I'm currently attempting to build a brick oven in my yard.
Currently 5 weeks in, and would say I'm 75% done with the project.
There's a lot of waiting for things to dry and cure in between steps, and the crazy heat has slowed me down too.
I'm halfway through the oven construction, which I'm hoping to finish this coming weekend, then I'll need to insulate and render the dome, and finish the stand.
Before this project, I never mixed a bag of cement, mortared a block, or laid a brick in my life, and I thought cinder blocks were for smashing storefront windows.
That said, I'm pretty satisfied with how things are coming along.

Here's some photos of the process:

Blank slate
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I had to pour a foundation slab. After talking with some people that know what they're doing I poured a 6 inch slab on 6 inches of crushed and compacted stone. Reinforced the slab with 3/8 inch rebar on 6 inch centers.

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After the slab cured for a week, I mortared and laid the block.

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Once the mortar dried, the cores of the block needed to be filled with cement.
I ran 1/2 inch rebar through every other core to tie in to the suspended slab.

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Next I had to form up and pour the suspended slab.

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Added a second grid of 3/8 rebar to reinforce the slab.

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Finished product

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After another week of curing, and roughly 4 weeks total I was finally able to start the oven.

Started with 2 inch calcium silicate board to insulate the floor, then formed up and poured a 1 inch refractory castable base.

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Next I mortared and laid the floor tiles.

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And then, finally started work on the dome!

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I haven't gotten much done since I took these pictures Sunday morning
Took Sunday to point the mortar joints, and scrub the brickwork clean, and this morning I laid the first of 2 arches across the opening of the oven.
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Wow, Dom, that's a lot of work, but it looks great! I know you said that you had no experience with this, but you must have been a mason in a past life.
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That looks awesome
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Very nice Dom!
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Very cool! :-)
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I can't even hang curtains so this is incredible. Great work, Dom! Can't wait to see it in action :-)
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Fantastic, Dom!
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Quite handy! Well done. Is this for pizza's or just general cooking?
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"Meh...probably going to burn waaaaay too thick pizza anyway"...(posting for a friend..)
:-):-)

Nice work my brother!
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Amazing, Dom!
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Real nice work. If all else falls by the wayside, you can always use it as a bomb shelter !! That thing is built stout !!
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Great job so far. Keep the pic's coming
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:-) great work Dom!!!
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That's amazing Dom!!!
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Looking good so far. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
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Pretty damn impressive, Dom. I can see why you decided to ruin your nipples for this.
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Very cool, Dom! I am so impressed with all the thought and effort that you have put into this project! You should be very proud of your accomplishment!
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Awesome work!!:-)
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Thanks, guys.

Thanks for all your help!!

Little bit of this, little bit of that.
With the thermal mass of the oven it should stay warm enough to cook in for 3 days from a full firing.
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That's incredible, Dom, although little surprises me with your outdoor cooking masterpieces. Can it toast pretzels? :-)
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