Makeshift temporary WFO - could this work?

[dylandylan]

Hi all,  so in my new town I'm currently living in a rental where I can't contemplate building a permanent WFO.   But as we're coming into summer I'm wondering if this design for a WFO deck is likely to have any viability, and would appreciate input.   Basically I'm trying to keep this as simple/cheap as possible, no mortar, just a temporary structure that can be used and then dismantled the next day.

I'd appreciate any thoughts - could this work?  sure to fail?  suggestions?  words of warning/wisdom?

[Jet_deck]

Yes, it will work. I would not make it that tall, though.  Maybe one wall brick on end then the next course on it's side?  Think low dome or the heat will all flow out the front "door".  Even a piece of thriple thick foil (at the top front) would help keep alot of the heat on the roof tiles (good).  Remember, you are going to need enough room for the fire/coals and the pizza.

[dylandylan]

Thanks, good idea about the foil, that fits nicely with my cheap/simple ethos.   The bricks are roughly 23cm (or about 9 inches) on end, if the wall was just the one brick high,  that would be too tall for the ceiling height? 

[Jet_deck]

I don't think it would be to tall at 9", but maybe not quite tall enough?  Try it either way first and you will have your answer.  If you can get some regular home insulation (fiberglass), take off the paper backing and put it under the floor bricks.

[Jet_deck]

Scratch the insulation idea. It makes the floor uneven since there is no weight on the center of the oven.  Those bricks will be much taller than the side bricks....

[scott123]

Dylan, I've got good news and bad news.  The good news is that, if you're trying to recreate a Pizza Pomodoro result, you don't have to hit blistering Neapolitan temps.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2007/07/wellington-new-zealand-pizza-pomodoro.html

The bad news is that it's still hot enough that you'll need to insulate the oven. Start thinking about perlcrete for the walls, top and under the hearth.

Don't worry about a round interior.  Just make a cube.  Make sure to close up the front with bricks so your doorway is smaller than the width of the interior, and, as Gene said, make sure your door height is low- at least 3 inches lower than your ceiling. The top of the door should be 55-65% the height of the inner ceiling.

There's a chance you might hit temps that could melt foil.  I'd build a doorway out of an extra two lengths of angle iron.

9" isn't bad.  I'm not sure I'm in love with unmortared bricks standing on their ends, though.  I'd probably stack the bricks flat so they're 9" high. I would also go with bricks for the ceiling rather than tiles. There's very little chance tiles will survive the heat you're going to be throwing at them.

You're using firebricks for this, correct?

Instead of a square, think of going wider.  You want room for a fire next to a pizza.

[dylandylan]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm starting to visualise an improved designed based on your ideas already.  Yes, definitely fire bricks I'm planning on using. I have most of them already, but may need a few more depending on how the design eventuates.

Re: Pomodoro, until recently I lived in Wellington and was a frequent flier at Pizza Pomodoro, nice to see that they made an appearance on Slice!   I can also vouch for their work, they're one of only a few places in Wellington I would recommend without hesitation if anyone ventures down here.

[Jet_deck]

Some good pictures in here:  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,18944.0.html

[dylandylan]

Thanks for the link, that looks a lot like what I had in mind, and executed well.  Funny to see the off-center door, I had started to think that could work so the fire can be shuffled to one side for the bake, with the rectangular footprint as you suggest rather than attempting to round it.  Nice to see that a little steel has sufficient strength to hold up the ceiling.

[MightyPizzaOven]

How about this, build a rectangular oven with angle iron and firebricks, and build another over it using regular bricks and angle iron, leaving 4" of space between the fire bricks and the bricks. You can fill the void with a ceramic blanket.

You can use chicken wire and steel wire to strengthen each structure.
 
I would add a chimney too.