So a clay oven's not really practical to do on a weekend meet then ?
uppy_dog So how do you use the oven? does it have a fire under it? do you keep hot coals in it while cooking? or do you pre-heat it and cook with the stored heat??
cheers
Steve
Middlewood Scout Camp Meet
- Thread starter Matt Weir
- Start date
So a clay oven's not really practical to do on a weekend meet then ?
uppy_dog cheers
Steve
Course it is practical to make on a weekend trip. If it fails dramatically we will have learnt something! I'm willing to give it a go if you are. What is the worst that could happen?
So a clay oven's not really practical to do on a weekend meet then ?
cheers
Steve
I can ask if we can get permission to build one out of the way. At the least we can see how its done and at best use it at the next Middlewood meet in March
So a clay oven's not really practical to do on a weekend meet then ?
So how do you use the oven? does it have a fire under it? do you keep hot coals in it while cooking? or do you pre-heat it and cook with the stored heat??
cheers
Steve
Heat the oven then use the residual heat stored in the bricks. Works a treat.
I can ask if we can get permission to build one out of the way. At the least we can see how its done and at best use it at the next Middlewood meet in March
Email sent...
===================================================
Clay oven idea?‏
From: Matt Weir
Sent: 08 October 2007 15:38:08
To: bookings@middlewoodcamp.org.uk
Hi Gill,
As you are aware I have a bushcraft weekend booked from 30 Nov to 2nd Dec and have been getting ideas for activities. Someone has come up with the idea of building a small clay oven for baking bread, pies and such so I was wondering how we would be fixed to do that? I think the idea would be to build it somewhere discrete out of the way in the woods. It wouldn't really be used that weekend as it would need 'firing' but it would then be ready for other groups at make use of. I plan to book another meet in March so we would then be able to use it properly ourselves.
Please let me know what you think.
Best regards,
Matt Weir.
===================================================
We'll see?
I've never made one, but I know how to. Gladly lend a hand if someone can make the wicker basket.
Wicker basket? I was thinking us using a baking tray/pizza base tray type of thing? How does the wicker basket factor in Paul?
The wicker basket is sacrificial. It's used to form the inside of the oven. Clay is packed around it to form the dome with the hole in the top. A fire is then lit to bake the clay and the backet burns off. It just makes getting the shape easier.
Spamel - you gave me the challange of creating my own hobo stove. Well I think I've done it; or rather I've pinched Jon1's stove idea and improved it slightly.
It's basically the same design, but could be put together with frost-bitten hands/ chunky mittens. The sides and base are permanently connected and fold like a concetina, it has a hinged firebox base and folds 99-100% flat. Well it does on paper! With the firebox base being 2 inches above the ground you should be able to use it in areas that don't allow fires on the ground. It will run on whatever flame you can get in the firebox and you can pin it down to the ground with tent pegs (I'm a bit concerned about it falling over when using a kelly kettle on top).
Oh, and I'm going to paint it as well (ultra-high temp paint from car spares shop; also found in my garage!).
Now to make it. Watch this space.
Chris
It's basically the same design, but could be put together with frost-bitten hands/ chunky mittens. The sides and base are permanently connected and fold like a concetina, it has a hinged firebox base and folds 99-100% flat. Well it does on paper! With the firebox base being 2 inches above the ground you should be able to use it in areas that don't allow fires on the ground. It will run on whatever flame you can get in the firebox and you can pin it down to the ground with tent pegs (I'm a bit concerned about it falling over when using a kelly kettle on top).
Oh, and I'm going to paint it as well (ultra-high temp paint from car spares shop; also found in my garage!).
Now to make it. Watch this space.
Chris
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Moschops
Gorilla + 1
Gailainne
thingswelike
SOAR
Wayland
spamel
JulianWormwood
Matt Weir
Goose
Singeblister
Wanderinstar
Fishaben
Aragorn
PJMcBear
Mentalnurse asked me to add him
SimonM + 1
Nichola
Addo (leg permitting)
Eds (hopefully)
Neanderthal & Kalahari
Lodian
Copper_head
Firebreather
Graham_S
Mountain Man
Chris G and possibly tribe
Anyone else I missed or fancies it just add your name, don't be shy.
I could tell the story of the Great Cornish Pasty escapade! Suffice it to say, my mother will never let me hear the last of it. And no, it's nothing like the scene from American Pie!
Spamel - you gave me the challange of creating my own hobo stove. Well I think I've done it; or rather I've pinched Jon1's stove idea and improved it slightly.
It's basically the same design, but could be put together with frost-bitten hands/ chunky mittens. The sides and base are permanently connected and fold like a concetina, it has a hinged firebox base and folds 99-100% flat. Well it does on paper! With the firebox base being 2 inches above the ground you should be able to use it in areas that don't allow fires on the ground. It will run on whatever flame you can get in the firebox and you can pin it down to the ground with tent pegs (I'm a bit concerned about it falling over when using a kelly kettle on top).
Oh, and I'm going to paint it as well (ultra-high temp paint from car spares shop; also found in my garage!).
Now to make it. Watch this space.
Chris
2" doesn't sound a lot Chris and if you get a lot of heat I can see scorched grass in no time. What do you think?
Well Gill has replied...
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It might be possible we would need to discuss it with you when you arrive You would also need to bring your own clay as we would not want holes digging in the site thanks Gill Rigby Middlewood
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I think that sounds promising but they are obviously concerned about damage to the site and us turning it into a building site so I have responded with...
===========================
That's fine Gill, someone has already offered to bring the clay so this would be minimal impact on the site which is the way we do it at all meets. As you say we can discuss it on site but thanks for at least considering the idea
Best regards,
Matt.
===========================
I'll just need someone who has a clue about building a clay oven to go through it will Gill (and me
) and hopefully we'll be baking soon enough.Any more idea's on how to achieve the framework?
Maybe once you have set the scene and people are a bit more 'lubricated' then we may have others but storytelling is a skill that I imagine is pretty rare...these days?
We could weave a rough lattice work from thin willow branches and twigs, maybe bind the whole thing together with grass and then pack the clay on top. Fire inside and away we go!
Squareish or roundish and what size height/length/depth are you thinking?
I need to trim the privets on the allotment and should have loads of suitable whippy branch material.
Not too sure. I see it being made by just pushing the ends into the ground, so it would end up looking like a very small hooped tent! Without the fly sheet!
I suppose you would need to get a few billy cans on top, so maybe a couple of feet long by a foot wide, and maybe 8 to 12 inches high? Total guesswork of course, maybe some of the archealogical sorts could give us a more definitive answer. Saying that, I think the experimenting is half of the fun!
I suppose you would need to get a few billy cans on top, so maybe a couple of feet long by a foot wide, and maybe 8 to 12 inches high? Total guesswork of course, maybe some of the archealogical sorts could give us a more definitive answer. Saying that, I think the experimenting is half of the fun!
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