This seems to be one of the bits of the book that could be improved in the next edition. Yesterday, I got it again in this lovely note from a lady named June: Hello Kiko: I am a 68 year old woman making my first mud oven following the design in your book - I'm really excited about it, and have a question. Does the width of the door matter? A friend gave me a beautiful peel ahead of the oven and it is 16 inches wide. I am making a 27 inch oven and would like to know if an 18 inch wide door would work. I am planning a brick arch opening. I couldn't find much in the book about the width, . . .
Living More with Less
We've been attending a local fellowship consisting of an interesting mix of Mennonite families (almost all of whom have left agriculture for more "professional" pursuits), as well as baptists, quakers, and a bunch of folks I won't try to categorize. Many of them are self-employed, live fairly simply, and try to uphold basic principles of love and justice. We sing and share potluck every week. That, to me, is the essence of "learning by doing," and as such means much more to me than any creed. And I'm filling in a big gap in my education, which didn't cover this whole realm that makes up one of . . .
Kiko’s Recommended Oven Links
This is a somewhat random list of sites and sources of information--mostly free. It also bounces around between earthen and brick ovens, traditional and modern, simple and complex. If you have any recommendations, let me know! -- Kiko The Masonry Heater Association's oven page: A goldmine! Le Four a pain de Jean-Marie: Mobile ovens ala Francaise Brick oven plans: free from Forno Bravo (vendor of hi-end modular ovens) "Nifty, easy-to-make (earth) oven": the quick and dirty version, as printed in Mother Earth News in 02 (before I got really serious about insulation!) Bread . . .