Preparing for the Cooking Chamber

We are almost to the point where we will begin building the actual cooking chamber where fire will be built and all of our delicious breads and pizzas will transform.  But first, we needed to lay a foundation for the oven.  First we need to put down a layer of calcium aluminate.  Then we will put down a pad of high temperature concrete before laying down the firebrick.

The calcium aluminate comes in fifty pound bags that look like this:

  
This substance is then mixed up into a damp, form-able sandy stuff (but not too wet).  If it didn't likely cause cancer, it'd be a pretty fun thing for kids to play with.

Then shovel it up and put it in the form and pat it down.

I went home for dinner, but they kept doing it. They laid down the metal grid for support in the middle, and then continued to fill until they got to the top of the wooden form. Here is a shot of the finished product without the frame.