Life and durability of Pompei oven

[Les]

Originally Posted by james

I have always had trouble understanding the logic that the Italians don't know how to build Italian brick ovens. That has never rung true for me.

James - I married an Italian, I think they are perfect as well

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by briot

They participated in an Alan Scott workshop down in California. I suppose they are sold on that type of oven and they seem very happy with the one they built. They seemed to think there were more structural problems with Pompei and the domes were more prone to cracking.

If they are happy with their oven, that's the important thing.

As far as cracking; any oven built with brick and mortar simply has to crack somewhere. The physics of thermal expansion an contraction guarantee it. Some cracks are big, some are small. But they are there.

Even with this knowledge, we all are a little disappointed after we fire our babies up the first few times and discover the inevitable C-R-A-C-K-S.

I promise... Allen Scott ovens develop cracks as well.

[karl]

Cracking is a result of uneven thermal tension and discontinuities in the oven structure. Stress concentration occure at all discontinuities in the design and when thermal gradients exist (during heat-up). A dome (spherical shell) will usually have less discontinuities than a barrel oven as the barrel have end walls. The main discontinuities in the Pompei design is around the door opening and the dome/floor interface.

karl

[james]

Originally Posted by Les

James - I married an Italian, I think they are perfect as well

That explains everything!
James