Brickwork Completed Finally!

Yup, no more making dust by cutting up bricks! Check it out (note the rectangle box on top that will help brick in a future 6 inch stove pipe to vent out smoke):

See that archway? That was the hardest part thus far. Lots of cutting and grinding with the makita outfitted with a diamond saw. PLENTY OF HOT, NOISY AND DUSTY WORK!!!

That glob of cement on the top of the oven dome is what was left from my mizzou refractory casting cement. It should act as additional thermal mass, like a cladding of sorts. I don't want to add too much thermal mass as that would take additional time to heat up the oven to proper temperature with a wood fire.

For baking breads, if there is not enough thermal mass to last a bake then I could always place in some leftover fire bricks along the perimeter of the hearth deck to act as a temporary thermal mass. I also am thinking of a small fire by the archway to act as a heat source (a real fire door!) to maintain a proper temperature of an otherwise "falling" oven.

So a "quick" warm up to 900 deg F. for pizzas and tandoor type flat breads and then for bread baking, additional thermal mass added ala loosely placed bricks to maintain a 450 deg F. temperature bake. (Can't wait to try!)

The section below the oven's entrance I plan to place ceramic tile:

And below everything, that perfect spot for wood storage: