casting a bread/pizza oven

[Gert Odendaal]

For those whom are interested in the cast processof a bread/pizza oven (charcoal/gas) my son Ruan and I are currently casting an oven. This is what the mold look like...from tomorrow I will be taking the mold apart and plaster uneven surfaces...this oven will be used at the "Gelofte Fees" ...to bake home-made bread....

[Andrew Leigh]

Gert, you are one busy boy. You are like the Energizer Bunny, good luck with the oven.

[bmeagle]

What materials are you using?

[PistolBoy]

Looks good!

[Vega5]

Did you use fireclay?

[Gert Odendaal]

I did use a mixture of Pearlite, a fire resistant compound, extremely light, you need to measure in quantities not in weight . I use a ratio of one bucket of Pearlite and three buckets of cement...It works out to fill this cast one 50kg bag of cement to a bucket of Pearlite...

I will start taking apart the mold and will bake the first three loafs of bread on Friday...if the mold is in tact I will cover it with fiberglass mat and resin to convert into a permanent mold for future ovens...will upload more photos tomorrow...

[Chops]

Get the perlite from Pratley? Be gentle when heating it up the first time, perlite retains water like a sponge due to its hollow structure and the cast part can explode/spall if you heat it too quickly for the water to escape. I cast a new roof for my little aluminium and brass melting furnace with perlite a while back.

[bmeagle]

What cement are you using, I would think that ordinary cement won't be able to take the heat.

[Gert Odendaal]

Chops/bmeagle
Thank you for the advice..I will start it up with a small charcoal fire to burn at least three hours...keep in mind I will not make a fire inside the oven...I will use coals from a fire we keep burning to cook soap...we have a lot of hardwood from Limpopo...we will sit around this fire in the evenings and listen to hunting stories .

Recent photos will follow...I did start disassemble the cast today..I removed all the outer casings/wood so the whole outside of the oven is visible and turned the oven over to take photos of the rib-cage...

At tomorrow the whole cement body will be separate from the rib casings...I then will make a small fire to slowly dry out the cement...

The baking procedures will follow soon then we will know if this project is a success or failure..

The following photos consist of the disassembling of the cast box...

[Gert Odendaal]

I will be removing the inner rib-case tomorrow , we will then be able to see how effective the casting process was....More photos: