Installation guide

Pompeii Oven Instructions
© Forno Bravo, LLC 2007. All Rights Served. Ver. 1.2 31
measurement before you rent and when you return it.
One builder did not use enough water and forced the
saw to cut rapidly through the bricks, and as a result,
his charge for blade wear was almost what it would
have been to purchase an inexpensive saw. If you are
going to be doing some remodeling, as well as your
oven, you might invest in an inexpensive tile saw.
Remember to save the mud from the cutting that has
settled to the bottom of your catch basin, from the
cutting. It is a perfect source of firebrick clay (no
cement), which is used under the floor of the oven.
• You can use a diamond-coated masonry blade on a
standard circular saw or grinder. This creates massive
amount of dust, which is very abrasive on the saw
motor. You should wear a dust mask.
• You can score your bricks and break them. This takes
practice, and very few builders have chosen this
route. With a pair of safety glasses a mask and a
hammer you can have the kids hammer the chips
down to “sand” for firebrick clay.
Although it won't help at the core of the brick you can also
let them soak in a bucket of water for a few minutes before
you cut them. This will reduce, but not eliminate, the dust
problem.
To reduce the amount of mortar required to build your
dome, one option is to use tapered bricks. You will need
for more brick, because all four sides of each brick will
need tapering. See the Appendix for a discourse on
tapering the bricks to reduce the mortar joint. For a more
advanced approach one builder has gone with a geodesic
Pompeii dome, dmun's 36" geodesic oven.
(http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/showthread.php?t=765)
Oven Dimensions
We recommend either a 36" or 42" (internal diameter)
round oven, using either a high (Tuscan), or low
(Neapolitan) vault design. These sizes provide you with
enough oven space to cook multiple pizzas at a time, or to
cook a roast with multiple side dishes, without being too
large or difficult to build, or too slow to fire. The trade-offs
between the two oven styles have been described above,
and will help you decide which oven to build.
Interior
Diameter
Interior
Height
Opening
Width
Opening
Height
Low Vault
36
14.5"
18
10
42
15.5"
19
11
High Vault
36
19"
19
12
42
20"
20
12.5
The Oven Opening Dimensions
The basic trade-off a builder faces when selecting the
oven opening size is balancing ease-of-use for getting
food in and out of the oven and the size of pans, oven
tools and roasts you want to use vs. your oven's ability to
hold and retain heat. The larger the opening, the easier it
is to work with the oven, and the more your oven will lose
heat. A small opening will enable your oven to hold its
heat well, but can limit you from using your favorite terra
cotta pan, or a nice large pizza peel. The opening height
and width we recommend here should work well for a
majority of builders.