John's 42inch Aussie WFO Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss John's 42inch Aussie WFO in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; Hi all I'm from Sydney Australia and came across this Web site about a year ago. Since then I have ...

[John K]

Hi all

I'm from Sydney Australia and came across this Web site about a year ago. Since then I have been trawling through endless posts and have finally taken the plunge and begun work on my 42inch WFO!!

I have never laid a brick in my life so am looking forward to the challenge

Not only am I to build the oven but also an attached barbecue/Spit (charcoal)



Below ground preperation with approx dimensions of 5000x4000x80

[John K]

As I have not laid bricks before so cheated and brought in my bricklayer to build the skeletal structure of the barbecue and WFO base

In relation to the suspended WFO slab I utilised a half brick approach on the final brick coarse that will hide any concrete from view. Internally I have utilised 2 steel lintels for support (over engineered as per everything else I do!!). Steel sheeting has been laid down and expansion foam installed to allow for concrete movement

Photo's to come shortly!!

[DrakeRemoray]

Hey John,
Welcome!

It sounds like you are getting ready to start on the dome. Make sure you insulate under the dome (and above the hearth slab). You mention a suspended hearth slab, we mostly don't do that, but each build is different. Did you download the plans from the forno bravo store (they are free!).

Drake

[Breven]

Good luck John!
Take Drakes advice and download the free Forno Bravo plans...having step by step instructions makes all the difference in the world.

[John K]

Thanks guys I am realy looking forward in getting stuck in.

Yes I downloaded the plans sometime ago and found them very handy along with everyones posts, builds CAD Drawings and so on and was one of the selling points to my wife!!.

I think suspended slab was a bad use of terminology from my part so appologies, I do have brickwork all the way around so it will be standard construction method. I laid the hearth slab some weeks ago and am in the process of laying the Insulation Bricks.

Insulation bricks you say ? I decided after long discusions with the Firebrick supplier (Only one in Sydney I could locate) Field Furnace Refractories that I will achieve better insulative properties using the Insulation Bricks rather than Vermiculite so decided to go down that path.
Insulation brick (I.F.B) 230x115x75mm.

Drake/Breven your WFO's look fantastic and if I can get mine looking half as good I will have succeded!!

Cheers

[John K]

I have attached some of my earlier photos during the stand and hearth construction. I originally was to build a smaller oven and therefore built the stand to suite.

My wife then decided this was going to be too small so I was forced to part demolish the stand and extend.

[John K]

Performed a dry run of the insulation bricks last saturday. They appear to sit nice and level.

The fire brick supplier recomended that I set the insulation bricks that sit under the wall of the WFO and allow the rest to just sit in place. This will assist if I ever need to change any that sit under the cooking floor.

[mr g]

Hi John, why are you using insulating firebricks on the floor? Are you going to then use normal firebricks on top of that?

Cheers.

[John K]

Hi, that's correct I will lay the firebricks (cooking surface) in a Herringbone pattern on top of the Insulation Bricks.

Do you see a problem with using the Insulation bricks rather than vermiculite base?

[mr g]

No, they'll work better but be more expensive. Hey, if you've got the money go for it.

Does the kit that you referred to come with pre-cast dome pieces or firebricks. I went to their site and they point to another site that shows pre-cast pieces.

Thanks.