Oasis Rising

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I started heat curing it a couple days ago. Last night I had the inside of the dome up to 300 for a couple hours with a propane setup I made. Today we did brick work. 14 year old kept mixing us fresh mortar (we mixed up a wheel barrel full of dry mix before we started) and wife did one side, while I did another. Our 11 year old ferried bricks to us so we never ran out. I have to say am thrilled with the way it came out. We got almost half of the brickwork around the stand done. Tomorrow morning I will get back out there and try to get some more of it finished.

[fxpose]

Re: Oasis Rising

Looking good so far. That's a nice huge vent area you're going to end up with after you cover that up.

George

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

After 2 weeks of not touching the oven (1 week to get taxes completed and filed....and another because I have been working late every night) I am back on the build. so I have struggled and struggled with how I am going to make this darn chimney/landing transition. I went back thru a bunch of pictures and the downloadable book and finally just decided to do it. I dry laid the bricks about five different ways before coming up with this.




I am about to go out into this blistering heat and cut 2 bricks to fit in there and then trim the first of several terracotta chimney pieces so that it sits flush and level. I probably should have worried about level when I was setting the bricks but I figured if I just went ahead and did it, I could correct things along the way and at least I would have some movement instead of just standing and staring at this thing (which I did a lot of yesterday). I will build a front to it out of brick that will also accomplish the front piece of the hood and tie it in with the chimney to provide some additional strength ( I hope).

[leckig]

Re: Oasis Rising

would you want some of us to have a talk with your wife about priorities?

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I want to start on the chimney but I have promised my wife I will attend to a few issues around here that have been getting ignored while I worked on the Oven.

[leckig]

Re: Oasis Rising

awesome thread. Looks like you are about 5 evenings ahead of my project. I am also planning the angle iron solution. I am VERY curious what are you going to do with the landing and front arch, if any.

it is also very encouraging to see another build with simple, straight half-bricks. I am subscribing right away!

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

Even though I have to build the chimney still, I think I will be making pizza in 2 weeks. Wahoo.

I'm waiting for the sun to bake off some of the humidity before I go out there and set the keystone. I need to make it a bit slimmer to get it to fit well.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

Got home too late last night to post pictures.
But here they are.

Here is a picture of the form I created

Another form pic.

Dryfit of the stones. I ended up changing it a bit for the last few stones.


Today I will set the Key stone, and also plug that gnarly hole by the entryway. I still have a ton of work to do but the rest of the yard beckons and I have homework to do tonight. Bright news is we are making Pizza on the grill again.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

this morning i set the two courses and then the additional 4 pirces of the center section. I need to set the keystone. i cut it just ran out of time. I pulled the form and got inside to clean it up as best i can. i found a few voids where the mortar didnt work its way all the way to the inside. i will point that up tomorrow morning and I will set the keystone tomorrow. I am very excited about that. I will post pictures tonight but right now I am driving(riding ....not surfing net and driving) up to DC to pick up my daughter from the airport.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

Since I worked till almost midnight the night before (on my "dayjob"), yesterday morning I took a couple hours off and I built the form inside my oven that I hope will allow me to close the dome this weekend. .....LET ME DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND> I WILL CLOSE THE DOME THIS WEEKEND!!.
I used an old piece of fanfold insulation I had in the shop. Tonight I cut the bricks into 3rds and pieced together everything for the dome except the Key stone. Tomorrow morning, I will get out there and start doing the last 2 courses. Then I will cut the Keystone. I probably won't get to the keystone till Sunday ( have to go pick my daughter up at the airport, 100 miles away tomorrow night.)I'll post some pictures tomorrow or Sunday.

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

I did the Eighth course tonight. it worked fine......had to hammer the key in on that one and it didn't quite set flush with the other stones. But the next course wasn't happening. I need a form of some kind. Exercise ball or sand or something. I'm gonna try the ball first.

[fxpose]

Re: Oasis Rising

Actually, it's looking quite good. Once you shave off the jagged edges the transition will have a nice smooth look to it.
I too had trouble there but it all seemed to come together at the end. I covered my 'ugliness' with layers upon layers of mortar...

George

[WoodchuckDad]

Re: Oasis Rising

That piece sticking up will be cut off once the mortar sets, I needed an extra piece of brick to set the key for that course and this one was the perfect shape....just too long.
Here is a shot of how it looks from underneath.

[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.