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Brick for bake oven

80K views 569 replies 46 participants last post by  dbrons 
#1 ·
I've been talking about building an outdoor pizza/bake oven for years. This year I vow to build it.
I realize the best material would be firebrick, but I'm trying to do this by using all the odd ball masonry staked up around my yard.
I'm thinking firebrick for the floor and solid pavers for the vault. How do you think they would hold up? The brick work will be tight and neat.
I'm guessing they will be alright.
 
#28 ·
Tscarborough,
What is your floor dimension? Using the pizzas for scale looks like 24" X 36"? Offsetting the door is a practical idea. I had a fleeting though of doing that at the beginning, but could not find anyone who has built one that way.
Also, how is your chimney set up? Looks like you built the barrel vault oven then built the chimney and entry vestibule. You have a smaller opening from the oven THEN to the chimney? So the top of the inner door holds heat before it goes up the chimney?
I was thinking of incorporating the chimney in to the roof of the baking section of the oven. Having it outside the cooking area seems like more heat stays in the oven longer and a better way to do it.
Looks like I have a lot more layout to do. I only want to build this thing once.:laughing:
 
#29 ·
Heres one we did last year with a forno bravo core. My buddy in texas hand built his on the back of his truck! After a couple days of cure time he drove to Ithaca, NY. Cooked food for his friends there then breakfast in the AM. Then drove 4 hours to my place. The oven was still warm when he got here. Built a fire and he was cookin again within an hour. Food was awesome.
Pizza ovens are all he wants to do anymore. He apparently has a whole list of cuts. Planned on building mine this summer. I'll see if he will send me the list. One of my employees has a fornobravo on a trailer he has been setting up at events etc. Just started a couple months ago. He is actually makin money at it.:clap:
 

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#31 ·
IF it was me, I'd consider parging the entire inside ceiling and walls with refractory cement, but I may be overly cautious as well. The only one's I've done have had vitrified clay domes, which always cracked after a few fires. They do remain fully functional after they're cracked though.

Also, I don't think there's any way to "over insulate" the sides & dome on these things, especially if you have an adequate amount of thermal mass inside of it.

Good luck & post some pics when you get around to the project.
 
#32 ·
Ave, I know Dave, he is a real oven builder.

CJ, 24x36 is about right. Here are a few pics showing how I made the vent, you definitely want it outside the oven. The lower door works like a smoke shelf, causing an air roll and helps with the proper convection through the oven.

Inner and outer arch complete:



Showing how I formed a thermal break by keying the smoke chamber brick.



Flue placement:



The whole area insulated with 8/1 perlite/cement (I used white portland just because I had some) to form a shelf for the chimney.

 
#39 ·
I had planned on a stucco finish, now the wife says she hates the stucco look and wants stone. I guess I could build the oven out of brick, insulate then veneer id with stone? I don't know, she just added a level of complexity I wanted to stay away from. I told her I want to eat pizza this year. :laughing:
Any ideas on an all stone finish?
It's going to be tough to make it look good with the left over stone I have.:rolleyes:
 
#41 ·
I had planned on a stucco finish, now the wife says she hates the stucco look and wants stone.
A post from way back NOW makes sense. Cant find it though as my internet connection is sadly lacking tonight.

Somebody posted a picture of a house with just a few adhered veneer stones stuck to it and the rest was stucco. None of us could figure out what the HO was thinking as it was butt ugly. Now we know. They compromised, as all good marriages do, and NOBODY won, not even us forumers.
 
#40 ·
Your a brick layer and your complaining about having to lay this up in stone?

What is the matter with you? You have posted some pic's of awesome looking stone work.

Perhaps the pay isn't great on this project, but if the Misses is happy, you'll be happy.:thumbsup:
 
#42 ·
I don't want to have to buy any more material than necessary. I've got few bags of lumpy portland I'm going to use to make a concrete base, a few hundred assorted paving brick and the stone pile at my house has been picked over numerous times to find "those last couple stones" for more than a few jobs.
With brick and a stucco finish it will be pretty easy to build and make look neat and professional. Unless I BUY :rolleyes: some nice stone I'm afraid it may look like a homeowner built it.:shutup:
Damn wimmins! :confused1:
 
#44 ·
CJ- Im looking forward to your build. I’ve also been aiming to build me a pizza oven at home for a few years. I finalized my plans over the winter for a freestanding combined fireplace and oven structure. I plan on using a dome construction for the oven to minimize the footprint.
What are your plans for the actual aesthetic layout? Will it be square or what?
 

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#47 ·
:) Well, your down and dirty will probably be the same as my super nice, so I'll bet it will look good.

And I'm interested in some more ideas myself as I've always thought there must be a better way than those kits. They work great, but just so expensive.

Last time I built one I wanted to modify it to use a masonry chimney. The stainless chimney they give you costs about $700 as I recall. The guy I was building it for said that it would void the warranty to do that.


Dave
 
#48 ·
I didn't spend 700 bucks for the whole damned outdoor kitchen including beverage consumption (50% of finished cost). I am a dealer for several kits, but have only sold a couple in 20 years to hard-headed people who have more money than sense. Where are you going to use that tire and rim in the oven, BTW?
 
#49 ·
I didn't spend 700 bucks for the whole damned outdoor kitchen including beverage consumption (50% of finished cost). I am a dealer for several kits, but have only sold a couple in 20 years to hard-headed people who have more money than sense. Where are you going to use that tire and rim in the oven, BTW?

I figured I could burn tires in the oven to save money. :jester:
 
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