I did the same but used a basic crosscut hand saw. I took about 6" out of the top center and the two sides almost fell. A little pry bar effort and they were out.
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This is great advice. I am about to remove my mold in a couple of days, and I also did not use any grease, so I was a little concerned. But you seem to have it figured out! I am going to try this method!
So, I tried something a little different. After finishing the barrel, but before building the back wall, I used my Sawzall to undercut the top mold over each of the legs, taking out just the inner half of the lip on the half-round.
I then proceeded to build my back wall and chimney base.
I pushed inward on one of the legs, and it slid out nicely from under the top piece. The other leg isn’t coming out as easily, but the top is now ready to come out — like a loose tooth.
Keep the experiences coming! I know that removing the mold is the single biggest concern voiced here about the oven kits, and these experiments can help future builders. Thanks everyone,
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My son pulled out the mold yesterday without too much trouble. We had greased it at the beginning, and he stuck a crowbar into each leg and then pried a bit at the top. One leg came out quickly, one took a tug, and the big arch just a little prying. Done in 15 minutes with me cheering on from the sidelines!
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I read on line where the small bits of styrofoam left in the oven and stuck to the mortar can easily be removed with some acetone? Could I use a paint brush to apply some acetone and then use a power washer to get rid of any remaining residue?
Please don’t. The small bits are going to burn off when you do your curing fires. That will generate some smoke and that will be the end of it. (Don’t inhale that smoke, of course!)
Painting acetone into the interior of your oven means some will soak into the firebrick. Inhaling or ingesting acetone in large quantities leads to the condition called ketoacidosis. Aside from that, you’re introducing a highly flammable chemical into your oven at a stage in its development prior to the mortar being fully cured.
It’s not needed or necessary to pick out those bits. They’ll be gone long before you slide your first pizza in the oven.