A new guy- from NH

[adios pantalones]

Hello from the... sweltering North, this week.

I'm a full time chemist, part time wood firing potter. I love making pizza and 2-3 years ago I broke my electric oven making 10 pizzas on my birthday. Luckily it broke on the last one.

 I have a WFO design based on a wood fired kiln design that I'll post on the oven form. I anticipate that I could get it to ~2300F- that may not be necessary for pizza, but it will help in disposing of anyone that criticizes my pies.

Looking forward to learning a few things.

-pH

[scott123]

Welcome to the forum Mr. Pantless.

Ever try your hand at firing baking stones?

I'm curious, were you doing any sort of special mods/cleaning cycle hacks with the oven when it died, it did it pass from natural causes?

[adios pantalones]

Welcome to the forum Mr. Pantless.

Ever try your hand at firing baking stones?

I'm curious, were you doing any sort of special mods/cleaning cycle hacks with the oven when it died, it did it pass from natural causes?

Scott- thanks!
It was natural causes. I kept it at maybe 450 with a stone in there half the day. This final stress did something to it, though it was an old girl already. Other electronic malfunctions were obvious at the same time. I finished the last pie on the grill, which was OK.

Consensus amongst potters is that making your own stones is a fool's errand, though kiln shelves do great, and you can get thick ones if you like, in a wide variety of dimensions/shapes 

[Cdragon]

Hey AP,

Well I'm glad I didn't hear about the consensus. I threw my own stone after a gift stone broke during the oven cleaning cycle. I used Orangestone from Highwater Clays, added some grog, and only bisqued it. It has gone through a few cleaning cycles with no problem. 

I've been firing down in Edgefield, SC though I'm originally from Upstate NY.