My New Oven "In Temporary Location"

[castiron]

I have been lurking on this site and others for a while learning and reading everything I could on pizza ovens.Here is my new oven that I just built.It is based on a design that I got off the M.H.A. " Masonry Heater Assoc.".web site.A lot of information on there site with some great Masons.I have been trying to decide what style to build and settled on this design.Easy to build and it is working great.I built this one in a temporary location and used RedART Clay and sand as a binder.Will use refractory cement when I build the permanent one.As you can see I got it up to almost 1000 today floor was about 500-600 degrees.Pizzas were taking about 2 to 21/2 minutes.Let me know what you guys think,and if you have any suggestions or other thoughts.Thanks.

[toddj]

Wow! Cool! but seriously, throw some more blocks under that hearth, hate for that thing to sag on you at full fire :-)

[castiron]

That's a great suggestion.There is actually 2 more stacks of bricks on the inside bottom area.I am thinking that I will have it up for a couple of months before I take it down. I'm new to this whole brick thing so on the permanent oven I will actually build a real foundation.

[toddj]

it just looks the main weight is on the cement board under your floor and i think it may give up on you. Cool oven though!

[dmun]

I did some google work about the redart clay: It's a dry potters clay that seems to retail for about twenty bucks for a fifty pound bag. Let us know how your arch holds up. This might be a good alternative for folks who can't get fireclay for the homebrew mortars.

[castiron]

Your right it is basically a potters clay.Really easy to work with.I mixed it 4 parts sand to 1 part clay.I did this oven with 1 and 1/2 bags.So far the inside seems to be doing ok. A few small line cracks on the outside,but no big deal.The good thing about it is that when I tear this oven down I can reuse the bricks...

[dmun]

...and reuse the mortar! Frances used a sand/fireclay mixture and her oven seems to be holding up fine.

[castiron]

Just another up date on my oven..It's been up for about a month now and I have fired it up about 6-7 times..Last night being the most recent.Pizzas came out great.my friends were really impressed.They were taking about a minute to cook.Oven temperature was abot 800-900.The red clay-sand mixture is standing up really good.On a side note,I was firing it up last week,when I heard some-one calling out from the side lot.I looked over to see who it was.I walked over and he informned me that he was the local "FIRE MARSHALL",my heart just started to beat faster.He said he was next door at the apartment's and noticed the smoke,and just wanted to make sure everything was ok.I told him that I was getting my oven ready for pizza.I just wanted to down play it,since I was alittle concerned about the location of my "temporary oven"..He inquired if he could come over and take a look at it,I said sure.He came over and was kind of impressed.He did not have any worries and said just to be careful.So I guess I was afraid for no reason at all...As far as I'm concened nothing beats home made pizzas.

[Frances]

Phew, that would have increased my heart rate, too! Its nice that he was impressed...

[DrakeRemoray]

Fire marshall...I am still dreading that visit (or from the pollution control folks), even though I checked it all out and it seems to be legal. I figure that I will just feed them pizza and all will be well...