My new Four Grand Mere (FGM) build

[Serpentelli]

 Chaz,

The oven performs vey well. Aesthetically speaking it is "just ok" and is nowhere near as beautiful as the FGM or Acunto, et al.

I am currently of the belief that there are SO MANY variables (dough - yeast - size of wood sticks - radiant vs conducted heat - cheese....) involved in getting this NP thing perfected that I am perfectly satisfied with leaving the SWEET OVEN for later on....

And honestly I wasn't even on PM.com when I was looking. I chose mine purely based on price, including the shipping. The only other stuff I knew about was FB. And to ship from CA to NC? Not good!

Feel free to PM me for any details if you are considering the Volta , cuz I can talk you through a few of the questions you may have.

Disclaimer: I HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP FINANCIAL OR OTHERWISE WITH GILLSNOVENS.com, OR THE OVEN MANUFACTURER! I'M just a satisfied customer. 

John K.

[Chaze215]

Thanks again John, I appreciate it. I have seen the shipping costs for those ovens. YIKES! I'm in NJ so I wouldn't have to worry about the shipping. I'm still unsure of whether or not I want to get one or not, but it's nice to know there is a company in NJ thatis an option. Thanks again!

[Pizzaddict]

Forrest, thank you for posting about your FGM build!

I have a keen interest in your thread as I have a FGM 950C sitting in a crate in my garage, waiting for it to get warmer before I start my build.  Love the look of your 950B and don't know why I didn't order that version, but "C'est la vie." (That's for you Antoine...  )  BTW, I'd like to add that Antoine was wonderful to work with when ordering my oven!

I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions, perhaps it will help others as well...so here goes.

1)  I noticed you used sand to level the floor tiles.  I had read this wasn't necessary anymore as the oven floor had been improved.  I assume you found it necessary.  Does standard "play" sand work, or did you need to use something else?

2)  I'm planning on an 8" chimney.  The included flue adapter in my order is supposedly 200mm which is slightly less than 8".  How did you connect your chimney pipe to your flue adapter, any "adapting" required?

3)  I've read that one of the advantages to tiles is if you break one, you can easily pull that tile out and replace it.  However, the perimeter tiles are installed with refractory mortar/clay on the outer edge.  Is that because the tiles would move too much without anchoring the perimeter?  Would you be able to replace a perimeter tile if necessary?

4)  Lastly, I'm curious about the small gap between the tiles.  Is the gap large enough that "junk" can fall in between the tiles.  If so, would it just burn off, or is it so small that it is a non-issue?

Thanks again for a very informative thread and I can't wait to see your first pizzas!

BTW,  I'm very excited that I get to meet Antonio Starita, Roberto Caporuscio, and Antimo Caputo at "Marcos Coal-Fired Pizzeria" in Denver this Thursday evening!  I promise to share any tips I learn!


Bob

[Serpentelli]

[quote author=Pizzaddict link=topic=23812.msg242514#msg242514 date=

BTW,  I'm very excited that I get to meet Antonio Starita, Roberto Caporuscio, and Antimo Caputo at "Marcos Coal-Fired Pizzeria" in Denver this Thursday evening!  I promise to share any tips I learn!


Bob
[/quote]

Bob,

Please let me/us know how Marcos is. I will be in Denver in 10 days and will definitely stop in if its worthwhile. What a star-studded lineup! Marco must be a pretty important dude!


John K

[Pizzaddict]

Not to sidetrack this thread too much, but "Marcos" is outstanding.  Two locations; the original downtown - Thursday will be my first time there, and the Tech Center location south Denver - been there many times.

Mark Dym / "Marco" is from Brooklyn but is a true Neopolitan artisan!  "Marcos" is the only VPN pizzeria that I know of in Colorado and I'll reiterate...it is outstanding.  I hope I can come close to his pizzas when I install my oven.

As a side note, being from New York, Mark had "New York" water flown in and analyzed.  He has some kind of machine to duplicate the exact chemical composition of New York water.

[Reep]

Not to hijack your questions, but here are some notes from my installation:

1)  I noticed you used sand to level the floor tiles.  I had read this wasn't necessary anymore as the oven floor had been improved.  I assume you found it necessary.  Does standard "play" sand work, or did you need to use something else?

Oven floor without adjustment was 95% perfect; with adjustment 97% perfect.  I would set it up without and see what you think.

2)  I'm planning on an 8" chimney.  The included flue adapter in my order is supposedly 200mm which is slightly less than 8".  How did you connect your chimney pipe to your flue adapter, any "adapting" required?

I purchased a standard 8" black pipe to double wall insulated adaptor that fit quite tight.  The loosest connection was between the flue and the FGM adapter, but it all worked without anything extra.

3)  I've read that one of the advantages to tiles is if you break one, you can easily pull that tile out and replace it.  However, the perimeter tiles are installed with refractory mortar/clay on the outer edge.  Is that because the tiles would move too much without anchoring the perimeter?  Would you be able to replace a perimeter tile if necessary?

Once the oven is built, I don't see how you could easily fix a tile.  Maybe the ones in the middle, but the edges not likely.

4)  Lastly, I'm curious about the small gap between the tiles.  Is the gap large enough that "junk" can fall in between the tiles.  If so, would it just burn off, or is it so small that it is a non-issue?

In mine, the gaps in between the center tiles were only at the corners and they were small.  I can picture them filling up with ash, but they are only about 1 mm at most, so really insignificant.

[ForrestM]

I agree with Reep.  I leveled the floor because when I put them in without doing so, I slid a peel on the surface to see if it would catch any edges, and it did.  So I went to home depot and bought the finest sand they had, which was play sand or something.  It was still pretty coarse.

My chimney was a bitch to get on to the flu adaptor. But once you get it on there, it is snug.   

I figure any gaps will fill with ash.  They are all pretty minor.  Maybe a grain of sand or two thick.

I don't have much to add beyond what Reep said on the other points.  He is pretty spot on.


Antoine, any of my pictures that you would like to use just let me knw.  I can send you full size images.

[Pizzaddict]

Thanks for the answers Forrest and Reep!  All the small details will really help when it is time to install my oven.

If you don't mind, I have another question.  I've been wondering about the cast iron door and rain.  I've been thinking about an overhang on my enclosure to keep rain from seeping between the door and door frame or between the door frame and brick arch.  Overkill?

[ForrestM]

I think that will be fine.  I thought about rain getting in as well.  What I did was make the back slightly higher than the front.  Not so much that it is perceivable when using it, but enough that if water gets in, it will run out the front rather than pool towards the back.

[Reep]

I unintentionally also have the arch protruding more than the landing.  Even so the only way for rain to get in is if the landing was quite a bit past the arch.  I don't see it as a real issue, but I live in SoCal and my door faces away from the direction the rain comes.

Before I went FGM I had a design with a hood and liked it.  Look at the Earthstone gallery for some ideas if you like. 

[wheelman]

i've always worried about the fiberboard insulation getting wet on my mobile ovens.  i keep them under cover but sometimes it rains during transport.  it's okay if the oven is hot but i try really hard not to let it get wet when the oven isn't. 
bill