Well it seems like a long time ago now, but the first firing of this oven happened on January 9th, 2010. I made a very short stop animation to commemorate the event. The fire did get bigger over three days, but on this first day it was important to keep it small, to avoid cracking. I still don’t see how, the walls are 2-3 inches thick inside the firebox area, and another 2-3 inches outside. But better to follow directions and get it right.
Check it out:
So far, so good. Several firings later and no signs of anything other than carbonization of the interior walls. The oven is good to go!