Installation guide

Pompeii Oven Instructions
© Forno Bravo, LLC 2007. All Rights Served. Ver. 1.2 30
• You can continually clean the inside of the dome
brickwork, which will result in a better-looking end
product.
• Finally, this approach reduces the risk of something
going wrong. Simply put, you know the entire time
that you are working that your oven dome is standing,
and will continue to stand. If the builder uses the
forms to hold up the bricks, rather than using the
forms as a placement guide there is a chance that the
brickwork will not be self-supporting. You will need to
support your rings, also called chains, once the arch
of the dome is more pronounced at chain 8.
The freestanding dome approach builds on itself, where
the first few chains are not difficult to build, giving the
builder the experience and self-confidence necessary to
continue through the subsequent chains.
An experienced mason can build the entire dome without
using any type of form.
Advantages of using a form from start to finish:
• Forms help maintain the desired profile throughout
the laying of the chains.
• Before you add mortar to the brick you can rest the
chain on the form to help visualize how that chain will
be laid.
• Most amateur brick builders have found the foam
vanes, about 8, help in maintaining the profile while
not allowing the bricks to rest on the foam.
• This method has been the preferred method of
amateur builders.
To further explore the pros and cons of the different
methods further, before you start you oven, join the Forno
Bravo Forum, to find out what other builders have done,
and what they think.
About Your Brick
We recommend using low or medium duty firebrick for
both the oven dome and cooking surface. The dome
firebricks provide a majority of the oven's ability to hold
heat, and will allow the oven to deliver the high
temperatures needed for cooking pizza. Read our Brick
Primer (Appendix 2) for more background information on
bricks.
6.5 Two firebricks
Much of the Pompeii Oven dome is constructed using a
standard size brick (about 2 1/2" x 4.5" x 9") cut in half.
The cut side of the brick faces out, away from the inside of
the oven, allowing the clean, manufactured side to face in
where it will be seen. Depending on the brick type and
size you choose, the thickness of your oven dome will be
between 4" and 4 1/2", which is high, but an acceptable
amount of thermal mass for a home oven. The dome can
be coated with 1/2"-1" layer of either refractory mortar or
fire clay mortar, further increasing the oven mass.
Brick Cutting
There are three basic methods of cutting the bricks for
your dome:
• You can either purchase an inexpensive tile saw or
rent a tile saw. Most rentals charge an additional
amount for the wear of the blade. Make sure you
know the rate; it is usually based on a micrometer