i need all the help i can get!!!

[hewynz]

hey im posting a new thread coz i need alot more information regarding my massive oven, i need to know what i need to put underneath the floor to help insulate it? any possible information that could help me would be muh apprecited as iam having a brick mason build my oven and he needs info 2.
im the guy with the 84" cooking surface in new zealand... so yea the more help from anyone out there the less stressful time i will have in the future, much appreciated guys.
thanks

[dmun]

I don't have time this morning for a lengthly reply, but a quick forum search for "super isol", which is the form of refractory insulation sold by FB, came up with two pages of posts on this subject, including a lot of discussion of the difference between vermiculite and engineered insulation boards.

This is a particularly worthwhile post by james, but I urge you to read everything related to insulation.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f6/i...ght=super+isol (Insulation Really Matters)

[CanuckJim]

I strongly suggest you have a careful look at this site: Sunnyfield - The Bakery Project for the construction of a large oven. Alf might be able to help as well.

Jim

[boccu]

Hi - just a thought from another NZ-based amateur oven builder! I did not find it easy at all to get all the materials as listed on the FB site, and definitely some of the more essential items are very expensive here. The fire bricks themselves would be a huge cost at approx NZ$6.50 each. I eventually got mine second hand off trademe (Kiwi version of ebay) because otherwise I would not have managed to finance this project. I used approx 160 bricks for my 42" oven, so you would be looking at a minimum of 320 - 350 bricks for your "megaven" - quite a cost if you go for new bricks.

For insulation I used vermiculite which I found in 100ltr bags from a hydroponics outlet. This cost approx NZ$45 per 100ltrs - do not buy the small quantities available from the horticultural outlets as these are amazingly more expensive!! I used 300ltrs for the base under the hearth and I have got another 200ltrs waiting to be used as an outer insulation over the dome.

I particularly liked the idea that someone else wrote of having two 42" ovens side by side or back to back instead of one very large one. If you build them next to each other on the same hearth you would probably use the same area as for the larger one. But then as you say, you know the best layout of your restaurant, and I'm sure that you'll manage with whatever you go for. As someone else also said - it's pizza ovens we're building here, and not rockets!
good luck!

[hewynz]

hey are you able to send me your email address boccu, so we can discuss this further its, helpful having someone else from nz that has built one

[CanuckJim]

Think about it. Back to front or side to side is a very good idea, because then you could manage different style breads at differenent temps at the same time. One could be very hot for baguette or such like, one could be cooler (relatively) for rolls or pan breads and so on. It would work, and the construction issues would diminish as the size diminishes. Good thinking, Boccu.

The way my bagel sales are going, I just might have to consider such a move down the road.

Jim

[boccu]

Hi hewy - I've sent you a private message with my email address on it. I prefer doing this rather than posting email address on the forum so as to avoid the spammers.

cheers
John