First Post here :)

[Lburou]

Excited about this new project: A WFO!

A friend recommended this site and I'm happy to be here and glean from this specialized knowledge base and the corporate memory each veteran member brings to the table

Feedback for Admin follows -You asked for it :

As I look around the site, I'm interested in "Best Practices" for building a Slab, a Base, an Insulated slab under the oven, the best oven plans, the basic materials, tools and where to get them. I'm interested in pictures with captions spelling it out for those of us who are low on the learning curve. I'm interested in actual WFO plans, like the pompei plans. I'm not going to be a purist, but, I'd like to see all the plans available without any copyright infringement.

From a newbe's perspective, a formal Knowledge Base, or forum if you will, containing the best/most current information available to illustrate the major phases of WFO construction would be an answer to the needs of a newbe.

[Lburou]

I have poured a 8' X 9' reinforced slab and made the oven base so far

ADDED after the oven was finished: I came to my senses, modified my base and built a pompeii oven as close to the plans as I could manage....And, I'm happy with it. So, disregard my original paragraph below

Made a run to Mineral Wells, Texas for some used fire brick today. Planning to use 2" thick bricks for the floor (shorter heating time) and standard sized brick for the walls and top arch of a barrel oven (yes, I know a barrel oven is frowned upon). There is a whole mountain of clay there, the same color as the fire clay I bought last week....May take the pickup back and get some to use as fire clay. If anyone in the North central TX area needs used fire brick, PM me and I can pass the contact info on to you, there is enough brick for several more ovens available.

Will gather more materials this week and get ready to pour the slab on the base.

[mn8tr]

I was not able to use a pre-cast or purchase a set of plans. First of all I am by no means an expert except what I have learned from my own built/mistakes. This is how I was able to make it work for me.

I had some drawings that I had done and decided how large my oven could be based upon blending in with the existing landscape and hardscape. I broke the project down into various stages. I spent a lot of time on this site reading as much as I could about each stage of the project before I bought any materials.

Once I was comfortable about the next phase I would buy only the materials needed to complete that portion, and then repeated the process many, many times over.

Foundation, stand, slab for dome, dome, insulation, vermiculite/cement over dome, counters, stucco, painting, tile, finishing touches.

Every build is different so be flexible. This schedule worked for me but depending on the size, style and complexity of your project some changes may be necessary. Just have a plan even if it is in you head and go for it.

Enjoy you build.

[lwood]

It's all here. You just have to look for it. I would start by downloading the free building plans from this site.

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by lwood

It's all here. You just have to look for it. I would start by downloading the free building plans from this site.

Would love to, where can they be found?

[Ken524]

Welcome!

The plans are here:
Brick Oven Plans | Build an Italian Brick Oven

They are located in the FB store. You'll walk through the purchase process but you won't need to enter a credit card.

Once you download the plans, read over them a few times and start reading discussions on this forum (I spent months reading before I picked up my shovel). There are as many ways to build an oven as there are builders.

As for best practices, you absolutely won't go wrong if you follow the plans.

Good luck and keep us up-to-date on your progress!

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by Ken524

Welcome!

The plans are here:
Brick Oven Plans | Build an Italian Brick Oven

They are located in the FB store. You'll walk through the purchase process but you won't need to enter a credit card.

Once you download the plans, read over them a few times and start reading discussions on this forum (I spent months reading before I picked up my shovel). There are as many ways to build an oven as there are builders.

As for best practices, you absolutely won't go wrong if you follow the plans.

Good luck and keep us up-to-date on your progress!

Extremely helpful, Thank you!!

Any more plans out there online?

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by mn8tr

snip.... I spent a lot of time on this site reading as much as I could about each stage of the project before I bought any materials.

Once I was comfortable about the next phase I would buy only the materials needed to complete that portion, and then repeated the process many, many times over.

Foundation, stand, slab for dome, dome, insulation, vermiculite/cement over dome, counters, stucco, painting, tile, finishing touches. snip

Thanks, I'm an analytical person also, I must gather a lot of information before I act.

Go big Red!

[Tscarborough]

The FB plans are best practice, to the point of massive overkill on certain aspects for certain areas of the world, like DFW.

If you want localized best practices for a particular aspect of your build, consult your local suppliers and trade associations.

The best investment you can make is simply to grab a beverage and read through the posts on this board. There are many threads with step by step builds, including many pictures.

As for other plans, I can tell you from a professional standpoint that there are no better ones than the free ones offered here, and there are many out there that are not really that good, if not downright wrong.

[Ken524]

Lburou,

I started out just like you are. I scoured the internet for plans and ideas. I found NOTHING that came close to the comprehensive plans that FornoBravo provides for free.

This forum is very much biased towards the Pompeii Oven design and I think with good reason. Before I built my oven I had NO masonry experience. I am an avid do-it-yourselfer but have never tackled a project like this. Many others here have much less experience with tools than I. The really cool thing is that all of us who built using the Pompeii plans have working ovens. And they work AMAZINGLY well.

We often have visitors to the forum who built ovens based on other plans (or no plans!). They ask us why their ovens aren't performing properly. Almost all the problems other builders experience could have been eliminated by following the Pompeii Oven plans.

You found the right place for Wood Fired Oven info!