Chuck's oven underway NY

[oggi]

Hello everyone
After two month's of reading postings, studying photos and contemplating design as well as building a retaining wall and patio. I am now ready to start the oven construction. I have one question before I start cutting my brick for the dome of the oven.
As I was about to buy some firebrick from my local lumber yard. I found a posting on craigslist for a pallet of refractory brick at $200. I now have enough bricks to build my woodfired oven and a small potter kiln. These bricks are roughly 8in by 8in by 3 1/2 in to 3 5/16 ths . They are very dense high duty firebricks manufactured in Spain and intended for a large kiln. I purchased them from a warehouse that got stuck with them.
The information in the fornobravo pdf's suggests that high duty bricks may get too hot.
My question is ,
Should I adjust the thickness of my dome to correct for this?
Can this be corrected for by simply making a smaller fire if I want to roast?

I am insulating with the insulation available from Forno Bravo 2in of blacket above and two inches of board below. I will have an additional 1 to 3 inches of the perlite concrete mix incaseing that with loose perlite above.
Cheers

[Lburou]

Congrats on the firebrick deal!

Its my impression that those bricks will be the same temperature as any other brick in one of these ovens, even though your bricks could tolerate a much higher temperature than most of our bricks of lower density/duty.

Your bricks might be a bit more difficult to cut, but you can tolerate some additional difficulty at the price you paid :brickpriceenvy:

I would recommend going strictly by the fornobravo plans, thereby keeping the thermal mass to proven thickness. Your insulation plan seems spot on.

Regards

[brickie in oz]

Originally Posted by oggi

suggests that high duty bricks may get too hot.

So make the fires smaller.
Heat in = heat out.

Edit: The duty of the brick is for wear resistance, although a denser brick will take longer to heat. (see above)

[oggi]

Thanks for the replies guys, I did not think it would be a big deal, but wanted to ask since this forum is such a great resource. I am staying as close as I can to the plans.

I am a builder by trade and have a solid professional 8in tile saw so cutting the harder brick is not a big deal.
The concrete work is easy for me as well as I own a cement mixer.

[oggi]

Next question.. Thermocouples

I am thinking of installing thermocouples in the oven. Initially I was going to leave out this feature. But after finding a multimeter that had the range to measure temps in a pottery kiln (The next project I am planning, with the excess discounted bricks) I decided to kill two birds with stone and install some thermocouples.

I am wondering were the best locations would be.

I thought I would put one under the center of the oven about 3/4 of an inch from the surface and thereby have a temp right at the contact area for cooking.

Would it be useful to place them in other locations as well?

[Hank10746]

Originally Posted by oggi

Hello everyone
After two month's of reading postings, studying photos and contemplating design as well as building a retaining wall and patio. I am now ready to start the oven construction. I have one question before I start cutting my brick for the dome of the oven.
As I was about to buy some firebrick from my local lumber yard. I found a posting on craigslist for a pallet of refractory brick at $200. I now have enough bricks to build my woodfired oven and a small potter kiln. These bricks are roughly 8in by 8in by 3 1/2 in to 3 5/16 ths . They are very dense high duty firebricks manufactured in Spain and intended for a large kiln. I purchased them from a warehouse that got stuck with them.
The information in the fornobravo pdf's suggests that high duty bricks may get too hot.
My question is ,
Should I adjust the thickness of my dome to correct for this?
Can this be corrected for by simply making a smaller fire if I want to roast?

I am insulating with the insulation available from Forno Bravo 2in of blacket above and two inches of board below. I will have an additional 1 to 3 inches of the perlite concrete mix incaseing that with loose perlite above.
Cheers

Hi
A quick thought. Your bricks are 1 inch shorter then the standard brick used so after cutting you would have 1/2 inch less mass on each side than the original brick. But all you would have to do if it matters any is put a little more than a skim coat on it using a high heat concrete mix. Not sure it really matters if insulated properly like you are.
Hank10746

[Aegis]

Originally Posted by oggi

Next question.. Thermocouples

I am thinking of installing thermocouples in the oven. Initially I was going to leave out this feature. But after finding a multimeter that had the range to measure temps in a pottery kiln (The next project I am planning, with the excess discounted bricks) I decided to kill two birds with stone and install some thermocouples.

I am wondering were the best locations would be.

I thought I would put one under the center of the oven about 3/4 of an inch from the surface and thereby have a temp right at the contact area for cooking.

Would it be useful to place them in other locations as well?

I placed one in that same spot for the same reason you did, floor temp. Then I put one under it, between the hearth brick and insulating layer, to know when the floor was heat saturated.(Heated all the way through to the outside) I did the same near the top of the dome, one inside a brick about 3/4" from the inside of the inside surface of the dome and one on top of it for the same heat soak knowledge. Of course I didn't stop there but you probably wouldn't need anymore than those that I described.
Good Luck
John

[Karangi Dude]

Hi Oggi,
I placed 6 thermo couplings in my oven during building check out posts #21 #38 #79 #91 #106 of my build.
Oggi, I would not bother to put one at the top of the oven it will only give readings off the chart as the flames lick the roof. It is more important to have 2 in the same brick one 1/2'' from inside and one 1/2'' from the outside of a brick about 3/4 the way up the wall and of course 2 in the hearth same thing in the same brick. Next most important is one to measure the air temp place it just inside the door arch.

I hope this might help.