Comments for Kiko Denzer

Comment on Jumping bricks, or: inside out oven building by kikodenzer

kikodenzer — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:57:23 +0000

bricks, yes, 1.5" thick (the form was made of scrap 2×2)
RE: ratio of door width to height: what matters most about the door, after the proper height (the magic 63%), is the shape, which needs to support the weight of the mass above (including chimney, if there is one). You can make the door wider. For a round oven, I don't like to make the door wider than the radius simply because you start to lose a lot of mass (and, possibly, risk compromising the strength of the dome); too much door can also introduce too much (cooling) air — so if I need a very wide door, I prefer an oblong shape.

Comment on Jumping bricks, or: inside out oven building by Çhristo

Çhristo — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:00:11 +0000

Kiko,

Once again you've taken the theory to the dome and made it into wisdom! Thanks for te inspiration!

I'll be tinkering this summer with bricks!

Blessings of Peace, Fire and Mud!

Christo

Comment on Jumping bricks, or: inside out oven building by Richard Knapp

Richard Knapp — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:00:27 +0000

Hi Kiko,

Great essay. I think I noticed a typo right above the first picture of you where it says: "The clay is generally more durable under constant use than a typical "cob" mix, which uses a higher percentage of clay to limit cracking." Doesn't the typical cob mix use a higher percentage of sand?

Are the bricks about 1.5" thick?

Richard

Comment on Two-tier yurt with Bill Coperthwaite by kikodenzer

kikodenzer — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:15:37 +0000

For plans, send check or money order to The Yurt Foundation, Dickinson's Reach, Bucks Harbor, Machiasport, ME 04655 (no phone or email). There are three different sets:
* $25 for Tiny (10'), Little (12') and Standard (17' diam.)-all in one plan
* $50 for Concentric Yurt plans (1,000 sq. ft., 36' diam)
* $75 for Family Yurt plans (2,700 sq ft, 54' diam)
For more about the Yurt Foundation, goto http://www.yurtinfo.org/theyurtfoundation.php

Comment on Two-tier yurt with Bill Coperthwaite by Kaz

Kaz — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:34:01 +0000

Beautiful workmanship. Is it possible to receive plans? I would love to build one on my property. Thank you for sharing your experience.

Comment on We The People vs The Western Diet by Gabor Barat

Gabor Barat — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:25:34 +0000

Well, in a sense, this question is being addressed at the moment, I would say. As far as I can see, there are some radical changes on the way, in the medical and scientific world, regarding our thinking on diet and disease. There are more and more medical doctors and dieticians who are starting to understand the underlying relations, and who are then put this understanding into practice.

This is largely due to underrated pioneers like T. Colin Campbell, Dean Ornish, Caldwell B. Esselstyn and John McDougall, who forcefully pointed out the contradictions and illusions of our symptom-treating Big Medicine, while also provided striking results with diet alone - like reversing and curing cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes. I am not sure whether you had read The China Study*, but I would definitely recommend that book; it have changed many people's life. I guess it takes a more open position towards plant-based diet than Pollan, but well, this is what our scientific understanding indicates, if we look beyond the popular superficiality.

* http://books.google.com/books?id=FIRLLcLjyC8C&printsec=frontcover

And indeed, this problem shows some similarities with the tobacco case. Quite fascinating, but actually, smoking became popular with the idea that it is a healthy thing to do - like our western way of eating. And there were (smoking) doctors who publicly defended the tobacco companies, even when the scientific research was already rather clear. Tobacco companies of course tried to dilute and obscure the facts, like today's agriculture and medical businesses. If you are interested, at the following page there are some detailed documents about the tobacco case's chronology:
http://www.ash.org.uk/ash_669pax88.htm

Comment on ovens and efficiency by kikodenzer

kikodenzer — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:28:38 +0000

John,

I've not heard that particular assessment of kitty litter — and tho I do understand that it's made of clay, I've not used it for oven building — sounds like a good experiment. (I do suspect that brands vary quite a bit depending on where they source their clay, and how they treat it — or not.)

My solution to the problem of crumbling inner layers has been to soak them with a mix of half water and half "waterglass," aka sodium silicate; it is used by potters to deflocculate glazes, and to mend kilns. At high temps, it fuses w/surrounding aggregate and helps hold stuff together. Available at ceramic suppliers. It's also caustic, so take appropriate precautions.

Also, if you "mist" your loaves, or squirt water into the oven to aid crust development, it will take a heavy toll on the interior surface. Alan Scott always maintained that true hearth loaves steamed themselves with water from the dough — I agree with that, and like the loaves we make without spraying.

I do use a damp scuffle to clean the oven floor, but I don't make it dripping wet. Since the steam generated by the mopping is truly steam, it produces less thermal shock to the oven dome than drops of actual water (remember that converting water to steam requires substantially more energy than simply raising the temperature of water one more degree).

All clay will degrade with repeated thermal shock, even the finest firebrick.

If you try the kitty litter approach, do take notes and share what you learn!

You might also ask on the brickoven listserve at yahoo.groups.

Hope this helps. And that you have a lovely winter/solstice/xmas there in VT.

Best,

– Kiko

Comment on ovens and efficiency by kikodenzer

kikodenzer — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:18:20 +0000

Jonathan,

I've read The Book of Masonry Stoves, and recommend it highly to anyone interested in building an indoor oven — it's a very good solution in places where climate and budget go that way. I've also built masonry heaters of the rocket stove variety (which can be modified to bake as well), so I certainly appreciate your point and agree completely. Maybe we need a new book that combines some of these stories and principles?

Comment on ovens and efficiency by Shantell Nowakowski

Shantell Nowakowski — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:50:06 +0000

A well researched site, I'll link to it from my site thanks

Comment on ovens and efficiency by Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:20:06 +0000

Kiko, I don't know what claims are being made for masonry ovens with regard to their energy efficiency in cooking food. But sometimes people refer to masonry heaters as masonry "ovens" whether or not they include an actual built in oven feature, separate from the burning chamber. (Our own book here at Chelsea Green helps to spread this confusion, being called "The Book of Masonry Stoves" when "…Masonry Heaters" would be the actually and technically correct term. But the book is many years old, so it's too late to change the title.)

A masonry oven fired up just to cook one meal will be energy inefficient, as you say. But a masonry heater that is fired up to heat your home in the winter can be fantastically efficient, and that's even before you cook food in the oven compartment that might be included without having to burn any additional fuel. Some of these masonry heaters will keep a sizable home warm all day with just a small amount of wood burned. And the bread that might come with the process is a fantastic frosting on the cake.

Of course we have to be sure we're talking about the same things here. One day, hopefully everyone will know the difference between a masonry heater and a masonry oven, and will use the terms accurately to avoid confusion.