air vent and chimney in wood fired ovens, designs

Posted by Rado (144.134.149.80) on August 29, 2004 at 15:44:58:

In Reply to: air vent posted by Dr. John Gregory on August 29, 2004 at 12:50:54:

John,

thank you for mail. Cladding in wood fired ovens is a concrete layer applied on top of firebrick dome. Between the concrete and firebricks an ordinary aluminium cooking foil goes, it prevents the concrete bonding with firebricks. Firebricks in dome behave as fragments, dome expands on heating (it's resilient), the whole structure moves freely without developing large cracks. Cladding layer should be 5cm to 10cm (2inch to 4inches) thick, in bigger oves even stronger. Reinforcing metal mesh is inside the concrete. Cladding adds to the strenght of the dome and to the heat obsorbing capacity, it keeps the dome hot longer time. On top of cladding goes an insulating layer which makes the oven energy efficient.

Yes the outside look of the oven canbe modified to fit any environment around the property. Also structural changes can be applied, like the chimney from the front of the oven directed towards the back. Air vent conected to the chimney (larger the better and gradually narrowed into the chimneys size). Or changing the outside character by using e.g. rocks to build outside skin walls, or form the back up heat insulation above the dome into the igloo shape, but keep basics the same.
Here is a few interesting ideas on wood oven designs.

And page on my wood oven building CDrom content or how to get hold of it. I always send the CD out the next day I receive mail, if not the same day.

Would you have a picture of mentioned wood oven you saw on your travels in Greece. It would be great if you could email me photograph of it and the same for your oven when it's done, I collect wood fired oven pictures as help for lot's of people visiting site's picture gallery.