firebrick arch vent question

[mrgweeto]

Thank you for the great advice. We were even thinking at one point to make a step back smoke ledge that you have in a conventioanl fireplace. I do think we are over thinking this. The bottom line is we want the oven to be that best it can be and our first pizza in one hand with a glass of home made wine in the other by Memorial Day. I'm sure I'll be asking a lot more questions in the coming months.
Thank you,
G

[DrakeRemoray]

I too was very concerned about smoke stains of the front of the oven, so I cast a vent to allow a larger smoke collection area below the chimney. I think it helps a lot...

My vent stuff starts about here:
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/8/dr....html#post3690 (Drake's 38" Oven)

[mrgweeto]

Thanks again everyone. Don't remember reading this much when I was in college......actually didn't read anything as interesting as this in college. I plan on taking a lot of pictures as we begin. I was thinking of producing a video (what we do ) but I would spend more time on the video than the oven and I WANT THAT FIRST PIZZA SOON. I'm thinking that the hardest part is going to pour the cement (most bull work) even though we are getting an industrial powered cement mixer from a friend. I will have to get some youth to help.
Thanks again

[gjbingham]

David S.
Great description of overfueling the fire and resulting smoke problem. Very accurate synopsis.

[david s]

Regarding smoke stains on the outer arch, if you are doing mosaic tiles then use glossy tiles and a black grout. Any smoke staining comes of really easily. I think after you've had an oven and done lots of cooking in it then the "used look" becomes part of the whole experience.

[gjbingham]

David S. - I concur completely. Master Christo's teachings inspire us to embrace our smoke stains. I finally relaxed and have only cleaned mine once, and that might be the last time.

[chertupper]

Wade, hi.

We are total newbies at the forum. Hope we're not breaking etiquette to directly ask you a question, rather than posting it. Anyway, saw your comments ...
Re: firebrick arch vent question ...

and want to ask your opinion of dampers and doors. We're building a 42" oven for our cafe in Arizona and are about to order the chimney pipe and oven door.

Do you think installing a damper is a good idea? Or rather would it interfere with the air flow?

Also, can you point us in the direction of some information about oven door installation and how it impacts what you can do with the oven? We want to bake bread as well as pizza and heard that you put doors in both the inner and outer arches of the entry tunnel.

Thank you in advance for your reply, Cheryl & Gary

Originally Posted by wlively

I doesn't matter much as to how high the arches relative to each other. It is more importantt to get the dimesions and "flow" of the hot gas correct.

As a precaution I made my outside arch 1/2" lower than the entry, but it turned out insignificant. IMHO you want the chimney opening in the arch as wide as possible and no sharp corners. You want to make it easy for the smoke to flow out and into the chimney, so corner cut or round off the hot side of the chimney entry opening. The chimney opening in the arch should be larger area than the area of the the chimney itself as you want to increase the gas velocity which decreases air pressure to increase draw. You want to make a smooth path for exhaust flow, sharp corners creates turbulence which slows flow. The taller the chimney the better the draw, but not by a large number in our application.

You can also just set a pipe over a square hole and it will work. But if you decide you want to have the best drawing chimney you can build, then like the rest of the oven it will take some planning and work as well.