Hello from Western Washington

[Wiley]

Hello all, I live with my wife and two dogs and a cat on a small island in Puget Sound. We are planning on building a small bread/pizza oven this summer. I'll post photos as my project progresses.

Other interests include sailing, gardening, home theatre (high Def), and letterpress printing.

Here's a photo I took of a wood fired oven that I was told was either built or rebuilt by Paul Gaugaun on the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. I took the photo in 1977 on my first voyage to the South Pacific (1977-80). By the time of my second voyage (1983) the oven was no longer used and the local bread was being made by a "modern" facility on the island. I have other photos of this oven should anyone wish to see them.
Wiley

[DrakeRemoray]

Welcome!

We would love to see more pictures of that oven. Have you downloaded the free pdf plans yet from the forno bravo store link?

Drake

[Wiley]

Hi Drake,
Yes, I have downloaded the plans they offer. I also have just finished reading Daniel Wing and Alan Scott's book "The Bread Builders, Hearth Loaves and Masonary Ovens" which is very encouraging.

The area where I live has several basalt quarrys and I am curious about using this "traprock" in constructing my oven. Alan Scott makes particular reference to using this material in oven construction. The oven on Hiva Oa was also built with basalt although it looks brick lined. Unfortunately back in 1977 I was using a 110 film sized camera and it was not until 1979 that I had the film delveloped. The tropical heat did not help in maintaining high quality images either. Here's a couple more of the young bakers mixing the dough and shaping the loaves etc.

[gjbingham]

Welcome Wiley! Great pics! I love the dough work pics. They sure put out a lot of bread, huh?

What Island are you on - Small Island - Mcneill? Just kidding - Bainbridge, Herron, Anderson, Fox, Marrowstone???

[Wiley]

gjbingham,
We live on Marrowstone, we bought land back in '89 and started building our own home. Land here was inexpensive then, now one cannot find one acre for twice the price we paid for five. We are in the rain shadow of the Olympics and so only get about 18-20 inches of rain each year :-)
I was in commercial fishing and my wife had her own small home business, we have both since retired...early :-)
Wiley

[DrakeRemoray]

Hey Wiley, I too found this site after reading the Alan Scott book, paid for his plans too...but ended up building the pompeii. If you read enough here, you will probably do the same, unless you really need professional volumes of bread.

Welcome!

[gjbingham]

Wiley,
Great to have you here. You'll add to the growing list of West Coast ovens.

My siblings and I have a dilapidated beach cabin on Marrowstone that faces Indian Island. I still have a house over at Keystone, on Whidbey. Too cold up there for my blood though.

[Wiley]

Thank you for the kind welcome.
This is a great group of interesting people, I was sort of concerned that it might be a clique of afficinados of one type/style/manufacture of oven and am pleasantly surprised that it has a wide selection of DIY creative thinkers who are willing to try different and perhaps slightly heretic ideas on oven construction.

Also good to hear you/your family has land on Island. If ever you get up this way please PM me first and we can get together :-)
Bests,
Wiley

[gjbingham]

Will do Wiley.

Post pics of your build. We love to watch!

[Xabia Jim]

Originally Posted by Wiley

Thank you for the kind welcome.
This is a great group of interesting people, I was sort of concerned that it might be a clique of afficinados of one type/style/manufacture of oven and am pleasantly surprised that it has a wide selection of DIY creative thinkers who are willing to try different and perhaps slightly heretic ideas on oven construction.
Bests,
Wiley

you don't have to be crazy....but it helps