*** First Fire *** Newbie Forum Discuss *** First Fire *** in the Good Background Information forums; thanks to you all for your help and encouragement here and in other posts, there is an incredible amount of ...

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

thanks to you all for your help and encouragement here and in other posts, there is an incredible amount of knowledge between all us experts and not so experts. I have learned so much just by reading alone, then the practical experience. I am still waiting on my concrete polishing kit that i talked about in another post... will let you all know how that goes.. I have been cooking regularly now and am just waiting for a weekend when the weather will stay good for 2 days to stucco the dome. My only problem with the build is that i have my chimney too small on the exit from the oven and a lot of smoke seems to bypass it... I may get out the grinder with the masonry blade and see how much i can cut away before i decide to re build the arch and chimney. as usual i am open to any and all suggestions.. In closing (for now) Thanks Everyone... tonight i am cooking dirty steaks again.... REALLLLLY GOOOOD
Mark

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

hey all,
have cooked about 30 pizza's already, oven is working great,, 3 small cracks in the vermicrete.. Im not worried they make it look like an experienced oven, I also still have to stucco the dome. So they should dissapear.. you can also see the 4 inch solid rock maple counter top i added to the side of the shed in the pic.. now for the landscaping

Mark

[Kingfisher]

cover your oven with plastic for 3 days so that the concrete and morter do not dry out. The plastic traps the moisture that will be drawn out by the days heat and allow the to concrete and morter to reabsorbe the moisture that it would have lost. Do not fire for at least 3 weeks. My oven is designed to crack over the first 8 firings and then a silican resin is put in the cracks followed by a final rendering.Kingfisher

[dsgreco]

must feel great to get that fire going......enjoy the fruits of your labor!!!