14) The first propper pizza !

 

Getting ready to bake the first pizza!

 Warming the oven up the day before

Imogen & Dominic testing heat output and just messing about way past their bed time!

The day of the big fire up!....  Decided to call in authentic Italian chef, well almost!

Mr P Rovardi making himself useful....

Temp touching 500c

13 ) Finished dome

All building work done, just need to wait for it to dry out!

12 ) Building Outer brick dome

Started building the outer brick. Used half bricks facing in.

11) Building the outer arch

11) Building the second arch.....

 

 Again used the insulation board as a form.

 

Second Layer of insulation blanket

Render over the instalation blanket & chicken wire.

 Second arch is slightly flatter, not perfect but looks ok from a distance.....

 

 

 

10) Firing the oven....

10) Firing the oven....  drying out!

9) Building the arch - II

Finally got around to building the arch.....

Decided to use insulations board as its easy to cut & shape

Built up side colums to take the weight of the arch, as its slightly parabolic it wanst to spread!

Inserted springer bricks.

Time for another beer!

8) Firing the oven

First Fire of the oven...... woried.

 Imogen & Dom witness the first firing.....

 

 Looks ok but a lot of smoke!

 

 

http://vimeo.com/40729071

7) Building the front Arch

Building the front Arch.....setting out & planning.....

Created hardboard template for planned double arch. I'm using double bull nose blue black bricks.
Aim is to cut as few bricks as possible so plan is to build 2 small columns to create spring line then have a cut brick at each side to act as the 'springer' which will create the shallow angle of the arch to match profile of the door.

Because its more of a segmental arch there will be quite a lot of pressure pushing outwards.

Cutting the double bull nose bricks was a bit tricky.... used a 9inch angle grinder with a diamond blade. Not for the faint hearted!

Setting out the springer with 1cm space for mortar. Use 2inch insulation board as a former because its easy to cut. I doubled up to get a 4inch form to fully support the bricks.

Unfortunately I realised to get a snug fit against the oven dome I had to cut all the bricks down to remove on e of the 'bullnose' ends which shortened the bricks. 

 

Setting out the outer arch of the brick oven.

I will again have to cut another 'springer' brick for the outer arch.
Plan to build the pillars or columns first to ensure the arch doesn't push the columns out before the mortar goes off.....