Paul's 42" WFO - Canberra Australia

[tinaloven]

some other pics of floor and dome.

I had 4inch (100mm) concrete base on top of that was as follows,
5mm of powdered eggshell (97% calcium carbonate) natural insulation. I washed the egg shell in bicarb soda to get rid of any leftover mucus and proteins. Left to dry then put in a food processor to get to fine powder. My mums a cook and we have plenty of eggshells after her daily baking.
next 40mm calcium silicate board for insulation,
Solid canberra red bricks,
and on top 50mm cooking tile.
all worked out previously to give me a cooking height of 900mm, Standard bench height.

ready to go.

curing was done with a cast iron gas burner for 6 consecutive days straight and increasing temps each day

[dmun]

5mm of powdered eggshell (97% calcium carbonate) natural insulation.

There's a new one. According to Wikipedia, calcium carbonate is the principle ingredient in chalk, limestone, and marble. In other words, I wouldn't count much on it as an insulator. The good news is that it's pretty much non-combustible.

Good looking oven, by the way.

[Muscats]

Originally Posted by tinaloven

some other pics of floor and dome.

WOW, it looks great!
Looks like you have plenty of thermal mass in that baby - should keep hot for a while.

[czaunb2]

Great idea with the eggs! Looking great.

[Muscats]

I have been working on by Indispensable Tool (lazy susan variant) - photos attached. this should give me a lower dome height 480mm (just under 19 inches).

[Muscats]

Inner arch and soldier course mortared in, now starting on the first ring

[tinaloven]

your going to have a great looking oven. well done keep it up.

[tinaloven]

dome with isowool (insulation fire blanket) 25mm thick. x 2 layers.
i sat and pondered for quite a while with the application of mortar shell straight onto the insulation. i erred to the side that i'd try and avoid sticking wet mortar straight onto the insulation but how could i do it. Solution was to use fiberglass fly screen! I laid it all over the dome see pics.

it introduced a breathable material and wholes small enough that the mortar would not overall drip through and stick to the insulation.

then I laid the chicken wire around for strength and support for the final mortar. The mortar I used was called "skim render" it dried a nice white colour.

I did two skins one at 25mm which pretty much covered all the chicken wire and the 2nd coat covered the rest as I made it as round and smooth as possible

[tinaloven]

continued work, moving on I did a second arch slightly lower that the first arch. I rendered this front as well i'm still trying to get all my photos sorted.

[Muscats]

In between days of 43 deg celsius and today down to 12 degs, I have managed to get a few bricks into the dome.
Now working on ring 4 and 5 - photos attached