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| From Masonry Stove: A Wee Bit More Progress |
The final stretch of the brickwork was to create an oven. The arched roof is reminiscent of pizza ovens, and it just seemed that an oven was the perfect thing for that space. The first step was an oven floor. Dan started by using his grinder to make slots to hold three pieces of angle iron.
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| The front and middle irons inserted into the slot. One more will go behind. |
The three pieces of angle iron hold two rows of firebricks.
For a drip pan to protect the bricks from spillage (just in case!), I
purchased an
oven bottom liner replacement.
I would have preferred a larger one, but this was the closest in size I could
find. I don't know if I'll bake many drippy dishes in the oven (like pies or
pizza) but this will certainly be easier to clean than the brick if I have
to.
Then Dan continued with the bricks until the placement of the oven door.
For the oven rack, I bought a
3-piece cast iron replacement grate for gas grills.
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| The grates fit perfectly and are removable for cleaning. |
For the picture below, I removed one of the grates so you can see how he got
them level with the bottom of the door opening.
We discovered that the height of a firebrick on its side was perfect. Two more
pieces of angle iron (in this case, they are actually iron bed rails) are
wedged between the brick walls and hold the grates in place. It's a good
height for the grate, with plenty of space underneath for hot air circulation.
Next was installing the oven door. Like
our firebox door, we got it from Firespeaking. And like the
firebox door frame, Dan screwed a steel sleeve over the top of the frame.
This was because there was just a couple of inches gap between the top of the
frame and the brick arch. The steel sleeve supports the slivers of brick and mortar
needed to close and seal that gap.
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| With the oven door frame in place. |
What I didn't get a picture of was the strips of insulation tucked in around
the frame. That was included with the kit.
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| Door complete. |
The opening is 15 & 5/8 inches, which is wide enough to accommodate my pizza stone. Whether or not I will ever bake a pizza in it remains to be seen. This is because of how the stove is operated. Unlike cast iron stoves, which often keep a fire all day, a masonry stove uses only two fires a day. The fire heats the bell (hollow brick structure), which radiates heat over a period of time. So I won't have fine-tuned temperature control in the oven. I'm going to have to put an oven thermometer in it and monitor the heat until I can identify patterns and when it's at baking temperatures.
The last thing to do will be to install the stovepipe for the chimney. Then we can
have a breaking-in fire.
Masonry Stove: A Bake Oven © Nov. 2024
14 comments:
It looks amazing! As always, up to the high standards I have come to expect from yours and Dan's projects.
Leigh, that is gorgeous! I am envious! Hope you learn to bake in it. Will it accommodate a dutch oven? I can see a problem getting it out without some type of stout metal hook on a arm. That ought to keep your home toasty.
Thanks Michelle!
Kevin, I hadn't thought about my dutch oven. Technically it would fit, but as you point out, it would be awkward getting it out due to the size of the door. The other problem is the height of the oven. I'd have to hoist the pot about face level to get it into the oven. Right now I'm thinking bread, casseroles, and baked soup. :)
It is just beautiful! Could you slow cook stuff in it? I love slow simmering soups and stews on the wood stove, when we don't need a vigorous fire.
Rosalea, I'm really pleased with how it looks. :)
I'm thinking slow cooked dishes will work very well in this oven, with bread baking whenever it's at optimum temps. I'll just have to wait and see, but admit I'm anxious to start having fires so I can track temps in it.
During winter weekends, we often start a fire in our fireplace and spend the day lounging in front of it like lizards. It would be something grand to make pizza while we were lounging.
Hopefully the temperatures work out to be functional. But even if they aren't, it still looks really beautiful!
Ed, that sounds like a lovely way to spend a cold winter's day.
The thing about the oven temperatures is timing. One fire in the morning should keep the house warm until evening, but when will the oven be at best temps? I'll just have to adjust my baking to suit those times.
Wow - I am totally impressed!!
RT, me too. :)
What a fabulous addition to your homestead! Another option for cooking is always good to have in case of losing power. It looks very sturdy and I look forward to the first firing up!
Daisy, we're kinda holding our breath on that first firing. There's no way to test as we go without everything being airtight with chimney installed. It will take a bit of learning and experience to figure it out completely, but considering the amount of wood it will save us, it's worth it.
I've been wanting a bake oven at home for ages. Yours is absolutely beautiful. I hope you have a short learning curve, and have a lot of fun with it. Good job on a spectacular build!
Nina, I'm hoping to get a lot of use of it this winter! Really curious as to how the temps will do. I need to dust off my oven thermometer.
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