Summer 2014 - Wood-fired (Brick) Oven

The idea of building a brick oven has been in the back of my mind for about seven years; I finally set this project to the top of my list and intend to have the oven built by September, 2014.

In April, I was looking at brick ovens online (again) and decided to order two books that explained how to build an oven...

• Brick Oven Pizza How a Guy From Brooklyn Built His Own Wood Fired Pizza Oven, by Joe Falce
• Your Brick Oven: Building It and Baking In It, by Russell Jeavons

The research phase of this project began, I've spent hours looking for instruction and guides on the internet.  There are so many different ways of building an oven that I started to develop a plan with components from ALL of my research.

After reading both books I decided to go with a semi-circle domed oven  with a 3'6" diameter.  In order to try to visualize the oven I started to create a 3D rendering using Autodesk Inventor.  The image below shows a concept of the templates.  (More of these rendering will be featured later in the process.)

3D Rendering using Autodesk Inventor

Construction began on July 03, 2014 with site excavation.  I dug a hole large enough to hold the 5'6"x5'6"x5.5" concrete pad on which the oven will rest.  (This took two days.)

The hole for the base pad.

By July 08 & 09, I built and installed the form for the pad.

Pad form.

July 10, 2014 brought along the opportunity to cut the dome templates.  I paid a visit to Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), to meet with Dave S., a professor that I am taking an independent study with.  After meeting with Dave, I spent the remainder of the day in the Technology Education Lab using the CNC router to cut the templates for the dome (check out the video below).  This dome, will eventually be burned away.

CNC Machine

The dome template.

July 11, 2014 - First trip to Haynes (the local construction materials retailer)
After watching several YouTube videos on how to pour a concrete slab, I went to Haynes to get a 1/4 ton of 3/4 stone to fill as the base layer before pouring the concrete.

The form filled with stone.

July 12, 2014 - Second/Third trip to Haynes
After packing the stone into the form for the slab, it was time to get the supplies for the concrete.  The order included...

• 3 - 94# bags of Portland Cement
• 2 - 80# bags of mortar (to be used later in the week for the base)
• 1/4 ton - 3/4 stone
• 1/2 ton - mason sand

Later today will feature a trip to Home Depot for 8"x8"x16" concrete block (and a dishwasher..haha), these blocks will be used form the oven base, hence the need for mortar.

Hopefully we will get the concrete pad poured later today!?  Currently in search of a cement mixer.