What Kind Of Clay Do You Use For A Cob Oven?

We recommend Hawthorn Fire Clay Mix because of it’s workability and affordability. This dry clay is much less expensive than a “potter’s clay” which is usually a moist clay with fluxes and glass formers which are not needed for a clay oven.

What kind of clay is used for cob?

A: Almost any sort of clay can be used for making cob. Non-expansive clays are best, including those generally sold as “fire clay” and “mortar clay.” Lincoln clays are ideal – very sticky but not highly expansive.

Where can I buy clay for cob?

The subsoil beneath has very little organic material and is where you’ll find the clay-rich soil suitable for cob.

What is the best material for a pizza oven?

Stainless steel doesn’t retain the heat as much as a brick oven, which is possibly the biggest difference between the two. As said before, the better the heat retention, the more evenly your pizza will cook. So, if you want to be able to cook a perfect pizza, each and every time, choose brick!

How do you make cob material?

Cob is a mixture of approximately 1 part clay, 4 parts sand, and 1 part straw. You can buy bagged clay in powdered form (go to Laguna Clay for local distributors) and masonry sand from your local supply store.

How much clay Do I need to make a cob oven?

CLAY – 12.5 buckets (approx. 190 kg)

1. 3 for the first (oven) layer.
2. 2 for the brick arch, backfill and chimney.
3. 3 for the insulation layer.
4. 4.5 for the final layer.

What is the mix for cob?

Cob is a mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water. Clay is the binder; sand gives the mixture strength; straw provides tensile strength (think “rebar”); and water helps activate the clay to hold the mixture together while building.

How do you make a clay cob?

A good ratio of straw to clay and aggregate is one five-gallon bucket of straw compressed, to five buckets of dry ingredients. Keep repeating this process until the straw is used up, constantly turning and stomping, until all the straw is thoroughly mixed in and is the same color as the cob.

How long does it take for cob to cure?

It can take months to years for your cob to dry out fully. The bulk of the moisture will dry out in the first year, but it will not fully cure for 1-2 years beyond that. Once you’ve built your cob house and added your roof, allow it to breathe for several months before moving in.

Is clay good for a pizza oven?

You Can Use Clay Bricks In A Pizza Oven
They’ll do the job and if you’re only going to be using it a few times a year, it makes sense to go down this route. You could even use reclaimed bricks or bricks you’ve taken from a structure you’re demolishing. This may be a good way to use them.

Can I use clay bricks for a pizza oven?

One of the best types of brick to use is refractory brick. This type of brick is made from clay and minerals, and it is designed to withstand high temperatures. Additionally, refractory bricks are very dense, which helps to evenly distribute heat and prevent burning.

What wood should you not use in a pizza oven?

Woods to Avoid When Cooking in Wood Fired Oven Cooking in a wood fired oven is a healthy choice so don’t negate that by using firewood that is dangerous to your health. Laminated woods, pressure treated and painted woods, or any wood that has chemicals are never to be used in a wood fired oven.

What is a cob oven made of?

A cob oven is an oven which cooks from retained heat (fueled by small kindling) and is made from a mixture of local mud, and straw! The foundation is composed of local, recycled, & salvaged materials.

How do you make a good cob?

Mixing Cob: Step By Step
Pour off the water from 3 buckets of clay, and dump the clay into the sand pile. Remove your shoes, and get stompin’. Every minute or so, use the edge of the tarp to pull and roll the material to more quickly incorporate the sand and clay. Add water if necessary.

How do you seal cob?

A: Linseed oil and lime plaster are both sometimes used to seal cob against weather.

How thick should be walls of cob oven?

The wall thickness of a cob oven should be 100mm or 4 inches at a hard minimum but a cob oven is far more efficient at 6 to 8 inches thick (150-200mm). This can be enhanced further with thermally helpful materials added to the thicker cob mix.

How long do cob ovens last?

Cob should hold up for a couple of years of steady use. Eventually it will begin to break down, but they’re so easy to build, replacing the dome will take you one whole day every two to four years.

Can you add cement to cob?

Cement mortar mixerswill mix cob if you can handle the fumes and noise. As with manual mixing, the clayey soil and sand is mixed first, then the straw added. The cob has to be mixed wetter than with other types of mixing to allow the cement mixer to turn without too much stress.

Can you use pine needles in cob?

Cob is a type of earth building technique that uses a mixture of earth and a fibrous organic material (typically straw, but in this case pine needles) that adds tensile strength.

Can you use a cement mixer for cob?

A concrete mixer will only tumble the materials round and round. This works for mixing very wet material such as concrete and some earthen plasters. A concrete mixer will not mix cob.

Where can I find wild clay?

If you’re out walking when the ground is wet and the path is slippery, chances are that you’re walking on clay. You can also look for clay in lakes, ponds, streams or even at the seaside in some parts of the country. You might find it at sites where road workers or builders have dug down.