After a few days of making little fires inside the dome -- adding mud to the narrow
cracks that opened, and re-plastering a few spots where the tip of the licking flame
made the clay inner layer spall -- I decided to start making the next layer: the
"insulating" layer.
I started by making some creamy clay slip in a storage tub, and then adding
whatever dry fluffy organic stuff I could find. I dumped in all my paper from two
shredders -- both cross cut and strip kind. It's used printer paper, catalogs, junk
mail, and whatever paper the household generates. Usually we use it to add to pet
bedding (mouse, guinea pig, and rat.)
cracks that opened, and re-plastering a few spots where the tip of the licking flame
made the clay inner layer spall -- I decided to start making the next layer: the
"insulating" layer.
I started by making some creamy clay slip in a storage tub, and then adding
whatever dry fluffy organic stuff I could find. I dumped in all my paper from two
shredders -- both cross cut and strip kind. It's used printer paper, catalogs, junk
mail, and whatever paper the household generates. Usually we use it to add to pet
bedding (mouse, guinea pig, and rat.)
That got me thinking about pet bedding. I had all the kids clean the cages and dump the bedding into my box. Wood
shavings, shredded corn cob, and recycled paper. Also a few guinea pig poops, but they will be encased in clay and will
burn out anyway. Hey, the Native Americans made their ovens out of buffalo poop, right? I also threw in the wood shavings
from under my husband's lathe. I kneaded the whole thing until it was wet but not drippy, and all the dry stuff was coated
with clay.
shavings, shredded corn cob, and recycled paper. Also a few guinea pig poops, but they will be encased in clay and will
burn out anyway. Hey, the Native Americans made their ovens out of buffalo poop, right? I also threw in the wood shavings
from under my husband's lathe. I kneaded the whole thing until it was wet but not drippy, and all the dry stuff was coated
with clay.
I made a thick layer of it around the base of the oven, almost to the
edge of the rock foundation. I poked lots of finger holes in it as I
went, to let the next layer adhere and to make air space.
The purpose of the insulating layer is to keep that hot inner dome
hot as long as possible. I am told that earth ovens can maintain heat
for as much as twelve hours if they are well insulated -- when you're
done baking, you can use it like a crock pot!
And I love that it uses those branch sized bits of firewood. We're
taking down a mulberry tree soon and while we use the logs for our
wood stove, we never had any use for the bundles of sticks before.
edge of the rock foundation. I poked lots of finger holes in it as I
went, to let the next layer adhere and to make air space.
The purpose of the insulating layer is to keep that hot inner dome
hot as long as possible. I am told that earth ovens can maintain heat
for as much as twelve hours if they are well insulated -- when you're
done baking, you can use it like a crock pot!
And I love that it uses those branch sized bits of firewood. We're
taking down a mulberry tree soon and while we use the logs for our
wood stove, we never had any use for the bundles of sticks before.
The arch above the doorway had cracked pretty badly, because it
was thinner than the rest of the oven, and in my impatience I had built
several fires to dry things faster. The hot smoke coming out the top of
the arch dried the clay, and it shrunk faster than the clay around it.
I patched it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if
I were going to add a chimney I needed to do it before the insulation
layer was complete. So I knocked off the top of the arch (boy, it was
rock hard!) and rebuilt it this way. The top piece is made from very
sandy clay with a rope of twisted straw rolled into it for strength. (I
learned that from Denzer's book.)
I stuck the little blackened fire-woman face back on the new arch
with a stick poked in the back, and into the clay..
was thinner than the rest of the oven, and in my impatience I had built
several fires to dry things faster. The hot smoke coming out the top of
the arch dried the clay, and it shrunk faster than the clay around it.
I patched it, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if
I were going to add a chimney I needed to do it before the insulation
layer was complete. So I knocked off the top of the arch (boy, it was
rock hard!) and rebuilt it this way. The top piece is made from very
sandy clay with a rope of twisted straw rolled into it for strength. (I
learned that from Denzer's book.)
I stuck the little blackened fire-woman face back on the new arch
with a stick poked in the back, and into the clay..
Every layer I added was made of something different. I kept
going through stacks of old papers in the house looking for
something to shred, and dumping it into the bucket with water,
dry trimmings from my potters wheel and slop from different
recycle clay buckets. I cleaned the straw out of the rabbit
hutch, and found more wood shavings in the shed. I even
raked some crinkly leaves out of the hedges to add to one
layer.(They were heavy, though, and didn't soak up the liquid
like other materials.) The top layer is mostly shredded corn
cob pet bedding. Wood shavings are best so far.
I worried a that the new layer would make the inner dome
soggy, but although it is cool and damp again inside, it seems
quite sturdy.
going through stacks of old papers in the house looking for
something to shred, and dumping it into the bucket with water,
dry trimmings from my potters wheel and slop from different
recycle clay buckets. I cleaned the straw out of the rabbit
hutch, and found more wood shavings in the shed. I even
raked some crinkly leaves out of the hedges to add to one
layer.(They were heavy, though, and didn't soak up the liquid
like other materials.) The top layer is mostly shredded corn
cob pet bedding. Wood shavings are best so far.
I worried a that the new layer would make the inner dome
soggy, but although it is cool and damp again inside, it seems
quite sturdy.
April 20: Tonight I mostly cleaned my pugmill, though we got
a bale of straw in preparation for making the final "plaster"
layer. I brought some of the clay inside and made a few
prototypes, just "sketching" ideas about how I might want the
finished oven to look.
a bale of straw in preparation for making the final "plaster"
layer. I brought some of the clay inside and made a few
prototypes, just "sketching" ideas about how I might want the
finished oven to look.
