My Wood fired Redux

[Gulf]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Great temporary fix for the cap. Can't hardly wait to see the final "finished wide angle" reveal pic of the build.

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Today I managed to sneak some work in before the rain started. I finished the brick on the back corners, so stone work is next. I taped off the corner joints and installed hardware cloth to the durock on the chimney for the scratch coat tomorrow.

The chimney will be capped with a flat stone, with corner supports carved from granite...I have yet to make those. The crown will have a stone drip edge, and a tapered parge to the flue.

Until all that is done, I made a temporary chimney pot from a scrap piece of flue and the cap is an old 12"x12" pressed concrete sample. I'm glad it was still around....it works pretty good at keeping rain out of the flue.

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

The perforated peel worked pretty good, and it definitely launched pizza better than my wooden peel, but I think the crisp edges of the holes may be a bit grabby sometimes. So I beveled them in an effort to lessen any drag. I made some dough to test it out tomorrow..we'll see if my hunch is right.





The rivets are 3/16" SS

[TxTanner]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

I so agree with you. There are a huge number of manufactured stone products on the market today that you can throw up on a wall like tile for 7 bucks a foot.It looks good from 10 foot away because stone always looks better than most surfaces. But when you look closer you start to see repeating patterns and jaked up inside and outside corners.

As you know,a guy can make a killing hiring a crew of cheap help and slapping up 2000 feet of that a day.To due high end usually means, you and maybe one helper and two guys can only due so much in a day.The big bucks are in the cheap stuff.

It's obvious to me by looking at the quality of work, your not doing this just for the money but for the love of the work and the satisfaction you get from it.

From one contractor to another, you got my respect..... and you know how we like to find fault with each others work......I aint havin no luck with that.

Bill

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

That's a beautiful oven and wonderful craftsmanship. I hope this question isn't offensive, but I am curious - when you do stone work for others, do you just charge for the "labor" or also for the "art"? I mean, if you were selling a painting or a sculpture, the cost of the materials and how much time you put into it is somewhat irrelevant, you'd charge for the value of the finished artistic result. It seems to me that your stone work is definitely in the "art" category!

Not an offensive question, but an honest one.

The short of it is this...If somebody values a highly customized project, with lots of one of a kind features, then the cost will be higher.

The things I am doing with this oven are being done because I have never had the opportunity to do them for anyone before. All my work is custom, but finding clients that value the work and are willing to pay for it....unfortunately, they are becoming more and more scarce every year. But that is a deep subject for me...I'm not going to junk up the thread with my feelings on that.

When I am asked, "How much is ...." I say, "It depends on what you want". So, the honest answer would be.......the cost depends on the job and what the client wants.

Whether it's art or not is completely subjective to individual taste. And, if the client values what I bring to the table, then the cost is justified,because they value my knowledge, experience, ideas and abilities.

I wish to thank you and all others that have expressed appreciation for and complimented my work on this thread.

[lhs]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

That's a beautiful oven and wonderful craftsmanship. I hope this question isn't offensive, but I am curious - when you do stone work for others, do you just charge for the "labor" or also for the "art"? I mean, if you were selling a painting or a sculpture, the cost of the materials and how much time you put into it is somewhat irrelevant, you'd charge for the value of the finished artistic result. It seems to me that your stone work is definitely in the "art" category!

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

I used the new peel last week, and it works well enough. I am going to bevel the holes on the top part of the peel because I think the sharp edges create a bit of drag when picking up the pie.

Later this afternoon, I am going to prep for stucco on the chimney..hopefully.

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Your tenacity overwhelms me.

It's what drives me on all my projects....and why I almost never do the same thing twice.

[TxTanner]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Your tenacity overwhelms me.

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

You drill all those hole? That is a different piece of steel than your "grilling thingy". But in any case nothing like a good repurpose!!!

Haha...yup, all by hand, but I used the veg thingy as a hole template. We don't have a drill press anymore but my Father and I have been talking about getting another. The metal handle is just for now, I plan on milling some oak down for a new one.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

You drill all those holes? That is a different piece of steel than your "grilling thingy". But in any case nothing like a good repurpose!!!

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

viva il scroccone......Long live the scrounge!

My attempt at one of those fancy peels. This used to be the side burner cover, and the handle was the old grill cover handle. I still need to rivet it to the head...I have a ton of SS rivets for that. The holes are 1/4" and 3/16".




David, if you see this...... I off-set the front of the peel kind of like yours and the bucket trowel I mentioned. It's subtle, but you can see how the left front edge is more forward than the right. I don't know if it will make a difference or not, but it wasn't any extra trouble so why not.

[UtahBeehiver]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Good "scrounging"!!!

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

My willing victim! The old grill was cannibalized for SS material for oven tools and a couple doors. I saved the hood, which had an interior shield, the handles, the side burner cover and tray, a couple grates.







I also found an old veg grilling thingy hiding in the cabinet, and I'm going to turn it into a launching peel...no drilling required!

[stonecutter]

Re: My Wood fired Redux

Thanks for the plug on the door, I found an oval pan lid that might work even better, I found that the thermometer in the baking door is of little or no use as it does not provide as good feedback as the ir gun.

I bought a used pressure cooker today and will be trying something similar to Faith's setup, but I cannot bring myself to drill a hole in my oven.

It was a great idea and starting point.

I hear you about the thermocouple but I think opening the door to check the heat with the IR will let heat out...maybe not enough to matter, bt just a thought. Maybe incorporate a small latch, just enough of an opening to shoot the oven without opening up the door? Now that's really nutty....and I would have to break down and get a gun. I guess Harbor Freight might be good for something.

For the steam, I am thinking very simple. Just a copper tube to deliver H2O to a small cast iron pan inside the oven...which will be put in right after the hot coals and ash are removed. I don't even know if this will work, but the door is experimental. As of now, I'm not a good enough baker to care if it works or not ....any loaf that isn't on fire will be great for me.