making an outdoor oven

[fenderjaguar]

i just wondered what you guys thought of this idea i've had. i want to make an outdoor oven, that has a fire underneath. with the fire in a tray, possibly.

this is actually for the garden, not roaming around in the wilderness. but i thought i'd post it here anyway.

so it would be using slabs of concrete for the lid and the bottom, which will be directly over where the fire burns. and bricks for the supports and walls. i would be using cement to bind the bricks together, also. do any of you guys think this would be any good, or even work properly? :\

here's some pics of how i imagine it might look:

 

[wingstoo]

fenderjaguar,

How do you get the temperature to stablise?

I had a similar idea last year using an old ammo box over a charcoal bed...

Did have a photo somewhere but can't find it...

LS

 

[singteck]

It's a nice idea. But I can see 3 problem with the design

1. Too much fuel would be wasted to heat up the oven because of the open concept for the fire. Wouldn't be a problem if you have endless supply of firewood. But if you have to buy them.......

2. Concrete is not a good choice of material because they collect moisture and when you heat them up, the moisture evaporates and causes it to "explode" or at the very least crack. You might have to use firebricks and metal support for the span.

3. You have not design a dor for it. Would be nice to have hinges on it too


I could be wrong.

singteck

 

[Ogri the trog]

Fenderjaguar,
Nice idea, but how are you going to get the cooked food out, or even see if it is cooked?
I have no direct experience, but I think Singteck is right about using/wasting too much fuel.
I've seen plans in my dim and distant past about using a large biscuit tin, over a fire, burried in a mound of clay and straw mix. the lid allows access to check/remove you food.
A permutation of your idea, using a sheet of iron for the base of the oven and the addition of a door (something like a large slate which could be swung down to lay on top of more bricks to make a sort of shelf to hold the dish while you basted or checked its progress.

Rambling thoughts.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[rowen]

This may be of help to you -

http://www.i4at.org/surv/stove.htm

lgood luck and let us know how it turns out

 

[fenderjaguar]

thanks for the replies. the metal box with an insulating clay surface around it sounds quite a lot easier.

yeah, i was concerned about the type of cement i would have to use, since ordinary concrete can crack, when it gets hot. and these firebricks are a good idea as well. also, maybe thinner sandstone slabs or an iron plate for the top and bottom would be better than a concrete slab (which could also crack).

my idea was, to have the top slab as a lid, that could simply to taken off with a pair of heat proof gloves. if i used some non cracking type of cement to make the lid absolutely flush with the top, then it'd be much easier than putting hinges on. just lift off.

as for the fuel issue and keeping a steady temperature, i just thought that if i kept putting wood on, and stoking up the fire (possibly even with bellows), the oven will eventually reach somewhere from 140-200 degrees +. it may use quite a bit of fuel to get going. but if i'm using some sort of heat retaining bricks, i figured it'd keep its heat pretty well. and that using metal on the top and sides could lead to losing a lot of heat? (with metal disapaiting/radiating heat outside of the oven a lot more than bricks would)

 

[singteck]

(with metal disapaiting/radiating heat outside of the oven a lot more than bricks would)

Well look at it this way, if the metal radiate heat outside the oven, it would radiate inside too. Thus shorter cooking time. Bricks will prevent less heat lost but will need more heat outside to be transfered inside. Longer cooking time and more fuel.

However that longer cooking time translate into better tasting food!

singteck

 

[running bare]

there was a series on the tv a few years back.some posh sounding bloke. anyway he set about making household items using basically scrap. imsmr he made an oven out of concrete slabs with tin foil on the inside with a metal angle frame round the outside with a concrete door attached apparently it worked.......only wish i could remember the name of the program




i think the program was pure invention or something like that and was based at brunel university i believe

 

[cbax]

I have just built an earth oven following the ideas of Kiko Denzer. He wrote a book called 'Bulid your own earth oven'. It has some great ideas in it and it is fairly easy to get hold of.

Chris