Alex’s Pizza Kitchen (APK) build, Central Coast, NSW Australia

[Bert]

Here goes nothing!

Hi Alex aka Bert from Central Coast, NSW Australia. I plan on building a 1100mm or 43inch Pompeii Oven with sandstone veneer, preparation counter and possibly a spit or grill. I broke ground 16/04/2011 or 04/16/2011 for our American friends. Like many others I have caught the bug and now obsess over the WFO and this forum.

I have had a challenging start, I needed to remove 4 Lillypillies (Australian Native), 2 x Callistemon roots (Australian Native – cut down some 4 years ago), a Queensland Fire Wheel Tree (Queensland Rainforest tree) and a Robinia (bloody awful tree with thorns).

The Robinia took me 4 hours and the Lillypillies came out fairly easy. The Queensland firewheel tree on the other hand is a nightmare I have given up on removing the entire root ball (I have spent about 4 hours with a mattock, crowbar etc trying to remove it) and will be cutting it down (below final ground level) this weekend weather permitting.

My current train of thought:

 1100mm diameter dome
 150mm footing
 400x200x200 Besa block stand in filled with reo
 150mm hearth
 Refractory insulation 75x115x230
 Refractory floor tiles 300x300x50
 Insulated with FB blanket
 Clay bricks (if I can find them) 75x115x230
 Homebrew mortar brick sand, fireclay, Portland cement
 Sandstone veneer
 Ash drawer
 Lighting recessed into hearth
 Brick chimney
 Hose
 Speakers
 Electricity socket

Current costs= $10.00 chainsaw sharpening and several $100 is beer supplies.
Weight loss = 5 kilos

I plan on attaching plenty of photos but they are currently 18 megapixels so I will need to reduce them.

Looking forward to lots of constructive guidance as I continue.

Cheers

Bert

[Mike D]

Go Bert Go. Can't wait for the pictures, keep it up.

Mike

[brickie in oz]

The ash draw is unnecessary.

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by Bert

I plan on attaching plenty of photos but they are currently 18 megapixels so I will need to reduce them.

Try this
PIXresizer - Download

[Lburou]

Originally Posted by Bert

Here goes nothing!

Hi Alex aka Bert from Central Coast, NSW Australia. I plan on building a 1100mm or 43inch Pompeii Oven with sandstone veneer, preparation counter and possibly a spit or grill. I broke ground 16/04/2011 or 04/16/2011 for our American friends. Like many others I have caught the bug and now obsess over the WFO and this forum.

I have had a challenging start, I needed to remove 4 Lillypillies (Australian Native), 2 x Callistemon roots (Australian Native – cut down some 4 years ago), a Queensland Fire Wheel Tree (Queensland Rainforest tree) and a Robinia (bloody awful tree with thorns).

The Robinia took me 4 hours and the Lillypillies came out fairly easy. The Queensland firewheel tree on the other hand is a nightmare I have given up on removing the entire root ball (I have spent about 4 hours with a mattock, crowbar etc trying to remove it) and will be cutting it down (below final ground level) this weekend weather permitting.

My current train of thought:

 1100mm diameter dome
 150mm footing
 400x200x200 Besa block stand in filled with reo
 150mm hearth
 Refractory insulation 75x115x230
 Refractory floor tiles 300x300x50
 Insulated with FB blanket
 Clay bricks (if I can find them) 75x115x230
 Homebrew mortar brick sand, fireclay, Portland cement
 Sandstone veneer
 Ash drawer
 Lighting recessed into hearth
 Brick chimney
 Hose
 Speakers
 Electricity socket

Current costs= $10.00 chainsaw sharpening and several $100 is beer supplies.
Weight loss = 5 kilos

I plan on attaching plenty of photos but they are currently 18 megapixels so I will need to reduce them.

Looking forward to lots of constructive guidance as I continue.

Cheers

Bert

Hello


It sounds like you have done a lot of good planning. I have one question and one comment:

• How much of what kind of insulation are you planning under the oven floor?
• Several people have commented that they should have done more planning for tool storage -long handled peels, brushes and the like. You may want to consider that.

Good luck

[Bert]

Thanks for the encouragement Mike!

Brickie, ash tray is a new idea after I read 'Your Brick Oven' by Russell Jeavons. I see your point, I thought it may make a good feature at the front of the oven but it will take quite a bit of extra work to form up the hearth so that idea isn’t set in stone yet. re pix resizer, thankyou but I was one step ahead as its one of my standard programs on my PC.

Lee

Insulation will be 75x230x115 refractory insulation bricks placed over the oven footprint…similar the what Karangi Dude used on his build. He seems to be getting good results. This will replace the vermicrete layer I guess.

Tools – I will hang them up in the garage which is close by. I may make some holders on the side for when I require them by the oven. Thanks for the suggestion…I hadn’t thought of that.

Cheers

[Bert]

Some before pictures of the area!

[Bert]

Pictures of some of the stumps I removed and the subsequent mess I created.

I'm borrowing a chainsaw this weekend to remove the Queensland firewheel tree. I have an electric one and its crap (not powerful enough for stumps). I had the chain sharpened and subsequently hit some sandstone so it was blunt after one cut.

Picture of me and she who must be obeyed levering the Robinia. Very lucky she is very supportive of the project and helps me when she can. Handy hint if you ever want to remove stumps make sure you leave plenty of stump this was of great benefit.

Picture of my stockpile of Gosford sandstone and rumble to be used under the footing.

Also I've figured out how to attach the thumbnail but does anyone know how to place the actual picture in the post??

Cheers

Bert

[Alter ego]

Bert next time you have stumps to remove try using a "turfer" style hand winch like in the attached pic. It will make it much easier and you need to do far less digging.

Tie one end to a nearby solid tree and the other end to the stump and start winching. If it is a small stump you can generally pull it out without any digging. For large stumps, as the tension starts on the roots you can see where you need to dig or which roots you need to cut.

I have pulled out lots of stumps with this method after first trying to simply dig one out.

It doesn't work so well if you haven't got anything solid to tie the winch to.

[Bert]

Originally Posted by Alter ego

Bert next time you have stumps to remove try using a "turfer" style hand winch like in the attached pic. It will make it much easier and you need to do far less digging.

Tie one end to a nearby solid tree and the other end to the stump and start winching. If it is a small stump you can generally pull it out without any digging. For large stumps, as the tension starts on the roots you can see where you need to dig or which roots you need to cut.

I have pulled out lots of stumps with this method after first trying to simply dig one out.

It doesn't work so well if you haven't got anything solid to tie the winch to.

Wish I had posted a few weeks ago!

Bert