My 32" oven build has begun

[OscarA]

Hi Doug, thanks for the pics and tip.
I tried making a small fire prior to putting the insulation on the dome but had trouble lighting it.
About 6mths ago I collected a heap of green wood as we had a Council collection in out area and there was heaps around. I realised the 4-8 in diameter logs I collected are still green but the smaller stuff I tried burning looked dry but in hindsight I don't think it was. I tried burning it with newspaper and even got my butane solderer on it but it just wouldn't catch.
I checked this site for tips and saw some people used weed burners to light their ovens and after seeing a utube video I had to have one. I convinced myself that it was a good purchase as I also had weeds that needed nuking so bought it.
It is overkill but should be fun, lol and it only cost $60 delivered, cheap.

[cobblerdave]

Dear OscarA
Hows things? sick of waiting for the pearlite layer to dry I bet....
Just finished sealing the bare brickwork parts of my oven with "Bondall". I tell ya happiness is a dry oven. the rains up here have decreased now and we hav'nt had rain now for a week!! so I decieded to seal the bricks. Keep you posted on the results. One thing I can tell you it does darken the brickwork slightly... its not a bad thing as it brings out the colours of the different brick.
Had some fun lighting wet wood... don't we all at one stage or other. I supliment my Good hardwood with tree falls and off cuts. Store the stuff for months under the oven were its dry. The next day after a firing and the ovens cooled down I stuff a load in to dry and use it along with the good wood next time.
Recon dougs photo and method are spot on for fire lighting. Boy o boy there are some differnt ways of lighting fire from fire lighters to metho soaked tea bags. Recon though the Top to bottom method that Doug discribed is the best of tried. Though I have to put my 2 bits in as well I always use Pine kindling ( slash pine ) and keep a special box aside or it. I too saw the clip on the "weed burner" method and recon it really puts a spin on using only one match to light the fire. Good luck and please I would love to hear more on the WEAPON in use

Regards

Cobblerdave

[cobblerdave]

Dear OscarA
Just looked back through you thread and realized that you have set you oven off centre leaving you a great pizza making work area off to the side... now thats great idea...
Looks like I got a mate interested in building his own oven I'll pass that one on to him for sure along with open wood stowage of your stand

Regards
CobblerDave

[OscarA]

Hi Dave, sorry for the late reply.

Yes I did leave the oven off centre so I could have a work area but it's not going to be as wide as I wanted. When I first designed the stand I had the intention of a 32" oven going on it but as I upgraded to a 36" that's 4" I lost on the width of the work area. The width is now about 10" so adequate to have mixing bowls, trays etc and the preparation can be done to the right of the oven which has a usable work space. Ideally I would have loved 14-16" but compromised it for the larger oven size.
That's what's great about the internet you can post up your pics to give other people ideas and get ideas from other pics posted.
This build has come to a stop due to weather and work which is frustrating but hopefully I can string a few days together soon.

[cobblerdave]

Dear OscarA
Hows things down south? pretty bloody cold up this way... we havnt had a winter like this for a long time. Ran out a dry wood and resorted to picking up limb falls from the side of the road. Works for me and the dog loves to come. Takes about 1/2 hour to collect about a barrow worth which il burn for the standard 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Got lucky and a bloke up the street pulled down a fence he reconed come with the house...50 yrs old at least. Great burning stuff he even cut it to 300 mm (12in ) lenghts and tied it into bundles. Got about 2mtrs of fence....but bet the bastard the other 6 didn't drop of a hot pizza

Regards Dave

[OscarA]

Hi Dave

Sorry for the late response the oven and I are both been in hibernation.
I haven't worked on the oven in a few months due to the cold and wet weather. I have a tarp wrapped over it to keep it as dry as I can but I'm sure some water is making it's way in. I have 4 weeks of in September so that'll be when the oven finally gets finished. It's been a long build which shouldn't have taken so long but no regrets. My yard is a mess I have all this fire wood stacked up along the side of the house and the area around the oven looks like a work site. My wife has been calm about it all but if it stays that way after the the 4 weeks off god help me.
We keep having people commenting on how lucky we are to have a wood oven. I can't remember if I had mentioned it before but my wife was against the idea at first but now looks forward to seeing it finished. She even commented on it being to high for her until I showed her it wasn't which made her smile.
I'll keep this thread updated when I finally start working on the oven.

[cobblerdave]

Ok...its Sept.....you out of hibernation yet? I'm in trouble with the child bride at the moment as I havn't finished the kitchen yet....


Regards Dave

[OscarA]

Hi Dave

I have now started my holidays so this week will be spent relocating the clothes line. Put the line up first then finish the oven otherwise trouble

I will also be camping in Apollo Bay for 3 nights from Thursday so the oven will need to wait one more week before I get stuck back in to it.

It'll get done as I don't want to hear "I told you so" from my wife and father in law.
I have a habit of leaving jobs half done but not this time. The only thing that stalled me was the cold and wet weather. Spring is here now and cooking in the oven is something I'm looking forward to with the warmer weather coming.

[OscarA]

Well I have now rendered the oven and boy am I proud of the way it's turning out.
I Used reinforcing fibers in the render/stucco mix which made it a little hard to work with. Because of that I mixed small amounts which made it easier.

The render was done in two layers, first layer was basically a thin layer covering the vermiculite so the shape is a little uneven. The second layer had the fibers in it and was thicker. I estimate it was anywhere from 15mm thick to 50mm so I can get that nice round shape. I aloud roughly 5 days between layers.

Here are some pics

Render mixed in small lots



You can see the reinforcing fibers in the mix



Second layer being applied.



First layer only, you can see how uneven it looks.

[OscarA]

More pics, the second layer is all finished and the result isn't to bad.
Not perfect but not to bad.

View from the left



View from the right



Front view and yes the flue is slightly of center



All I have to do now is -

- water proof the dome
- get a cowl for the flue
- make a door for the oven
- tile the top of the stand/bench area
- do a tile border around the stand edge
- Make a door for the stand storage area left side only/ right side will be exposed and storage for wood.
- Make shelves
- render stand/concrete blocks
- acid wash brick arch

What have I forgotten, oh yeah make pizza's the rest of this stuff can wait.