Portfolio During RealisationPortfolio During Realisation
Oven core built in Maryland medium duty refractory brick. Mount Savages 'high mull', Vesuvious' super 300, and Ducceschanes 'HTC. Though the mortar of choice in this situation should have been Greenpatch 421.
Oven seen from rear. Traditional French dimensions were respected. The vault was suported by sticks during construction. The hearth is free floating, ( contrary to traditional design where the core is vaulted off a pre-layed hearth ). The free floating hearth will allow bricks in the hearth to be replaced, if necessary in the future, without disrupting the structural integrity of the vault.
The almost finished avaloire. The dome of the oven was clad Versuvius RT6# 6 ceramic wool, before 10 inches of vermiculite concrete was aplied. On firing an avaloir of this nature and a chimney this high, took away all the smoke from the loading opening, even on windy days.
The fire: Immediately after placing the key ( the last 6 rows of brick were cut ' dry ' to encourage instant adhersion ) the oven was fired to burn out the suporting sticks and a mortar board that had become trapped inside. This initial, and subsequent fire is intended to promote ceramic fusion and consolidation of the vault before the insulating finish is applied. This was the second fire.
After two years use.