Cob anyone?

[n2iko]

Found this one in the Bread for All forums.
http://http://mywebpages.comcast.net.../Beginning.htm

I follow it here:
Bread For All: Greg's Oven



--mr.jim

[Wiley]

My next door neighbor has a cob oven. His isn't very big but it does work. It does not have any insulation nor have any of the cob ovens I've seen in books. Also they are not moisture proof, in fact if he goes without firing for any length of time he has to worry about spalling from moisture which has entered the inner surface of the dome. Dirt in your pizza diminishes the experience :-(

I live in the Pacific NW where rain and drizzel are common conditions and 100% humidity is the norm. So the guy in your link is right in it being a requirement to have some sort of rain protection. However, My neighbor is really into cob construction and has even built a small cob outbuilding which is cute, but personally I find cold/damp. Cob IMHO is better suited to the SW or any region where it is hot and dry with low humidity.

Wiley

[CajunKnight]

I have never dealt with a brick oven. I have however had experience with cob / clay ovens. The moisture can be a real problem but one that is easily fixed. If you are not going to fire it a lot then a light inside to drive out moisture works great. The one I helped build in the early 80's is still in good condition even though its rarely used. There is a short desk type lamp sitting in the middle of the floor with a 40 watt buld that never goes off and the door is left almost in place (small crack to allow some air flow but not much. Just enough heat to keep moisture out and maintain a nice finish on the inside.

If (and I say IF) you have a brick oven that is left unused I think it would be a wise choice to do the same here. Moisture causes mold and mildew to grow. A little heat would stop this from happening.

[Frances]

That's a really nice oven... looks like a giant mushroom

[synchronicity]

That is the same website that got me here ultimately.
I am producing a bit of stabilized adobe while qualifying soils
for my CEB build in the SouthWest of Colorado.
My intent is an adobe horno on my patio.
Unstabilized adobe or cob is a valid building material,
but it must be protected from weather.
Stabilized adobe is stable in the moisture.