The first course of brick is on edge, to give a bit or accent to the brick
work and to raise the second course a bit off the base slab. We have our
reasons for this. Some are aesthetic - some are simply top-secret and we
can't give it away...
A
closer view of the pattern
I ordered an anchovy pizza!!!
How long do I have to wait for it anyhow?
Bill
mortaring bricks on the base
Bill
mixing mortar.
We made good progress today
A
small curing fire
We
decided to add another layer of firebrick to the front and back of the
oven so it would hold the heat longer. You can see the temporary form for
the wood storage compartment arch at the bottom of the unit
Here
you can see the first cooking fire just starting to burn. a couple of
hours later the inside of the oven reached the 1000 degrees F we
wanted to cook pizza
The
upper 'arch' is just temporary to reduce the opening until we get the real
one built. Soon, we hope, as fall is fast approaching and mortaring is
harder in the cold
Here
you can see the fire burning in the oven with the wood storage compartment
below. Part of the functon of the storage unit is to raise the oven up to
a comfortable working height for the cooking
The
fire can be like the Gates of Hades when it really gets going
Bill
prepares one of the first pizzas. With a crowd awaiting the results
wouldn't you think he'd be nervous-No evidence of it here
We
watch it cook while Bill makes the next one
Burn,
baby, burn
Doug
cuts one for a tasting
One
of the last ones to finish tonight. Potato/leek (the potatoes having been
roasted in the oven earlier as the fire grew) sure looked good. None took
more than 3 minutes to cook and some only 2 minutes. Very impressive,
bubbly crusts and toppings. I suspect this may be a regular thing
A
pizza comes out of the oven on the peel
And
when we're done cooking pizzas a little roasting chicken goes in for
Sunday's dinner. the fire was beginning to cool down at this point so it
took nearly 20 minutes to roast the chicken. Did it ever smell good in the
kitchen as we had a nice chocolate-orange cheesecake for dessert.
Once the oven is insulated a pot of beans can go in after all the pizzas are done. The beans would be just right for lunch the following days
The
front is now ready for the top arch to be built
A
minor setback occurred when a local contractor used the oven vault as a
stepladder and it fell in. We had decided that we didn't like the way we
had built it anyhow so have started doing it over. Here you can just see
the oven sidewalls ready to accept the arched roof - this time made with
#1A arched firebrick.
The
outer brick walls are nearing completion on the sides. The front and back
will follow the lines of the roof, which will be determined by the shape
of the steel supports that will be built by the contractor involved in the
earlier mishap. This will greatly help us in the roof design and finish
The
new arched vault of the oven is made up of 76 1-A arch bricks, and is much
more substantial than the earlier version
Here
you can again see the space in the arched ceiling for the smoke to pass
out of the oven and into what will be a horizontal flue running back to
the chimney
The
final course of firebrick is called the 'skew' and will be made up of sawn
bricks and mortared in. The steel will support metal roof trusses that
will carry the finished roof. We dont know what that will be made of yet,
but there are several options available now.
Here
you see the vault and the reduction arch which will interface with the red
brick feed door
This
shows the form (a half section of 10-inch sonotube) that will be the
horizontal flue run
Bill
applies Noxcrete to the form to build up the flue run. This is a castable
product that allows us to make odd-shaped parts of the oven. Once cured it
has the same characteristics as the rest of the refractory fire brick
products
A
view from the upper deck looking down as Bill balances on top to build up
the flue run
Here
you can see the flue run completed and connected to the chimney. The
chimney will get a layer of red brick as a finish later on. The wooden
parts are arch supports that will be burned out soon. We can cook
again next weekend, and no doubt will do so, even though it's still a ways
from being totally finished
Click
on this picture to go see another of Bill's exciting adventures
This
view shows the casting that takes the smoke from the hole in the
front of the ceiling back to the chimney, thus causing the fire to
pass over the ceiling on the way out and leaving more heat in the process.
We also wanted the chimney at the rear of the oven, rather than the front,
as most seem to do
Another
view, this one also showing how the gap between the arched ceiling and the
front wall is interfaced with the finished wall on front. The other brick
work is the house chimney - not associated with the pizza oven
The
arch where the food actually goes into the oven is shown here. The steel
truss is one of 3 that will support the exterior roof once all the brick
is in place. the side walls are now complete and only a few bricks will be
needed to finish up the front and back walls. then insulation goes in and
the roof goes on. The important part is that cooking can take place now!
The view looking down from the upper deck as the roof and insulation go
on/in
View from the rear of the oven showing the brick exterior
'Nother one of those
A sorta side view of it at this stage. Coming along well and sure to be
closed in tight by wintertime. It's heating fast and cooking fast with the
addition of insulation and roofing
Here you can see the combination of vermiculite mortar over the flue run
and loose-fill rock wool filling the remainder of the cavity
The insulation makes a big difference in how fast the oven heats and how
long it retains the heat after the firing has stopped. Nearly finished
with the brickwork too. Oh look-hooks to hang implements of the pizza
trade too!
A closer look at the insulating layer and the cement board roof
deck. By using the fireproof cement board you have options for the
finished roof covering. We suggest tile or other stone/masonry coverings.
Cedar shingles might work but might also seem odd on an oven. Might just
catch fire too
Vermiculite and loose-fill rock wool insulation take up the last of the
space under the roofing
Another view of the final insulation additions. A few more bricks and the
oven will be weather tight and ready for its first Maine winter. finish on
the roof will be added when the material has been chosen, or in the
spring, depending on how the spirit moves and how the weather acts
The brickwork is done now. Roof covering and chimney finish are all that's
left to do. You'll make personal choices about this part. The oven
materials and construction are important and should be done according to
tested methods. The outside is your imagination.