Last year I decided I needed to have a clay oven to keep the heat out of the kitchen during the summer so this year I went ahead and built one.
I started out by building a portable waist high stand for the oven. This is not recommended because the clay is so heavy a permanent base made out of cement would be better.
Then was mixing the clay and sand and straw together on a big tarp. I started mixing it up in small amounts in a wheelbarrow but soon put on boots and stomped it to mix it all at once.
I used a heavy wire with 2" squares for the frame, and a huge box for the frame. I plastered about 2 inches of the clay all over the box and then placed the wire over top, and then packed the wire with about another 3- 4" of clay again.
Heres the oven in the process of applying the clay - notice the wire on top and the back of the oven.
The final result. I decided to be safe and put some plywood and braces to make sure the roof didn't cave before it dried. Now when the clay is dry I burn the inside paper and wood when I do the first curing fire.
Oh and I need to make a tin lined door to keep the heat in the oven
All total took about 10 hours of my time and was relatively easy to make. The best websites about the clay ovens was ehow and Mother Earth News
I started out by building a portable waist high stand for the oven. This is not recommended because the clay is so heavy a permanent base made out of cement would be better.
Then was mixing the clay and sand and straw together on a big tarp. I started mixing it up in small amounts in a wheelbarrow but soon put on boots and stomped it to mix it all at once.
I used a heavy wire with 2" squares for the frame, and a huge box for the frame. I plastered about 2 inches of the clay all over the box and then placed the wire over top, and then packed the wire with about another 3- 4" of clay again.
Heres the oven in the process of applying the clay - notice the wire on top and the back of the oven.
The final result. I decided to be safe and put some plywood and braces to make sure the roof didn't cave before it dried. Now when the clay is dry I burn the inside paper and wood when I do the first curing fire.
Oh and I need to make a tin lined door to keep the heat in the oven
All total took about 10 hours of my time and was relatively easy to make. The best websites about the clay ovens was ehow and Mother Earth News
