Colorado oven Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss Colorado oven in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I don't think we have done a "best of the month" in a while, but I sure nominate this oven!...

[DrakeRemoray]

I don't think we have done a "best of the month" in a while, but I sure nominate this oven!

[MumsOven]

Nice brickwork Mark, Love the attention to detail

I cured my oven using just wood fires however I just kept the fire quite small - tried to maintain low temperatures for long period of time (days) then increased the fire size (more days) & so on. After about 3-4 weekends when I felt all the moisture had gone, I used the oven for cooking casseroles, roast's etc 160 - 200C for several days then fired to around 500C - to date no cracking in the dome, 1 hairline crack in arch.

[michaewa]

Mark - How far from the true center of the dome was the base of the arm? I like the resulting dimensions of your dome a lot, and am getting ready to cobble together a similar guide.

[drseward]

I don't recall how far off center the arm hinge was. I just determined the placement on site while building the oven.

I made the lenth of the arm so that the top of the dome was the height I wanted (the finished dome height minus the thickness of the lazy susan, plywood based, etc.).

I then set the soldier course and fastened the arm hinge on the turntable so a brick held in the clamp was positioned properly on the soldier course. You could certainly draw it out and determine the position, but I found it easier to determine the placement in place.

Does that make sense?

Mark

[michaewa]

Mark - it does, thanks very much. I'm in a bit of analysis paralysis at the moment, I think I just need to start going.

One other question regarding the tool - how did you attach the rod to the hinge? Was that a weld or some combination of off the shelf parts. I can't quite tell from the pics.

Your oven looks fantastic, and I really like your curing logic as well. The firing schedule seemed a bit haphazard to me as well.

Cheers,

Andy

[drseward]

Andy,

I just drilled two holes through the end of the threaded rod and attached it to one plate of the hinge with small bolts (I ground the rod threads a bit flat where they met the hinge plate). That was easiest for me.

I'll be anxious to see how your build goes.

Mark

[fxpose]

I think you can roughly determine how far off center to place the hinge by taking:

(radius of oven) minus (dome height or arm length, less thickness of base mount) = distance off center

[michaewa]

Mark -

Your suggestion on the indispensible tool was great. My dome doesn't look nearly as nice as yours but it has the correct dimensions, 42" with a 19" high flat(ish) plug in the top.

I'm going to do the vent transition soon, and was hoping I could impose on you to take a picture underneath your vent? I would like to see how you transitioned from the brick to the castable.

Thanks!

Andy

[drseward]

Hi Andy,

I don't have the photo you asked for. Now it's a black hole up there and would be impossible to see much in a photo. Here is a side photo that may provide some additional information to help out. The inside of the poured transition mirrors the external profile, so the slanted part of the transition is of even thickness. Does that make sense?

You may also be able to see that I made the outer arches completely detached from the inner arch and dome. From the inside, the entry is butt up against the inner arch. However, from the outside you can see there is about 0.75 in. gap between the entry and the inner arch. I packed this with insulation and it created a good heat brake between the oven proper and the entry. That worked out very well.

Let me know if I can do a better job of explaining anything.

Mark

[michaewa]

Mark - fantastic! Thank you very much! I may be past the point of leaving the gap between the outer arch and the dome, but I love that idea. Thanks again for the fast response - I hope to be cooking pizza within the next few weeks...