Wood Fired Oven Build

[Wickedcajun]

I cant wait to see the finished product... Wish I lived closer to help!

 

[speers90]

Gulf....wow man, that's about the best argument for building a WFO that I've ever heard. I've seen a few build threads here, and each of them gets me a step closer to building my own. Your post adds another "tick mark" to the list of reasons that I *must* have one at my house.

Great thread!

Ok.....one last question about the frost heave.
I like the Mack truck analogy, but.....since some of us live in areas where the ground freezes and tends to move "immovable" structures that lack proper footing, I'd like to have some clarification on the question about 'pegging' the rebar down into the bottom pad, and having a footer. Since the bottom concrete pad is essentially "floating" on the top of the ground, wouldn't "time and temperature" have it's way with the entire structure? Meaning that in a few years, the whole mass might have a couple degree tilt to it?

Thank again fellas!
Bob

Bob, it certainly could, but I am fairly confident it will be ok where it is at. I wouldn't necessarily advise anyone else to do it the way I have done it but I can say that I worry more about the 100's of deck footings that I have dug down to 48" than I will about this slab heaving!

I have had my concrete slab patio for 4+ years and in that time we've literally been though the extreme of every season you can imagine up here. From 90+ inches of snow, to one of the coldest winters on record, to one of the wettest springs & summers on record. My patio doesn't have a crack in it, and for the most part the soil in my immediate area isn't really susceptible to frost heave unless you get into disturbed soil next to a house foundation.

 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Good deal, thanks for the explanation Ryan!
....By the way, I love the build thread in your signature line. That's cool!

 

[Dadeo719]

Dude I'm loving this. So jealous right now. :clap2:

 

[pitbossJB]

Watching intently, I really want to make one of these. Looking good so far.

 

[AaronPo]

Loving the build so far!

 

[V-wiz]

Keep up the work and pos some more photos. I absolutely love my WFO

 

[B-More BBQ Junkie]

Updates Updates!!! We need more updates!
This thing looks like it's going to be awesome

 

[BDAABAT]

OK, I've read through this build and Speers90 "Beast" build. I'm beginning to think that there is no one "Speers90"...there's actually 90 guys who go by the name "Speers"...hence the screen name. They all get together to do these builds, work, take care of the family, etc. :biggrin1: :clap2:

Keep up the good work! All y'all!

Bruce

 

[speers90]

OK, I've read through this build and Speers90 "Beast" build. I'm beginning to think that there is no one "Speers90"...there's actually 90 guys who go by the name "Speers"...hence the screen name. They all get together to do these builds, work, take care of the family, etc. :biggrin1: :clap2:

Keep up the good work! All y'all!

Bruce

Bruce, I enjoy building stuff and needed a creative outlet after I hung up my tool belt last year to take an office job! Lots of rain in the forecast so I am hoping to be able to finish my pour this weekend.

 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Bruce, I enjoy building stuff and needed a creative outlet after I hung up my tool belt last year to take an office job!

I feel your pain, Brother. Amen.
I brought my tools home more than a decade ago, and traded them for a package of the nicest pens that Walmart sells. But I feel more restless that ever. Doesn't matter if it's an automobile, something made of wood, or something made of metal, I'm all about digging in. On my list of "to do's", is a backyard oasis, complete with a kitchen of epic proportions. Threads like yours help to feed my appetite, and keep the creative juices flowing.

Thanks for the thread and all the photos.

 

[speers90]

Well as fate would have it I had to do a jobsite delivery today in close proximity to a Restaurant Depot so I was able to get the supplies bought for this weekends cook. What that really means is that I now have free time tomorrow morning to get my concrete pour done!!! And the weather is going to cooperate!

So I started the evening by stocking up on concrete mix, I calculated that I will need 38 bags, but remember the rule: always buy more! So i picked up 45.

Next I took a few minutes to make sure my forms were level and where I wanted them, then I added some bracing.

Excited for morning to get here! So I can get this poured and then wait a while longer before I can do anything else. Did I mention patience isn't one of my stronger characteristics!

 

[Gulf]

Excited for morning to get here! So I can get this poured and then wait a while longer before I can do anything else. Did I mention patience isn't one of my stronger characteristics!

Cover the slab with a good moisture barrier. (IE: thick plastic, polyethylene, scrap vynil floor covering etc.) That will keep the moisture in the slab that is needed for the concrete to cure. It will also, allow you to begin working on the oven the very next day. Just leave your hearth slab supports in place for at least a week. Your insulation layer, floor brick and dome brick can be placed right on top of the moisture barrier. The moisture barrier will help you also in the future, to keep moisture from wicking up into your oven from below :smile:.

 

[Carbon]

Your insulation layer, floor brick and dome brick can be placed right on top of the moisture barrier. The moisture barrier will help you also in the future, to keep moisture from wicking up into your oven from below :smile:.

That's great advice about leaving the barrier. I wish I had known this when I built my oven.

 

[speers90]

Cover the slab with a good moisture barrier. (IE: thick plastic, polyethylene, scrap vynil floor covering etc.) That will keep the moisture in the slab that is needed for the concrete to cure. It will also, allow you to begin working on the oven the very next day. Just leave your hearth slab supports in place for at least a week. Your insulation layer, floor brick and dome brick can be placed right on top of the moisture barrier. The moisture barrier will help you also in the future, to keep moisture from wicking up into your oven from below :smile:.

Awesome, I hadn't even thought about that and potential wicking, thanks! I will put down a moisture barrier after pouring, but I won't be able to do anything else because I don't have my 2" ceramic fiber board insulation yet. I will make it a point to get that ordered this weekend.

 

[palmtreefrb]

Excuse my ignorance. But why no mortar between the cinder blocks?

 

[CharredApron]

Good luck and looks like your off to a great start! I love mine everyday !

 

[speers90]

Excuse my ignorance. But why no mortar between the cinder blocks?

It's just a dry stack method, then you fill at least every other core when you are pouring the concrete hearth and it locks it all together making it darn near indestructible. Faster.

In addition, none of this will be visible once the project is completed so no need to have the nice looking joints.

 

[Carbon]

Yeah, dry stacking is a popular DIY method, and leveling is not that critical if you're stacking only 4 or 5 blocks high. Accurate leveling is done when forming the hearth slab in this case.

 

[speers90]

Took me about 1.5 hours to get the hearth poured, then a little extra time to clean up and cover with plastic. I think it went pretty well.

About 1/3 of the way done

2/3 done

Done

Quite a bit of extra mix, no big deal just loaded it up and took it back for a refund! I calculated that it would take 38 bags but I bought 45, it ended up taking 34 so I was way strong.

Thanks Gulf for the pointer on this, not only will the plastic help the slab cure properly but I will leave it to act as a moisture barrier to keep water from wicking up the concrete into my insulation.

Gulf gave me another pointer, try searching in my area for industrial insulation suppliers. If I am able to find my insulation locally I may be able to get that picked up and get the firebrick floor laid out this coming week.

Well at this point I was already dirty so I went and got the beast out of storage and made a modification that I've been meaning to complete for quite a while.