oven curing Firing Your Oven Discuss oven curing in the Oven Management forums; i purchased a giardino oven dome from forno bravo. it had some small cracks on the outside of the dome ...

[thezaman]

i purchased a giardino oven dome from forno bravo. it had some small cracks on the outside of the dome to be safe i put a coat of refractory cement over it .i also put a coat of refractory cement under the floor. i the put the insulation on. i used a metal cover over all of this.i cannot get anything to light on the inside to help dry out the oven. i have been using two 100 watt bulbs to heat the dome. i am in ohio the weather is 32 to 38 degrees now. what steps should i take to cure this oven?

[james]

Hey Zaman,

Not to be nit picky, the dome didn't have cracks -- the outer layer can flake a little (where do don't see it after installation). :-)

You should just be very careful and follow the curing instructions. You should start and maintain a low fire and keep the oven at 300F for 8 hours the first day and 350F for 8 hours the second day. If you don't get in all those hours, you can spread the low fires over multiple days. The bring the temperature up 50 - 100F per day until you get up to 600F.

Take your time!
James

[thezaman]

james, i know it was surface only ,i felt like it needed a layer to increase thermal mass. it was overkill ,now it is taking forever for the coating to dry. that and the cold weather is really slowing me down!!

[james]

Hey Zaman -- if you split your wood down to 1" kindling size and add newspaper, you can get a small fire that is just hot enough for curing. The extra mass is fine (even good); the fires are slow to catch because everything in the oven is still damp. It will be fine!
James

[Neil2]

At first it dosen't seem like anything is happening but as the oven cures you will see a sudden increase in obtained heat levels with the same amount of wood.

[thezaman]

i cannot get a good fire in this oven everything smolders . there must be a lot of water in the oven

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

zaman,
is your wood dry,, can you burn some scap 2 x 4's which are sure to be dry to get a fire going ??

[thezaman]

the wood seem to be dry, i have been using some pre-cut packaged wood. the weather here is cold and snowy the oven is under cover,but the dome was covered with a layer of refractory cement that is probably not dry. would that contribute to the wood not starting?? i will try some 2x4 scraps.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Hey Zaman,
The oven being wet shouldnt contribute to not being able to light a fire,, I would try some small 2 x 4 pieces It sounds like your wood hasnt been seasoned long enough.. once u get a small fire going with the 2 x 4 you should be able to put your other wood in and get it going,,,,, How thick is the wood your using,, Was it sold to you as seasoned firewood ?? I also use a small propane torch to get my fires going,, and i will split up a 2 x 4 into kindling to help it light easier.....

[thezaman]

yes, it was sold as seasoned. i also have some scraps from local cabinet makers oak,and maple. they seem to burn a little better. i am afraid to use to much paper to start the woods the heat will run up to high, damaging the dome.