Oven curing

[Riccardo]

All,

I have just done the first two firings.

I note that some hairline fractures have apeared during the second curing on the dome.

Is this going to cause problems in the future and is there anything that I should do to fix it.

Also, I note that some of the posting talk about firing the oven to a certain temperature and then letting it cool whereas others talk about firing it for a minimum of 8 hours.

I have been doing to later and getting it up to the identified 300F in the second firing.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Ric

[SCChris]

Your small cracks are normal. Just remember during this phase, low and slow. Take your time, you have the time to do it right, be conservative during this phase.

Chris

[Riccardo]

Hi Chris,

I'm into my 5 days of firing and now, in particular one crack, has grown to the point where I can just see the fire inside.

I was thinking of going over the dome with 1 inch of refractory motar to help seal any gaps. That means that I'll have to start the curing process over again but atleast I should be able to rid any crack and or gaps.

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Regards,

Ric

[SCChris]

Hmmm? At 5 days you should be close to finishing the curing. I don't have any experience with a crack like your discribing, but from what I hear, once dry the oven shouldn't be quite so dynamic with respect to opening and closing cracks. I think I'd let things cool down and then fill the gaps. I'm no expert here but I'd bet that because the dome is dry, or close to it, your, post crack patching, curing won't be as painfull. If you decide to render then you're right, you're going to have to go slow. Have you considered patch the gaps and build a house around the oven? The advantages that I see are more control over the water proofing and the ability to use more insulation.

Chris

[SCChris]

Riccardo,
Remember that unless the cracks are structural you're good to cook. These ovens are very forgiving.

Chris