The next stages take time.  Building up the cob oven layer by layer.   These layers have straw added to the mixture.  The straw adds strength and insulation to the cob and is very important to add.   The amount is hard to say except that it’s a few good handfuls.  You can see from the texture about what we did.    After each layer we let it dry as much as possible before adding the next layer.   We often created a “slip” – a very wet soup like mixture from clay and water – to put on the dry layer prior to adding the next layer to act like a glue.

You will start seeing cracks as it drys – these should be filled as you go along.  The cracks that form mean you have potentially too much clay so it’s cracking and shrinking as it dries.  But it’s all ok.  Just keep adding layers.

Slowly build up your cob over your arch and chimney – adding your chimney towards the end.  – The final shape is up to you – but we ended up putting about 5 or 6 layers on – each about 2 inches or more thick.

Here a bunch of photos to show you how we went adding layer upon layer.  – This took a few weeks – (we took our time!).

When we thought we had our final layer (complete with some dodgy mosaic)  we started our first fire and cooked our first pizza.   Which is our next stage.  – It should be said though that after that we put on another layer – as cracks started to appear when the oven was fully fired up.   Since then we have filled in cracks and added 1 or 2 small layers.   It now heats up brilliantly – holds the heat and cooks pizzas in a couple of minutes.       Next step – starting your first fire!