Oasis Rising

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I made good use of the angle grinder and cut the supports. I think I will be coming in close to 12 inches.


If the weather cooperates, I will close the opening this weekend.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

made a little more progress last night before the sky opened up.

I am trying to remain patient.

I can almost taste the pizza now.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising




should be able to make some progress tomorrow

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oasis Rising

You really want to close that gap. Without the course being complete, you could knock the whole thing down by accidentally kicking it.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

Just what I needed as I head to bed. Fear.

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oasis Rising

I thought of that before posting, but I doubt any accidental ninjas will be kicking around it tonight.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I thought of that before posting, but I doubt any accidental ninjas will be kicking around it tonight.

Actually , just before midnight, I was out there swimminig with my smallest Ninja......who thankfully has not kicked it yet.

[ThinCrust99]

Re: Oasis Rising

I ma watching you closely and learning....lol

Chris

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I didn't take any pictures today. I will, just to show people what NOT to do. My transition is hideous. It is truly ugly. I think I placed the inner opening too far out from center of the dome....and I'm seriously teardropping it to get the damned thing closed and in my hast to do so I have a hole between one course of bricks and the opening. Tomorrow I will photograph this vile beast and see if I need to tear down any bricks and do it again. I am thinking I can make a plug for this hole andmortar it in, and hold the plug in place with futur courses of bricks for the transition and vent landing arch

[DaveW]

Re: Oasis Rising

I say keep going. When you look into the oven you only see the back wall and yours looks great. It won't make any difference if it is not a perfect dome. The beauty of these ovens is that no two are the same.
dave

[Tscarborough]

Re: Oasis Rising

As Bob Weire, the form carpenter I worked with for a couple of summers as a kid used to say, "This ain't no pie-ano, boy, hustle up!".

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

Thanks for the encouragement. My plan is to keep pushing forward. Tomorrow I will figure out and document my problem and my solution for the transition. when I dry fit the bricks, I was happy. Everything fit well. Then I tore it down,, mixed my mortar and started toactually lay the bricks and when I got to the top I realized it was messed up. I have spent the last 2 hours pouring over picture of other builds trying to find the best solution. This section is the first in which I had to use shims. I cut little wedges from a firebrick to keep the pieces from dropping down. I'm heading off to bed. Not gonna solve this till I get back out there and start carving bricks with the angle grinder.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

This is the ugliness


Not only is there a severe teardrop shape but I also ended up with a pretty chunky hole. And I didn't intend for the bricks to slop downward as hard as they do.


I didn't get started today until 1pm. I grabbed the angle grinder and a hand ful of bricks and started shaving and cutting bricks until I had something to fit.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I ended up with a structure that feels pretty solid. I was able to push down pretty hard , and it didn't seem delicate althogh I have had a few bricks slide toward the inside of the dome when I forgot I couldn't push on them. when I'm working on another brick.



My son thinks it looks like atank with no track.

We took a break to enjoy some pizza on the grill for dinner.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

then I got back to work and after a long day I have a shape I think I can live with.

I wouldn't call it an elegant transition, but I think it will be functional. I will carve a brick to fit down in that hole and plug it up. I have to say, after all is said and done, I have gained a lot of respect for this simple dome archetecture. It is stong and even a bit forgiving.I now have 7 full courses above the soldiers. I am thinking that I need 4 more courses and then I will be ready for the Keystone.