Casa 110 installation tale

[jwnorris]

I have been lurking in the background for several weeks now and it time to start posting my tales. I live in Orange California and do not have to put up with weather delays and such.

I bought a Casa 110 from Forno Bravo a couple three months ago and this morning I lit the inaugural fire on my way to pizza heaven. Seven days seems so far away, yet so close.

I’ll be posting photos as soon as I take the time to figure the proper method to do so, or I’ll be providing a link to Google’s Picasa. Nevertheless, back to the start of the journey…

After a long internet based learning process, along with a visit to several manufactures locations [caught James in Healdsburg at the vineyard before he escaped to Florence] I decided to build the Casa series. I had difficulty deciding between the 90 and the 100. I finally choose the 100, after all bigger is sometimes better.

When I called Tammy to place my order she said that they had just shipped their last 100 and that they did not have any on order. However, just waiting to clear customs was a couple of 110’s. So, I ordered the 110 as what difference was another couple of centimeters [more on this later].

In the meantime, my prefabbed BBQ island structure was delivered [of course, based on my earlier intentions of buying a 90 or 100] and put in place. The base section for the 110 is constructed of square steel tubing with several cross supports at the top and a support in the center. It handles the weight with out any problem. The outside corners are five feet wide with a cut corner, as the oven will set in the corner of the island with one side against a block wall. The outside of the island is covered in cement board.

I decided to use SuperIsol as my base as a simpler installation [in lieu of concrete and vermiculite] and placed it directly on the cement board top of the stand. Long screws secured it in place. I had insured that the stand was level prior to installing the insulation layer.

More to follow…

J W

[dmun]

Originally Posted by jwnorris

I decided to use SuperIsol as my base as a simpler installation [in lieu of concrete and vermiculite] and placed it directly on the cement board top of the stand.

Good grief! Is this a horror story?

Images are easy. Hit the "postcard" icon above the message box, and paste in the URL of images hosted elsewhere, or hit the "manage attachments" button below, and upload a small image on FB forum.

[jwnorris]

Originally Posted by dmun

Good grief! Is this a horror story?

Not sure what you mean by "horror story." Afterall, the concrete slab is for support and I have plenty with the tubular metal base [in a way similar to what James sells at FB]. And the traditional cement/vermiculite layer is an inslation layer to retain heat and that is what the SuperIsol does.

I lit curing fire #2 yesterday and I hope to be cooking by the weekend.

More to follow...

[jengineer]

I think DMUN might have had a tongue planted in cheek

[jwnorris]

Originally Posted by jengineer

I think DMUN might have had a tongue planted in cheek

Just started on my first cup of coffee of the day and after a full weekend of oldest daughters horse show, I seem to a little slow on the uptake and still recovering.

I hope to be able to post a few photos with my next episode in the continuing saga...

[jwnorris]

Once all the SuperIsol board was cut, glued and secured in place, it was time to set the floor. This is when I started to realize just how large a 110 was when I had based all of my earlier designs on a 90 or a 100. I was looking a little tight on the one side that is up against the block wall. Oh well, I’ll just stuff it full of the insulating blanket.

I started to secure the floor with a layer of refractory mortar [as detailed in the installation manual], however the SuperIsol sucks up any moisture [or water for that matter] that it was fruitless to try to use mortar. Flooding the SuperIsol did not help.

Ultimately, I decided that only a major earthquake would shift the mass that this oven would become. I set the floor on the base directly on the SuperIsol and concluded that all was well.

My nephew came over to help me set the dome pieces in place. I figured that he was the best person to help, after all, I have him to thank for pushing me over the edge and deciding to build my own oven. Last summer he built an authentic mud over that he is still using, although it looks a bit rough on the outside now.

More to follow, and hopefully some photos…

Curing fire #3 last night was a success. The dome reached about 400F and the outside stayed cool. The ambient temperature was in the mid 60’s and I could not detect any hot spots on the dome.

[dmun]

First, I'm sorry about my last reply: I had visions of your oven sitting on just a quarter inch of cement board. I'm glad it has lots of metal structure underneath.

I'm just to the same point in the process as you, and have made the same decision: My pompeii style brick floor will be placed directly on the insulation board. I figure if there is a major earthquake in the NYC suburbs, that a shift of my pizza oven won't be the lead item in the news.

As the riggers say, gravity always wins.

[james]

JW,
You are very close. This might be the time where you can roast a chicken and a pan of potatoes -- or a scalopine with lemons and capers in a stainless steel pan. The oven is curing, and getting ready for 700F+ pizza cooking, but that doesn't mean that you can't take advantage of the heat in the oven. Your oven isn't ready for Pizza Napoletana, or a long retained heat roast, but you can still have some fun!
James

[jwnorris]

No, I had the sense to use 1/2" cement board.

[jengineer]

the other option was to lay down a 1/8 inch mild steel tray on top of the welded framework.