# Wood burning Pizza oven



## cannyfradock (15 Feb 2010)

Hello UK workshop Admin & members

Although not a wood related question I am looking to the UK workshop for some help.

I have a passion for building and baking in wood-ovens. The problem in the UK for people like myself is the lack of refractory company's or suppliers of fire-bricks etc.

I have therefore, recently created a forum for people in the UK to easely source materials for their own wood-oven project.

Would anyone on this forum know of any fire-brick suppliers or refractory companies (anywhere in the UK) to help me in compiling a list for others to use who like myself have a passion to build their own wood-oven.

Any info on this subject would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Terry (C.F)


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## wizer (15 Feb 2010)

Welcome Terry. I can't help with your request. But would love to build one of these ovens one day. Fantastic way to cook. I've got some tutorials somewhere.


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## Jake (15 Feb 2010)

Have you tried pottery forums?

When I studied in Sheffield and lived out near Bakewell, I recall riding past a refractory product manufacturer just past the outskirts of Sheffield on the rise up to the moor. Not that helps much. A google for 'sheffield refactory products' gives several hits though - I guess the link with the steel industry makes sense.

Also on my sometime somewhere list.


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## Kalimna (15 Feb 2010)

Unfortunately, I am in the position of wanting to build one, but not knowing where to source the bricks. Having read the River Cottage, it seems fairly straightforward, if not exactly elegant.
I would be very interested in your forum, once up and running.

Cheers,
Adam


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## cannyfradock (15 Feb 2010)

Many thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. All taken on board.

It is surprising the amount of people who wish to build a wood-oven for themselves, but hav'nt taken the next step into commiting themselsves to starting their project.

Kalimna.......I started the forum 5 weeks ago and already started to compile my list of fire-brick suppliers. My intention is to eventually compile a detailed map giving all the imformation I have gathered together to be able to be accessed by all at the click of a button.

I did'nt put the link on my first posting in case people thought I was just spamming, but I am genuine in what I am trying to achieve and the forum has already attracted a lot of attention....and many members.

I hope it's O.K with Admin to supply my link.....

http://woodovenukforum.forumup.co.uk/in ... venukforum

I am still hoping that the UK workshop forum members can help me out with any info that they may have and appreciate the help up to now.

Terry (C.F)


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## bob321 (16 Feb 2010)

cannyfradock":17jzoc7r said:


> Many thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. All taken on board.
> 
> It is surprising the amount of people who wish to build a wood-oven for themselves, but hav'nt taken the next step into commiting themselsves to starting their project.
> 
> ...



the spam trap stoped the link. you only need 1 more post


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## cannyfradock (16 Feb 2010)

Bob 321

Many thanks for the advice, but I am more interested in any knowledge the forum members may have on refractory companies. Although I would love to approach the woodworking specialists on this forum and ask them how to make a wooden form which could support the build of a Pompeii-style (igloo shape) brick wood-oven. 

I would have to find the correct forum here to ask the question and perhaps show a picture or diagram, but that can wait till I'm feeling a bit more cheeky.

Terry

p.s Shame there's not a bricks and morter forum like this one to be found in the UK.


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## OLD (16 Feb 2010)

Had a look at google and found quite a few suppliers ?


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## bob321 (16 Feb 2010)

i would love to help but i an just as confused as you

i want to build a portable one :shock:


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## cannyfradock (16 Feb 2010)

Many thanks OLD for the advice.I have already been on google for 3 weeks solid and have about a dozen names of fire-brick suppliers . I don't want to sound greedy but a personal lead or contact name is worth 10 names off the web.

Bob 321...if you want a portable build then this link may interest you........ http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/attachm ... l-view.jpg 

Bob...are you the carpenter that can help me with my little quandry?

When the Americans build their wood-ovens, they lay one brick a day using a jig like this..... http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/attachm ... l-view.jpg 

One brick, 6 bottles of beer then the next day another brick etc. I would like to build my dome in 3 days, using a wooden form which I can remove everyday to clean the interior of the bricks/dome/oven. The final day the form can stay inside and be burned out in the first gentle firing.

Can such a form be designed strong enough to hold the weight of the bricks (1/2 brick=2kg)( about 200 1/2 bricks for complete dome) but still be temporarily removed for brick cleaning purposes.

I am only thinking out aloud in text, but it would be nice to find a solution.

Terry (C.F)


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## OLD (17 Feb 2010)

Have you thought about poly. insulation made into a block fix with thin dowel and/or duck tape then shaped with a electric carving knife .Lay the bricks carefully to minimise any cleaning up after the former is cut away.


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## mickthetree (17 Feb 2010)

I remember seeing somewhere (might have been river cottage?) they made a pile of sand as their former, then built the oven around that. 

Once built and set scrape out all of the sand through the opening.

I think they used straight clay (from a building site) instead of bricks, but there is proably info on river coattegs website / forum.


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## cannyfradock (17 Feb 2010)

Many thanks for the idea's lads. The only problem with sand or polystyrene is that it would have to stay in at least until the uppermost keystone had set. I believe it would take 3 days to build a 42 inch diameter dome correctly. The fire-cement goes off like iron and is difficult to clean off after 1 day. I was thinking more of something segmented like an orange, except it would have to be moved before the next days work, enough to be able to clean the bricks. As I am useless with wood, I can't invisage how to make a portable form. I am thinking along the lines of something like this....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHRrkDm3 ... .....exept not fixed and without the arch former.

I really appreciate the feedback.

Terry (C.F)

p.s.....Bob 321........sorry. I posted wrong link to you.


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## bugbear (17 Feb 2010)

Kalimna":28alvgum said:


> Unfortunately, I am in the position of wanting to build one, but not knowing where to source the bricks. Having read the River Cottage, it seems fairly straightforward, if not exactly elegant.
> I would be very interested in your forum, once up and running.
> 
> Cheers,
> Adam



As I understand it, you have to burn enough wood to heat the entire (substantial) structure.

You could then cook lots of pizzas, simply maintaining the temperature.

This sounds fine for a restaurant, or someone who regularly throws big parties.

But it sounds very fuel greedy if you just want a pizza or two.

I suppose Jamie Oliver can afford that much firewood!

(google; James Martin has one too...)

BugBear


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## Jason Pettitt (17 Feb 2010)

How to make the perfect Pizza (in the perfect oven)

But I think Bugbear is right - it's not obvious that it would be a good idea for occasional use.


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## wizer (17 Feb 2010)

Jason Pettitt":3c08thsb said:


> How to make the perfect Pizza (in the perfect oven)
> 
> But I think Bugbear is right - it's not obvious that it would be a good idea for occasional use.



Absolutelt agree with this style of pizza and method of cooking. I often cook pizzas at home and we make our bases similar to this, but I just can't get the ofen hot enough for the best results. I agree that a proper pizza oven would be used for special occasions. But you don't have to just use it for pizzas. A whole weeks worth of cooking and baking can be done from one oven firing. Bread, Cakes, Stews, Pizzas, etc, etc.


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## TrimTheKing (17 Feb 2010)

Mate of mine has a dome kit he got as a gift from some Italian colleagues and just built a red brick base (to match his house), cast a slab on top, placed the oven dome kit, bricked up around it, backfilled with vermiculite then topped it with a slate roof and chimney.

We use that most weekend during the summer and occasionally in mid winter (NYE for instance). Takes around 4 hours and about 5 small logs to fire it and it will cook for about 5 hours without any further heating. With the occasional extra log and close the door and you can keep it fired for days at a time and we have cooked roast chicken, lamb joints and all sorts in it.

The pizza's from one of these are far and away the best I have ever had and I will be building one myself this summer. Now whether I go down the kit route as my mate did (he got his free but I would have to buy and they're in the region of £400-500) or go the home made route will depend on how this post pans out.

Very interested in this.


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## cannyfradock (17 Feb 2010)

Bugbear and Jason Pettitt are quite right of coarse. It does take a good deal of timber and up to 2hrs to heat up if built correctly. But that does'nt alter the fact that cooking bread, pizza, meat etc in one of these things is just that bit special, and the taste of the food can never be replicated.

I have already built mine, but because I could'nt find and refractory products for my build, I used reclaimed full imperial clays, lime, vermiculite and screed type sand and guesstimated the build. But just like my old school reports......quite good, but could be a lot better (if I had found a fire-brick supplier)

This is why I'm trying to gather as much info as I can so other people can benifit from a site designed to help people in the UK with their build. 

I am not trying to spam or pinch custom from here, but if TrimTheKing or even Wizer are thinking of a build, then I have already a fair bit of info re:- where to buy fire-bricks, ready-made wood-ovens, kits, prices etc.

I don't expect people to believe I'm doing this purely to help other people......but I am.......honest.

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's truly appreciated.

Terry (C.F)


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## wizer (17 Feb 2010)

Terry I've book marked your site and will appreciate your resource as soon as I can get the time and money to build one.

Maybe I'll help Mark build his and I can learn from his mistakes


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## TrimTheKing (17 Feb 2010)

wizer":31y5idy3 said:


> Terry I've book marked your site and will appreciate your resource as soon as I can get the time and money to build one.
> 
> Maybe I'll help Mark build his and I can learn from his mistakes


Mistakes you say? Never!

I'll do what I always do and spend so long planning, refining and procrastinating that it will never get built! No oven, no mistakes, simples!


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## wizer (17 Feb 2010)

maybe you could make one out of cardboard pizza boxes and bear cans ?


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## wizer (17 Feb 2010)

maybe you could make one out of cardboard pizza boxes and beer cans ?


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## cannyfradock (17 Feb 2010)

Talking about beer cans and cardboard boxes......When I built my wood-oven I used cardboard as a form to lay my bricks on. I went down to my local wastesavers and gave the foreman a fiver to get me 12 sheets of clean cardboard from the skip. These I turned into 24 half-moon shaped interlocking fins (1m x 50cm). these fins were covered with strips of newspaper(the daily mail) that were dipped in a mixture of flour and water to make a solid form which I built the dome on.

Talking about beer cans......this is how you cook a chicken in a wood-oven with a little help from a beer can........

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f25/bee ... -7331.html

Terry (C.F)


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## robinov (2 Mar 2010)

I run regular workshops on Pizza Oven Building and have well over 300 ovens built to my design. I also build custom ovens for clients from time to time. I produce a range of tools to use in woodfired ovens also. I am visiting the UK later in the year and would love to run some workshops if suitable interest was shown and a venue could be found. I have a Facebook group page for those interested in finding out more................"Build your own Pizza Oven"[http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=379534261200]


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## bugbear (3 Mar 2010)

cannyfradock":gpdoatei said:


> ...these fins were covered with strips of newspaper(the daily mail) that were...



I wouldn't want anything that poisonous near food.

;-)

BugBear


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## cannyfradock (11 Apr 2010)

bugbear

Did you mean the printed newspaper or the Daily mail?

Terry (C.F)


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## cannyfradock (9 Jan 2011)

Happy new year to all good folk of the UK Workshop.

Many thanks for all your help and advice last year when I was trying to set up an info/interactive forum for people wishing to build their own wood-fired ovens in the UK. With your encouragement and a lot of research I was able to assist many people in 2010 and in-turn they returned the compliment by sharing their wood-fired oven builds with us with comments on every stage of the build along with a full picture diary ( about 15 builds in total).

I would love to add a link to your forum on my site, if that's OK with the Admin here.

Again...many thanks and all the best for the UK Workshop in 2011.

Terry


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## cannyfradock (23 Apr 2011)

Cannyfradocks update.......

UK WFO forum is going strong with 8/10 builds underway at the moment all giving detailed photo's and stage by stage comments. No Cob oven builds so far (this year), but Pompeii oven builds, Vault oven builds. modular oven builds and a few individual Quick fix builds.

This may come across as a spam post, but in all honesty it's an invite to a non-commercial forum to any wood-fired oven enthusiasts who needs a bit of free advice on building their own wood-fired oven.

Out of respect to UK Workshop......and besides, it's very rude....I wont include a link....but help is out there for anybody that want's it.

Regards....

Terry


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## cannyfradock (17 Aug 2011)

My second Wood-fired oven build....

http://imageshack.us/g/824/soven008.jpg/ 
http://imageshack.us/g/830/soven9022.jpg/ 

Regards... Terry


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## misterfish (18 Aug 2011)

=D> =D> =D> Very impressive - makes me hungry just looking at the pictures.

Misterfish


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## bugbear (18 Aug 2011)

cannyfradock":16u8jci3 said:


> My second Wood-fired oven build....
> 
> http://imageshack.us/g/824/soven008.jpg/
> http://imageshack.us/g/830/soven9022.jpg/
> ...



Intriguing - the centreing (or falsework) was in place when the steep part of the walls (that would probably be self-supporting) was being done, but removed when the apex was being done.

When I looked at the early-stage photos I though the centreing was carefully designed to be removed through the firehole...

BugBear


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## bosshogg (18 Aug 2011)

Both the Errol Brick Co. Ltd. and Raewell Firebricks Ltd. here in Scotland can do these bricks. I know the Errol Brick Co. make any bricks to order, as they only use traditional brick making methods, this allows them to match new bricks too size/colour and compound, for which they are famed.
I'm not so sure about Raewell, but with firebricks in there name, one would assume?...bosshogg


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