The Brick Oven Page

Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007
From: Alex Chernov <alex_stovemaster(at)yahoo.ca>
Subject: Variation on Pat Manley's oven design
To: Norbert Senf <mheat(at)heatkit.com>

Hi Norbert:

I want to share a modification to Pat Manley’s bake oven design.

In Pat’s design, the last row of the bricks in the vault before the throat is set about 3” lower than the vault’s height to create a “bell” effect – keep hot gases inside (the way all the ovens are built – reduction in height before the exit).

I have lowered this lip to be more in line with the classic proportion of 61-62%. According to be bell theory, this should retain more hot gases.

I have recently built a restaurant 31 1/2x40” bake oven with this modification. The oven fires nicely (test fire). I didn’t have an opportunity to fire the oven to high temperatures as it was still too wet by the time I finished the project and left.

The efficiency should logically be better, but I don’t have a way to compare. I have just thought someone may be interested to see the modification. I attach pictures that show the last rows before the throat. I think it is clear from the pictures how it was done. The oven is faced in Russian style, and the stucco is still wet at the time the picture was taken.

All the best,
Alex

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