Mud Oven War day 3

I never wanted a pug mill so much! I usually recycle all my clay by hand, but never had to recycle this much of clay at once. 

First time I did this project I used clay from construction sites. It was hard to separate the clay from all the rocks, but the clay was not too hard. Second time I made the oven I used the clay from my studio which was already recycled, so it was a piece of cake. But this time I'm using the clay from the previous oven I destroyed and it was hard as rock. I soaked in water overnight, but still some chunks were dry and hard inside. After spending an hour trying to break the clay, I decided to bring my wedging table outside and wedge little by little. 

It was a slow day, painful too, but I accomplished half oven by patting and slapping the clay around the sand mold that this time was covered with newspaper, so the clay doesn't stick to it. 

This afternoon I had to go to Nina's school for a spring festival, so I couldn't finish the first layer, but Nina's class did beautifully, it was worth stopping the job at the middle of it. 

Tomorrow is Sunday, I might finish the other half or not. I covered everything with plastic so it will not get dry. It is easier if the clay is moist to get a good joint. And would be even easier if I haven't started this whole thing three years ago, but if I haven't started how would I know?

Mud Oven War, the battle continues day 2

OUCH! It hurts! My hands, my neck, my back... . One might think this is a child's job, playing with sand, making a big cake out of it. But for sure it is the most difficult and annoying part of the project, and a crucial one too. The sand mold is the void of the oven, the open space for my pizza, bread or pit fire pots if once more it doesn't work for coking, after all I'm a potter, not a baker. In addition, it works as a mold for the outside part of the oven.

Since this is my third time and I know how hard this part is, I decided to do two short cuts.  First I have to draw a circle 22.5 inches wide for the mold template. It is hard to do it on paper since I'd have to join two newspaper sheets and when I start to put sand on it, it gets messy, rips, etc... So I found a piece of Styrofoam still from my kiln package, measured and cut it a nice 22.5 inches circle. Second, I didn't have a lot of sand and I didn't want to put any more money into this crazy project, so I put some extra bricks to be the core of the sand mold. It didn't only save me a lot of sand, but also helped the walls to be straight until it had to go into a curve. I also used the bricks to secure a piece of bamboo to let me know where to stop. After lots of add here, subtract there, lots of hand slapping, smothering, and five hours later a beautiful sand mold was born. Tomorrow I will compact the clay around the sand, and that's sure a double ouch.

Mud Oven War

Yes, I'm doing it again.
Three years ago I decided to make a mud oven for pizza, bread, pies, you name it. I had Kiko Denzer's book with all the instructions and all the good will to get dirty. As a ceramist I thought it would be a great project, so I made the foundation, lay the bricks, collected clay from construction sites, and got a nice sun tan. After several days I had my pizza oven. Before I started using it I made it a shelter, and then a nice stone like floor made with concrete around the oven's foundation. It was beautiful. Everything was beautiful, so let's bake... it was then when I started getting into trouble. The fire would not stay long enough to heat the oven. I got a half baked pizza after an hour and finished it in my kitchen oven. Frustration... I tried again and again until the oven was declared the most beautiful sculpture our garden ever had.
Winter came and a severe snow storm destroyed my "garden sculpture". Spring follows and a new oven with new expectation arrived. I made a beautiful sand mold with a round top. I was very careful with the opening. But this time, I decided to try it before going on with insulation and decoration, two extra layers. I guess I was too excited and lit the fire inside before the top was completely dry, so POP goes the top of the oven, it exploded! I cover the "thing" and wait until now, the third spring. I promised my family this time is the last time. They doubt... me too, but anyway, today I destroyed the popped oven, recycled the clay, lay the bricks again and a new expectation was born. Maybe that is what spring is for, new expectations, rebirth, stubbornness... Tomorrow I'll make the sand form to shape the void of the oven and with luck I'll remix the clay and start the oven's first layer. Good luck to me.