Build a Mobile or TableTop Earth Oven

MOST of the oven itself in a mobile configuration, is BODY, or in short, CLAY.

most of the work to be done, therefore, is making little ones otta the big ones, as we eventually powderize our raw, rocklike earthage in preparation for water-mixing and the clay dance. the dance of course is the final prep step to turning that earthage into oven BODY.

not to get ahead of ourselves here, this vid shows the actual prepping of the clay, from rocklike raw to oven mud......

finishing up the woodbox-cum-ovenbase, by lumping in all that dance mix (did you like that clever play on wordage......its just clay mud created from the clay dance......)

we do want a solid, thick basis of clay under our oven, for a few reasons, to be discussed, but obviously we are always looking for QUALITY, and slipshod or minimal effort just aint gonna be quality, now is it.

comments yet?

While we are preparing the clay for forming the oven floor, a few considerations are
offered, to prompt us for those factors we must take into account,
when engaging in project insanity, and pushing the physics envelope
to an admirable degree, such as in creating a mobile Earth Oven.

MOVING onward, here we define the round oven bottom, by laying in the oven floor, on top of the clay base,

already occupying the rectangular woodbox. ready for upward mobility-
the mobile oven walls.......

The sand mold, or the solid form of what will soon become the chamber, is shown here in a slightly different manner of
build-up, a bit more efficient timewise and effort-wise.

GIVING the first steps on body construction, by the unique set of constraints imposed by
the mobile model.....

HERE, more strategy and possible pitfalls are examined- as tips to
consider in performing crazy earth oven projects.

THE CLAY mix/dance is again exampled, as well as cautions to prevent possible future frustrations - all offerings to keep in mind.

so, our cute lil mobile oven is in reality a FOUR layer bodysheath.....with this hands-on step by step, see how those layers go on, and why more but thinner layers is possibly the strongest you'll ever see an oven get.....

A COMPOSITE explanation here, as our insane idea grows in complexity.

FULLY sheathed and vented, we are also on the verge of mouthing a chamber evacuation.

wuhhh...

watch.

HERE WE ARE. arrived finally at the slightly nervous point of hard reality- the maiden BURN- and prudent last minute checks to keep in mind....

SO....without boring you with endless footage of burning cardboard, we pause now

for a look back on detailing the body build, to clarify those items and perhaps commit

to memory, the essential bits of this superior application of earth lowtech,

and a fully legitimate lifestyle artwork........

no joke

For most Earth Ovens, since the rest of the build is reasonably similar from one to another, suffice to say that DESIGN is SCULPT, and SCULPT is DESIGN.

translated to sensible understanding, what this means is most ovens are the same, except for adaptations which we apply, to fit them into particular environments- existing building corners, integrating them to new construction, or even setting them out in the Nature to take advantage of the Perfect Rock in the base- as a few examples there.

WHAT DIFFERS is how we sculpt each oven to take on that persona and unique personality or meaning, according to the oven owner's wishes or just what we come up with on the fly. have a gander at this vid for some tips and insights...

...though keep in mind that NOBODY can teach anybody creativity-

all i can do, for example, is discuss what has happened before, and offer mechanical techniques.

perhaps each creative inspiration is like a Divine suggestion which peaks through the fogbank of Mind, to hand us a roadmap to somewhere no one else has gone, or perhaps we are given a clue when we may be clueless.

the process or routine that each of us, as equal designers wandering about the planet, end up adopting or discovering IS exciting, though. it's not only the shiny-toy new cellphone or sport motorcycle that can give us that electric buzz when something original shows up in our lives.

what can be equally or even more "shiny" are the beheld results of our own genius- something WE make whether it was intended and calculated, copied then modified or seemingly accidental- that can fire up the adrenaline, seratonin, or (hopefully) oxytosin- and course through our veins to uplift us and encourage us to continue, go beyond, build upon, improve, even achieve excellence and mastery why not.

know that there is at least one dude out in the world who awaits this from you, almost desparately hoping that you will excel me, outdo me, show me more than a thing or two.

belittle me, embarrass me- i challenge you. I DARE YOU.

just more of the same DESIGN jabber, of what we mean by the SCULPT.

here's an exercise. ask yourself

WHAT CAN I BRING TO THIS ENVIRONMENT,

TO ADD TO THE SURROUNDINGS OR IDEA THAT HAS BEEN STARTED HERE

OR TO JOLT THE OBSERVER INTO SURPRISE,

TO FIRE THEIR OWN IMAGINATIONS BY THE SHOCK....

get into it - this is YOU now.

ohhhh yeah baby, time to awaken your inner Necromancer-

some naughty spells can be cast, banishing forever the yawning Ordinary and averageness of the Uninspired. and please keep in mind, that to some degree EVERY potential client NEEDS YOUR HELP!

give it freely, with abandon......

LIME & CLAY - A Winning Combination

Creating that natural veneer or sheathing of an Oven- that hard protection layer to prevent water spills, rain or otherwise overly-moist ambience from compromising your Oven's outer skin and sculpted artwork- is actually quick and easy.

simply mix equal parts of hydrated lime and clay, with enough water to create a thin paste- not too stiff, not too runny- that you will actually paint the oven body with. all that is needed, is a bucket to hold the mix, a stick or trowel to mix with, and a wide stiff paintbrush to paint on your plaster.

most mixes will look exactly like just clay mud going on the Oven- but wait until it dries! later on today or tomorrow, the colour will majically turn a bright white, and you're ready to use your Oven!

COLOUR- if you want a slightly different look for your New Best Friend in clay, you can mix in a little dye- preferably natural, using a rock dust or vegetable dye- to change the Oven hue to a subtle earth shade or off-white look.

Dark, bold colours are not recommended, as any cracks or chips in the finish will be painfully obvious, and maintenance of those colours is kind of a pain in the ass.

anyway, its up to you. creativity or artistic preference is not a condition owned or defined by any one of us, after all.

one hopes that by now, after allll of this has been said and done, that you have at least a grasp
of where you want to fit in the oven-schema of things-

questions to hang out with:

• ARE YOU HUNGRY FOR THE NEXT CHANCE TO CREATE EVEN BETTER

• ARE YOU SIMPLY RELIEVED ITS MOSTLY OVER, AND GOOD RIDDANCE

• IS THE EARTH OVEN-BUILD/BUSINESS-HUSTLE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU

• ?

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