not do a temporary floor raising as Wiley suggests ?

This will give you definitive proof on whether or not the door height to dome height ratio is at the root of your problem.

[shuboyje]

Personally before doing and modifications I would get some scrap metal and build a simple draft door like in the illustration I made. There is a ton of turbulence in the vent area of a oven due to the exiting exhaust and the incoming air hitting each other and mixing. By dividing the two airflows with a door like I show you will supercharge the air flow. If it's an airflow problem this will fix it and then you will know and can decided on a permanent fix that doesn't block the door.

That said I personally don't feel it is an air flow issue.

[etheil]

It sounds like I need to relax a bit and just keep firing the oven to clear the moisture from the vermiculite layer. There has been a marked difference between having fired the oven the day before adding that layer and the performance of the oven since.

Thanks so much to everyone for your input.

Eric

[DrakeRemoray]

Hey Eric,
What kind of wood are you burning? I have had good luck with Oak from Rocky Mountain Firewood on Iliff. To me it sounds like your wood is just not dry.

[etheil]

Drake,

I'm burning oak from Rocky Mountain Firewood (not the oak they get from new mexico, the barked oaked, but the stuff they get from Kansas I think.) It wasn't until my last visit there about two weeks ago that I found out how they stack those piles. All of the older wood is to the back of the pile. I was usually starting at the front and working my way back. That would explain a lot.

Eric

[ThermoJax]

I also think you should oven dry your wood, using the leftover heat from the last firing and a door. What a difference. I can take pretty fresh wood and after a couple of days in the oven it burns really hot. Also, try out the wife's blowdryer. That will really get things going, plus it's fun as all get out.