Mobile Oven in Refractory concrete Getting Started Discuss Mobile Oven in Refractory concrete in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; Hi All, I am starting a project of building a Pompei designed oven on a trailer. I am French, I ...

[Seb's]

Hi All,

I am starting a project of building a Pompei designed oven on a trailer. I am French, I love cooking and I want to learn how to build an oven,... I want to have fun making pizzas and other meals, and if I like it, maybe make some money with it, someday... but for now it's not my purpose (I already have a job).
I choose to do it in refractory concrete because I think it's simpler that with bricks and it may handle the transportation's vibrations better.

I would like first to thank James and the FB team for providing detailed and pretty complete plans. I've been surfing on internet (US and French) a lot to find plans and advises and they are the best, so congrats and thanks! ,)

I just bought my trailer and I am working now on the plans and have few questions (especially for James). The purpose is to build an oven as light and solid as possible.

- I will put the concrete structural support on a wood board. Does it need to be 3.5" thick as recommended in the plans? Any other alternatives?

- I will choose the 2" calcium solicate insulating board to put on the top.

- For a 42" oven, what should be the dome's refractory concrete thickness? So far, I go for a 4.5". What do you think?

- Insulation: I would like to avoid the vermiculite or perlite concrete (weight), so I was thinking about the insulfrax + mineral(rock) wool. What do you think, and in what proportions?

- How thick should the exterior wall be?

- Also (and finally...,), what dimensions do you recommend me for the vent landing, the entry arch ans the oven landing?

Well, thanks in advance guys for your precious advises.

Seb

[eyepatch]

Hi Seb, wish I had some advice for you. I'm in the same boat. Researching the idea of a mobile pizza oven. I've built a "pompeii-ish" style oven and I'm in the process of doing another one for my new house. As soon as it is done I'll launch into the mobile effort. I'll be sure to share any of my findings.
Good luck!
Mike

[Seb's]

Thanks Mike,
and good luck for you too! I will post on this forum the evolution of my work.
Ciao

[dmun]

I'm not sure that a refractory concrete dome would be up to the stress of road-bump vibration, even if reinforced with the stainless steel needles. If it broke apart, it would be a heart break because the materials are SO expensive.

If you don't want to go the modular oven route, you may want to consider the steel dome approach:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f43/...oven-3717.html (Steel Dome Oven)

Wiley's oven has refractory material as the thermal mass outside the steel dome, but you could easily use a cheaper fireclay-sand mix: what would it matter if it cracked, it certainly wouldn't leak.

[Seb's]

Thank you Dmun for your advise.
Nevertheless, I still think that the bricks with refractory mortar is more fragile and subject to cracks than a dome in refractory clay, and almost all the modular ovens on the market are made with refractory clay.
Wiley did an amazin job with his steel dome but I am not crazy about steel...

Overwise what do you think about the dimensions?