Michael's 42in Pompeii Oven, Sydney Australia.

[PlanoPhil]

M
Love you workmanship. I will be building a simular layout soon and am learning from your experiences. Thanks for that.
I'm curious about the installation of the thermometer. Did you simple drill through the dome and insert the shaft and does it actually extend all the way through the firebrick into the dome or stop inside a brick?

Thanks and keep those great post coming.

Phil

[MikeyMann]

Hi John,

Yes eventually... I need to get more council permission for the pergola. They did say yes to the oven on the basis that was no actual rules for ovens, only BBQ's.

They said the BBQ itself couldn't be more than 4 sq. metres, and I couldn't commercially profit from the food!

But as far as pizza ovens go... he couldn't find any ruling in particular!

[Mitchamus]

wow great job!

[MikeyMann]

Hi PlanoPhil,

thanks for the compliments!!

It took me forever to figure out the thermometer situation... i looked at various types and positions.

In the end I decided on a thermometer with a 300mm shaft. It enters the oven through a hole that I drilled, about 7mm in diameter. The shaft extends into the oven by about 70mm.

I did it this way so it would measure the temperature of the air inside the oven, on the opposite to the fire. This is primarily for cooking roasts, fish, and other meats.

I don't bother with the thermometer reading when cooking pizza... I just fire it up until the ceiling goes clear and a sprinkling of flour burns immediately when I throw it on the oven floor.

It took a while to cut the hole in the sandstone... did it with a chisel and hammer, took about 2 hours but worth it in the end.

The photo included is before I grouted the tiles. I'll take another photo showing you the end result... it's pretty good if you ask me. It sits cleanly against the stone, and the sand/cement keeps it in place.

I dont' want to glue it in, I am convinced that one day the thermometer will fail, and removing it is simply a matter of gently tapping it out from the inside of the oven with a hammer.

Hope this helps!

FYI, I would have spend many many hours on the phone trying to source this thermometer... so much time... but worth it in the end. It's a beautiful integrated part of the oven.

[Mitchamus]

Hi mikey,

Great work on the thermometer,
But please just be aware that it will over-read from the radiated heat of an active fire.... just like a temperature gauge will read higher in the sun than in the shade...

cheers,
mitch.

[MikeyMann]

Hi Mitch,

Yeah thanks... I had a feeling this may be an issue... thats why I don't pay attention to it while cooking pizza. However... when roasting, I allow it to drop down to something like 200 degrees or less, and then there's never any flame.

It takes a while to get used to the oven... but each roast is getting better!

I'll take special watch tonight when I cook how the thermometer responds to flame. You've got me thinking now!

[MikeyMann]

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the delay in these posts, i've been working on so many things. The oven has changed a bit, and now I can proudly say that I am 99% finished.

I've thrown up some photos showing the various parts of the outdoor kitchen.

In summary, these jobs have been completed since last post:

Tiling & Grout
Sandstone & Grout
Sandstone cappings
Sealer for Sandstone & Slate
Slate Ridge Cappings
Chimney Cap & Spark Arrester
Plumbing of Hot & Cold Water
Plumbing of water waste to sewer
Plumbing of Natural Gas to BBQ and Side Burner
240V Power points installed and connected
Travertine workbench trimmed to size
Low power voltage power lines installed

I used Aquamix Enrich & Seal which makes the stone look wet, and it protects from oils, spills, dirt etc. Great product, just hugely expensive!


The only jobs remaining are to:

Install the low voltage lights (like garden lights on the oven wall). I am delaying this because we haven't decided on the lights yet, or how many lights to install on the pergola that I haven't built yet...

Move the bar fridge outdoors
Make timber doors for below the sink
Make timber eaves for under the slate roof overhang


So happy that it's almost over.... next job I am sure will be to replace the pavers in the backyard. They look pretty awful next to the oven!

[John K]

Hi Michael,

Looks great!! All that sandstone and slate roof give it a great feel. Love the gas barbecue and outdoor sink area. I'm sure they will come in handy.

Dependant on how you want the sandstone to age, ensure that you keep sealing it and especially the travertine. I have exposed sandstone at home and it went black after a year or so from the weather and it took some time to clean. In relation to the travertine it is very absorbent so seal regularly!

Keep those photos coming!!