Drake's 38" Oven

[DrakeRemoray]

Thanks All, I could not have done it without this forum (in fact I was ready to build a barrel oven and I am quite sure I made the right choice by choosing the Pompeii instead!)

James, I ordered the cast concrete pieces from an architectural catalog.
Architectural Accents - Fireplace mantels, fireplace surrounds, columns, medallions, crown molding
Here is a link to their PDF catalog
This is a local distributor, I am sure most of you could find some sort of local guy. I found him through a friend who is a home builder.

The stone came in many colors and finishes, I was very happy with the product. I used it for trim around the edge of the middle of the whole enclosure, the arch, a decorative piece near the chimney and for the landing (the landing was a 3 piece fireplace hearth combined with a piece of trim underneath). I sealed the arch with stone sealant, so let's hope it does not blacken.

Jim, Magnum of Champagne sounds like a good idea. Magnums always remind me of the Count from The Sun Also Rises. Don't have the exact quote, but he brings in Champagne and comments that he prefers to drink Magnums, but they don't get cold fast enough. That is a problem I want to have.

Drew

[DrakeRemoray]

Also I meant to mention that mose of the cast concrete pieces in the catalogs I looked at are VERY large. After all, they are meant to decorate a house, not a pizza oven. I found it helpful to draw the profile of the pieces to actual size. At first I was planning to order a 6 Inch wide arch piece. The one I ended up with is only 3 inches wide...The 6 inch would have been out of proportion with the rest of the oven (I think...)

Drew

[PizzaPolice]

Beautiful! You have to be one proud papa.

[Ryan]

Drake,

That looks great. I thought the oven looked finished when I saw it in person a few weeks ago! That looks so good.

Congrats!

Ryan

[DrakeRemoray]

A few more pictures with the Bacchus mask that I got in Italy (In Manarolo in the Cinque Terra). Bacchus montiors my pizza parties and ensures that everyone drinks enough wine!

Drake

[asudavew]

Great Read!

I really learned a lot from all of your pictures and comments.

Man it looks great.

I must admit, my goal is much loftier now!

Thanks Drake

It's a beaut!

[DrakeRemoray]

Thanks, I am still active on these message boards, so post questions if you have any!
Drake

[DrakeRemoray]

I got a Private Message asking me for the dimensions of the oven overall.

The base is 64" deep and 56" wide. I was careful to make both measurements divisible by 8 to match the decorative brick used to cover the top.

The oven enclosure itself is 56" square. The vent sticks out a few inches. This gives me about 8-10 inches of landing space on either side of the vent (the landing hangs over the stand slightly) and about 4" in front of the vent.

This was a pretty tight fit for a 38" oven as you can see in some of the pictures, but I did not want to make the stand 2" wider since that would have been a problem for the decorative brick installation. Instead I used more insulating blanket and some creative stud work to keep as much insulation room between the oven and the walls. It worked fine, no heat gets to the outside walls.

The oven mouth is about 42" above the patio and the top of the chimney is about 8' high.

Hope that helps, let me know if there is another measurement you are looking for.

Drake