The final layer. The oven is complete!
So at last we reach the final layer. Once the insulation layer is dry you can crack-on and finish your oven.
The last layer uses the exact same technique as the first layer so you should be an expert by now. Using the same proportions, mix a batch of sand and clay together applying the good old puddling technique described earlier. Again, the amount you need depends on the size of your oven but remember that this last layer will require more than the first layer due to the greater surface area you need to cover. You will also need some spare mix to extend the chimney (if like me you didn’t make it tall enough first time round!) and to keep for filling cracks. Make “bricks” as before and gradually build-up the final layer. After you have inserted the last brick, pull-up a chair, open a cold beer and sit back and admire your work. Well done, your oven is complete!
Next time I am going to provide some pointers on firing the oven so you can get the best use out of it when cooking.
Finished oven from the front.
very informative nearly finished sand former .Have incorporated a sandstone arch into my plinth base which is hollow and heavily reinforced.this shall become the wood store more later .
Thanks Michael. I look forward to seeing your completed project. Best of luck.
Simon
Hi Simon
Almost there! I let the insulation layer dry for an extra week as I think the mixture was wetter than it should have been. I put on the final layer monday, however cracks have appeared as it’s dried. Is this normal? I guess I should just repair it like your recent blog.
Anyway, uploaded the pictures (so far) including one showing the cracks. I’ll try repairing it today (I saved some excess mix just in case it cracked), ready for the first pizza party on Saturday.
Cheers for all your help, Nik
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40445298@N04/sets/72157622395071166/
See what I had to do with the space I had, hence the questions about how hot will it get near a fence. I’ve also built a shelter, which I can lift on and off when needed, although I’ve built a chimney in case I just want to leave it on all the time (i.e. too heavy to move!)
Hi Nik I think it looks amazing! Fill the cracks indeed but you might find you’ll have a few more appear after the proper firing this weekend. It’s an ongoing process so keep a bag of mixture handy to keep the oven looking great. I love the roof, and the chimney plug and the door. You have inspired me to steal those ideas from you!
.
Let me know how the food goes.
Best of luck
Simon
Well since I stole the instructions from you, you are more than welcome. I got some “feathered” wood from wickes to do the roof – very easy just to nail onto the plywood structure that I made first.
Great site. Forgive me if this is a repost, but I didn’t see my original post. I was wondering if you knew the inside dimensions of your oven (cooking floor front to back and right side to left side) and if you knew the external dimensions (front to back, including entry way and right to left).
I am planning a similar project and am trying to interpret how the approx 7.5 “batches” of clay/sand mix interprets to size.
Thanks and, again, great site! Thanks for creating such an informative site!
Sorry Steve I have been away for a week or so. The dimensions are on this page: http://clayoven.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/2-the-plinth-foundation-plinth-and-brick-oven-floor
Best wishes
Simon
lol….skimmed that page because my base was already built! I like the dimensions, though, because it is almost exactly the size I was building
I like the easy math 
Say, if you were going to *guess* the weight of the clay used per batch, what would you guess? By weight, would you guess it is still approximately a 1:2 ratio, or is the clay significantly heavier(/lighter) than the sand by volume?
Really nice site. Thanks for posting!
Simon,
Do you know how large the cooking area in your oven is? And what about the external dimensions of the dome and entrance? I am trying to figure out how your 7.5 batches of mixture interpret into actual size of the oven.
Thanks
Steve