WFO progress in Kansas Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss WFO progress in Kansas in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; you can also cut wooden wedges to hold the angles, Ah yes, Mr. President, but that would require cutting angles. ...

[cecilB]

you can also cut wooden wedges to hold the angles,

Ah yes, Mr. President, but that would require cutting angles. heh heh heh.
And I'm not as good with other kinds of saws, now, as I am with a wet saw!

I don't see how you get the inside edges to line up so close together using only half bricks.

I didn't cut the tops of my soldiers at angles, so I put wedge shaped half bricks on top - it looks sloppy - but, right, it'll be all closed up and no one will see the outside.

I got a little done yesterday - around the arch and a little bit on the dome. It was so windy! My son came out and cut bricks for around the arch as I needed him. What a guy!
Tomorrow supposed to be sunny, but a bit chilly - oh well, it'll just make the water seem nice and warm.

c

[asudavew]

I used half bricks until I got to the last 5 rows or so. I switched to 3rds at that point.
It tightened the joints a bit. But the vertical joints will continue to get bigger unless you taper. I didn't taper and my oven looks fine on the inside.
And it cooks one helluva pizza.
Not to mention, steaks, ribs, brisket, turkey, bread, stuffed mushrooms, etc etc etc

[cecilB]

Well, thanks everyone -
We have had a perfect week of weather this week and unfortunately I have not been able to work on the oven.
Finally yesterday afternoon I went out and just cut some bricks for around that arch. That is my hurdle.
Then today I went out there and started looking around and cleaned out the inside of the oven of all debree - leaves, rocks, mortar - and put the indispensible tool in and the whole thing is just way too off...
Put it this way:
Two young mothers were walking by with their little babies and they asked me how it was coming. My reply was that it's like sewing: you sew some, and you rip some out.
I took out a lot of rings.

Later,
Cecelia

[Nabber86]

Cecil,

Where are you located in Kansas? (I am in Stilwell). This weekend is going to be nice weather to finish up your oven dome.

[cecilB]

I've never heard of Stilwell - We're about 20 miles west of Topeka in St. Mary's - straight down highway 24.

Nope - no finishing up the dome - I ripped out all the way down to the last two rings above the soldier course.
It was going too crooked and wavy. And I was NOT happy with where the dome and arch were meeting...
SO, I ripped out and cleaned up all the bricks today. Luckily it's so breezy out because the @#$!! gnats are SO bad. I'm covered in them! And when the breeze dies down you can hear them hitting the plastic and they're like a magnet on you - they just cover you.
Gross.

Where is Stilwell?

Cecelia

[Nabber86]

Well I hope you are making progress. Despite the bugs, the weather is great this weekend. I had the oven fired up all day yesterday. Made several pizzas as well as roasted chickens and 2 loaves of bread. Getting ready to do some pot roast in a dutch oven today.

Not too may fellow Kansans here I guess. Stilwell is just south of Overland Park. Most people around here are into BBQ (I have been been doing competition BBQ cooking for years). This pizza oven cooking is really awesome. Hurry up and get yours done so you can join the fun.

[cecilB]

Well, I made the progress of ONE ring - but used the indispensible tool and it seems much more even. However, the dome to arch - HELP!!! We wasted quite a few bricks trying to cut them to fit. Then the section on one side of the arch fell in! There just wasn't enough support under it to have done more than one row in one day.
Any advice will be appreciated!

SO...patience. Good things come to those who wait!

Yes, Kansas - especially the KC area - is barbeque. But we've gotten so many questions about what we're doing that I bet this is a trend people will get into.


I've been doing pizza a bread for a long time...but nothing professional....yet.

c