SC Chris's 42" WFO build Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss SC Chris's 42" WFO build in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; Sunday July 26, 2009. I did get the insulation board affixed to the slab with 50/50 Fireclay and Sand. I ...

[SCChris]

Sunday July 26, 2009.

I did get the insulation board affixed to the slab with 50/50 Fireclay and Sand. I also got a preliminary layout using Dino’s built as PDF. I had to guess on the brick staggering from the rear arch brick, the ones that run into the oven and the bricks at the front of the archway. I guessed 2 inches. I went with a 20” wide opening and a 1 inch setback on both sides for the door to sit in. The 22 inches opens to 27” at the front of the arch. It all looks good now, but I may bring it in a bit. I’ll look at Dino’s 25 5/8” and think about how that affects the brick cutting and arch structure. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I picked up 200 bricks, $1.39 each, 10 cents more than the other two brands available. What I decided was these bricks were finer grain and more consistent brick to brick. I didn’t really have any idea what a 42” oven is going to take in the way of the number of bricks so I picked up 200 for a start, if I have more than I need, great, if I need to get more I hope they’re there when I figure out that I need more.

Let the brick cutting begin!

Chris

[SCChris]

Up.. :-)

I wanted to trim the fronts of the soldiers to create a tighter grout line, but in the end getting this with the 10" HF wet saw would have been a challege. I also cut back on the entrance flair to 25" from the 27 or so I had sketched. I still have a bit of floor work and need to get the arch base all mortared, up to 3 levels. Number 4 will tie into the second row of the oven. 45 and 1/2 soldier bricks down.

Chris

[Dino_Pizza]

Nice looking floor and soldiers Chris. You'll be fine with a 25" opening. I just had a 20 pizza party over the weekend and then 2 large roasting pans in it and was able to set them in and spin them around and my landing worked fine so yours will too.
Is that a planter wall with coping in front of your oven? Do you have to reach over it to get in your oven? I guess your counter will probably be close to that depth. Is that why you were asking about your wife reaching in the back of the oven? If someone doesn't have a long reach, they'll just use the middle & front of the oven. Or use longer tools. It's no big deal.
Your arch and arch wall bricks look awesome with that 1" reveal notch in it. That tie-in will make a really strong oven. Keep up the good work, dino

[SCChris]

Thanks again Dino, for the encouragement!! That is a wall cap you see below and it is going to be a bit awkward with my toes. I played with a pizza peel with a 3' overall length, and found that with a 4' handle plus the paddle, I'll be comfortable and so, I hope, should my wife. I'll likely put a 3' extension on this novelty peel when I get to that "pizza point" just to verify that the commercial version is or isn't needed.

Chris

[SCChris]

Slow but steady work this weekend, not all of it on the oven. I have soldiers plus 1 now and feel like the joints on this row are much better than the soldier row. I'm starting to understand the morter texture better. I have a few highs and lows but mostly the row is flatter than the top of the soldiers. I cobled up an indespensible tool out of a $1.35 caster, a 1/2 inch square rod and some aluminum. Getting the bricks cut with clean angles that facilitate the tight joints is a bit trial and error. I hope to get the next row cut before the weekend so Saturday morning is dedicated to getting it laid. Hopfully Saturday afternoon I can cut the next row and Sunday get it installed.


Chris

[SCChris]

The last couple of weeks has been slow going.. Honey Do's and getting the new deck in, have taken a bit of time. My son starts school in a week and then we're back to the normal schedule. Last weekend I got a course in and split the bricks trying to be oh so careful to get a 1/4" off of one side of the split. Well I doubled up on the cut and took a ½”.. Rrrrr.. I knew I was tired and it was time to hit the surf, down time.. What came out of it was the acknowledgment that I needed a tool to simplify the course brick cuts. I'm sure that someone else is using the same tool and that it's been in use continually for 10,000 years, but I needed to figure it all out and build one. I don't know if its folly, but I'll give it a go and report back. OK today I focused on getting the arch approach and support in place. The height of the arch in the dome will be 12.5, and I have about 90 degrees of dome. So of course, the corner off of the vertical is 45 degrees. I have decided to run a 5" by 20" opening that feeds a 8" diameter 36" tall chimney.

Chris

Chris

[Dino_Pizza]

I like your solution to the arch wall, angled bricks Chris. Looks good. I see the 1st brick is a half brick with the angle cut on it facing in. Will the bricks in front of it also be orientated like that?
Looking Good! - Dino

[SCChris]

Thanks Dino.

I'll push forward with the 45 degree angle on top of the entry wall to the front. In the smoke collection area I decided, what the heck, what's another cut to soften the horizontal to vertical transition.
No one will ever know, but I think its cleaner to soften this transition.

Chris

[SCChris]

Dino, my oven uses much of the info you posted regarding your build. Many thanks for the complete nature of your thread!! And also to those who have built before and share and have shared their experiences and expertise. Without this forum, I would never started this project / adventure.

At the moment I’m looking forward to getting the rear arch in place and continuing then finishing the dome. That said, I’m aware that I need to get the design for the entry to chimney transition clearer.. In a prior post I had believed that the 5 by 20 area between the rear arch and the forward entry arch would be sufficient to service the smoke. At this point, I’m not convinced this would be true. In the interest of over rather than under engineering things, I’ll be widening this. Since the chiming pipe is 7” on the inside, I’ll likely use this as the depth of the gap.

Chris

[SCChris]

Finally the inner arch is in!!

Hurah!!

Beer Thirty!

Chris