Pizza oven clay

oflynno

Where can I get a few large bags of clay?

not for making pottery, but I want to build a dome pizza oven.

I saw it being done on telly in the UK and they could buy it in bags in the builders providers.You should see the looks I've got when I asked in a few around cork.

cannyfradock

Buying clay from a pottery may prove expensive. If you don't know of an area near water where you can dig some clay up, then most building sites where trenches are excavated for pipework etc will have masses of the stuff which they have to pay to get rid of. A little bit of cheek and a bribe of a pack of beer usually does the trick.

If you have any lawn turf suppliers on the outskirts of the town/city you live, they may have quantities of clay. Many towns with a lot of canal's etc source their clay for repair work from turf suppliers.

The clay doesn't have to be pure as you normally add sand to pure clay in a ratio of 2 sand to 1 part clay for clay oven building.

Hope that helps....

Terry

Frere Jacques

Ever have any luck finding clay?
I'm almost finished my 1.6m diameter base for my oven and reckon I'll be ready to start on the clay dome in a few weeks.
I'd be glad of any tips. Internally the oven will be 1m. hoping for pizza by Christmas for the visiting smallies we have coming.
FJ.

cannyfradock

Brother Jack

Even though you are building a Clay oven a refractory hearth is important. Either fire-bricks or reclaimed storage heater fire-bricks are the best, otherwise a clay based brick or paver will work...don't use concrete.

Insulation under the hearth and in the clay dome is also very important for a good "working" oven. Either vermecrete (vermiculite, cement and water) or insulation blocks (thermolite etc) make a great insulation layer under your hearth.

Hay (not straw) is mixed in with the second clay layer to give your dome it's thermal properties. Sometimes fine wood-chip is also used with the principle being the wood will burn off leaving the second clay layer with a honeycomb effect which is what the straw does.

I have put a few pics and explanations to my latest Clay oven build which you may find useful.. http://www.celticwoodfiredovens.com/buildingaclayoven.html

All the best with your build....

Terry

Frere Jacques

Hay not straw??

Should that be Straw not hay. Good web site, thanks. I should have the base finished next week so looking forward to the cob stage.

cannyfradock

Quite correct Sir......Straw not hay.

All the best with the rest of your build.

Terry