Started my pizza oven

[daniel5455]

I was limited in the space i had so my oven floor is 2.5" of concrete and rebar and 3.5" of vermiculite and portland with some rebar. My hearth measures 55" deep by 52" wide. What size oven is recommended with this setup? I need to know the inner diameter of the oven.

[Les]

You put rebar in the vermiculite? Probably very little harm, but I think you are the first to do it.

In regard to size - I'm seeing around 27 inches ID. 52 - 8 inches for enclosure - 8 inches of insulation - 9 inches for the size of brick = 27 inches. Of course any of the above numbers can be tweaked.

Les...

[james]

To max out your hearth, you could try:

1" stucco enclosure (2x1/2")
6" FB blanket (2x3")
8" dome (2x4")

That gives you a 52"-15" = 31" oven. Not bad.
James

[daniel5455]

my plan was 52 - 7" for 2x4 framing - 5" insulation 2.5" on each side - 9" for firebrick = 31"

what do you think. Im laying the floor now.

[Les]

Originally Posted by daniel5455

my plan was 52 - 7" for 2x4 framing

You will have to cover that with something, most likely 1/2 inch Durock - that will add an inch.

You may consider using metal studs - if you rotated them 90 deg. and with proper bracing, it will save you a couple of inches. Another thought is to use 1/3 brick - don't know if anyone has done it but I see no reason why it couldn't work. And one more thought - if all you are after is the elusive pizza, you could skip the insulation altogether. I don't recommend it because I feel that you should get more out of a firing than a couple of pizza's. The difference in labor between a small oven and a 42 inch one is pretty much squat, I would try and squeeze every millimeter that I could out of it.

Just my thoughts - Good luck.

Les...

[daniel5455]

i drew a 31" diameter circle and that looked too small. If i go with a 35" inner diameter and leave 3 1/4" on each side for the enclosure and insulation what is the down side to this?

[james]

Hey Daniel,

I think 3 1/2" (3" of FB Blanket and 1/2" for lathe and stucco) works for the enclosure, but don't forget to calculate in the thickness of the oven dome.

If you can find the space for a 35" (internal) oven, rather than the 31", I think you will appreciate the extra space when it comes time to start cooking.
James

[daniel5455]

Here are some pictures and all i have left on each side is 3.5" I want to frame this out with 2x2 and cover it with durock but i will plaster the dome with vermiculite and portland and then pour loose vermiculite in the open space to cover the dome.

What do you think? what is the temperature supposed to be in the inside for makeing pizza and bread. Also the inner diameter is 34.5" now. I want to make sure before i make this layout perminent if this will work.

thanks for all your help.

[dmun]

As James said, I'd stay away from wood inside the oven enclosure. If you design your enclosure so that your framing stayed away from the two sides and the back, and you only had the thickness of the cement board next to the oven extremities, you would have more room for insulation.

[james]

I'll second that (or did I say it first?) -- no wood in the upper enclosure! Use metal studs, where you can offset them from the outer edge of the dome to leave more room for insulation. I've done that myself.

Still, you have to leave space for the ledger board that holds the metal studs together.

For the thinnest possible upper enclosure, stucco and lathe are thinner.
James