building the oven

[Tman1]

This is a continuation of another thread that I started in the wrong place.
http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f21/...html#post98666 (Temporary Brick Oven)

The start of the foundation from some other stuff I had laying around. My son and a friend helped with the 'assembly'.
Foundation

1/2 done

2/3 done

Done!!

[Tman1]

We were able to fashion a crude door.


We lit our first fire and started feeding it!


My wife mocked me earlier this weekend since I had started to make a pizza peel (I didn't even have any brick) out of some leftover Ipe wood (usually used for decking material). It's super dense and strong, and... it was free. I only put an hour into it, so it's not perfect, but it works.

[Tman1]

Then it's the first attempt.
video

[Tman1]

It was VERY sooty on the bottom... lesson learned. We ate the whole thing though... cooked in about 30-45 seconds (I guess I could watch the video and determine from there).
video
obligatory upskirt photo...

[Tman1]

All in all, very happy! From start to first pizza.. 4 hours!!

[KraemerBAC]

Excellent...Now you can get started on your permanent oven!!!

Peter

[dmun]

When your oven roof and/or arch collapses, we'll help you to the next level, which will involve some cheap insulation, and some temporary mortar made from sand and fireclay.

We'll also try to talk you into making it a round dome.

If nothing else, some insulation under that floor will keep those portland concrete pavers from getting hot enough to fail.

In all, though, an amazing project for 4 hours.

[Tman1]

It doesn't seem like the roof will hold much, but it's quite sturdy. I do have some sand that I contemplated brushing into the joints for 'sealing' and somewhat better structural strength (minimally I know). You can't see it but I do have some insulation board under the brick (so there is the pavers, then a layer of brick, then insulation board, then another layer of brick which is the cooking surface,). With all that said, I do expect at some time it'll collapse, but that's that is the beauty... I could re-build very easily. A future pompeii is in my head. This was fast gratification.

[Tman1]

Also, we blocked up the door with bricks last night after we were done and just measured the floor temp now.... 172*f after 17 hours. I really wish I had the thermometer last night. I singed my unibrow blowing on the coals prior to the first pizza (actually in video).

[Tscarborough]

I need to build one of these. Once it cools off, I will.