Outdoor Pizza Oven - Phase 3,

Although our temperatures neared 100 with the heat index this past Saturday, the cast of characters from last weekend made another guest appearance at The Compound to help us with phase 3 of the outdoor pizza oven construction.  My Mom, Padre', and Daughter Number 1. Trust me 5 sets of hands and brains became necessary.

This 1200 lb special delivery from Fire Rock arrived, after a snafoo by the freight carrier earlier in the week (damaged product was refused and sent back).  We were starting to bite our nails as the week progressed, since we really needed the unit delivered so we could get to this phase.  We have people depending on us for pizza next weekend. 

We were ready, and had the base finished last weekend.  Again, someone with greater power than our own, was looking out for us.  You see, the drawings of the unit show it at 48x48", which technically should be the min. base size.  We made ours 48x60, hoping for a landing area.  The landing area, became the area used by the entrance to the oven.  Can you even imagine if we didn't go with a larger piece, showed up yesterday and realized our oven base was too small?  After reviewing the drawing again, not one but three of us missed the entrance information, and it is not called out as an overall length anywhere on the drawings.  It's shown, but not included on an overall. 

Now the fun stuff!  Not!  Not only were the pieces heavy, so the boys had some fun lifting each one, but they were not really finished.  There was left over, I'll call it residue, on each piece.  It wouldn't allow for the pieces to fit together like a puzzle.  So we had to spend time rubbing the sides flat.

We put the unit together a couple of times minus the cap, to see how things would line up.  It still wasn't a great fit, but we had mortar to shore up the pieces.  The actual base is closer to 50", not the 48" as shown, since the pieces didn't fit together quite right.

 8 hours later, finished oven!

We still have to fire it up to cure, of course make some pizza, and apply the exterior finish. 


The small details, if addressed by the mfg would have made for an easier installation.  I know it sounds like complaining, not my intent, but I want anyone considering this oven to understand some of the pitfalls, so they are prepared ahead of time. Each issue is easily overcome.

Overall, we are very happy with the oven, happy with how it turned out, at a cost of around $1,200.00, it was at the top end of what we wanted to spend.  We are looking forward to pizza next weekend, and of completing the exterior finish.

We're now recipe hunting!