A couple of years ago, I decided to try and keep a bit better track of my oven’s performance. In particular, I was interested in seeing how much wood I was burning compared to how much bread and other cooking we were getting out of it. My data is neither consistent nor precise, but the exercise has been useful, if only as a good excuse to focus my attention on what I was seeing and doing. I’ve posted my “oven journal†separately; it includes specifics of each oven firing, including how much fuel I used, how long I fired, what we cooked, and how long the oven held the . . .
cob ovens on trailers
“I was wondering if you might have any info or resources for cob oven on trailers?” Here’s my thoughts and experience, over and above what’s already in Build Your Own Earth Oven: I wouldn't try to put a cob or earthen oven on a trailer myself. I do know of one guy who did but he had to do repairs on the oven before the year was out but I haven't heard from him since, so don't know the whole story of his oven. Maybe it’s doing just fine. It’s hard to imagine that unfired earth would be able to withstand prolonged exposure to road vibration without serious cracking and ultimate . . .
waterglass for binding earthen surfaces & pigment
Waterglass for protection & paint Waterglass has become my preferred binder in places where it's needed. The chemical name is sodium or potassium silicate. It's an inert mineral compound similar to window glass, but under heat and pressure, it's soluble in water. I get it from a ceramic supplier (it was $9 a gallon when I first published this, now it's $20!). It's clear, viscous, and pours like heavy cream. It dries into a clear, brittle substance that crushes to a fine powder, but it has significant binding power, and is used in some refractory cements, as well as numerous other . . .